Page 439 - Week 02 - Tuesday, 19 February 1991
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divide the ACT into 17 viable electorates? We do not have the same arguments, perhaps, that they even have in the Northern Territory.
Mr Kaine: We could call them pork-barrel 1 to 17.
MR STEFANIAK: It would be incredible pork-barrelling. What are we going to have; the electorates of Spence, Melba, Latham, Cook, Turner, O'Connor, Lyneham and Dickson? It is very difficult to logically divide up the ACT into 17 electorates.
Mr Kaine: You could have the electorates of upper and lower Aranda.
MR STEFANIAK: They could even be split, Chief Minister; who knows? It is not really a very viable option. We need to look at systems elsewhere in Australia that would be applicable to the ACT. I am very pleased that the Liberal Party has picked a sensible system which works quite well in Tasmania, and that is the Hare-Clark system. We would like to see something based on what will be the three Federal electorates, but I do not have any huge problems if we simply had one electorate in the ACT with 17 members elected along the lines of the Senate system. I think those types of systems are far fairer to the people of the ACT than single member electorates.
The Liberal Party has absolutely no problem with independents being elected. We think it would be a great travesty of justice if the system was so weighted that it would only ever see the election of the two major parties. That is why we are very much in favour of preferential voting. People deserve a chance to vote for a number of candidates and, indeed, express preferences. Mr Humphries' motion covers that. I am a little bit dismayed - but not at all surprised - by the self-seeking amendment moved by Mr Berry on behalf of the Labor Party.
I commend the motion of Mr Humphries to this Assembly. I would hope to see the Federal Government give to the people of the ACT, through this Assembly, the power to work out a suitable system to be implemented for the people of Canberra to elect its representatives now rather than later, as Mr Berry's amendment would propose.
MR WOOD (10.25): A short time ago I supported the very sensible proposal that there be a referendum to decide our electoral system. I rise again to support the further very sensible proposal that that referendum should be held after the next election. Time has caught up with us. It is now less than one year to go to the next election. I am sure you must agree - if you work out your timetables - that there simply is not time to get a referendum up and running and after that, if necessary, to install the system that that referendum determines.
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