Page 449 - Week 02 - Tuesday, 19 February 1991
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It says "preferential voting". It does not say "preferential voting in the guise of the modified d'Hondt system". It says that we call:
on that Government to preserve this democratic principle -
that is, of preferential voting.
Mr Berry should realise that, if Mr Simmons went into the House of Representatives and introduced a Bill to establish, for example, the Hare-Clark system, he would be establishing a preferential voting system because that is what Hare-Clark is about. Similarly, if he walked into the House of Representatives and said, "We are introducing a Bill to have single member electorates", he would also be introducing a system for preferential voting.
There are many options for preferential voting. Modified d'Hondt does not have a monopoly on preferential voting. So, support for this motion - in particular, support for part 3 of this motion - can in no way be interpreted as support for the modified d'Hondt system. I want to put on record on behalf of my party that we have no support for that system.
I think Ms Follett said, "The Liberal Party agenda has been exposed. They are really supporters of d'Hondt. Listen to what Mr Humphries has said". Not one word of what I have said in the Hansard tonight has been in support of the d'Hondt system.
Mr Berry: Yes, it is.
MR HUMPHRIES: Not one word has been, and Mr Berry had better produce evidence of what he alleges; that is, that there is some support on my part and on the part of the Government for that. That is complete and utter rubbish.
But I will tell you this, Mr Speaker: I think that the ALP agenda has been exposed. The ALP agenda is in fact support for the abolition of preferential voting in this Territory - and they will prove it if they vote against this motion without Mr Berry's amendment which, of course, will not get through. When they oppose this motion, as they probably will, they will be proving that in fact they support what David Simmons is doing in attempting to abolish preferential voting in the ACT.
Mr Berry: We will not support the Hill amendment.
MR HUMPHRIES: Neither will we.
Mr Berry: Yes, you are.
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