Page 3042 - Week 11 - Tuesday, 10 September 1991
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That is what we, on this side of the house, are looking for when we support the Hare-Clark system, because it is a proportional representation system and it will put into this house people that represent the people, not only 35 per cent of the people whose limited number of representatives are going to foist Labor Party ideology on this town and jam it down our throats, whether we want it or not. That is what you are on about with your single member electorates.
We want a fair electoral system. The single member electorate system is not fair under any guidelines. The Hare-Clark system does work well in Tasmania, and the Labor Party in Tasmania think so too. I suggest that you go and talk to them. Let us have a proper debate, not this snide backdoor approach where, at every opportunity you have six people to listen to you, you push for single member electorates without explaining the disadvantages of it. I claim to have been misrepresented, Mr Speaker, and I have made my point.
Mr Berry: I take a point of order, Mr Speaker. That was a gross abuse of the standing orders. There was no misrepresentation. Mr Kaine was not misrepresented. His name was not even mentioned.
MR SPEAKER: I think it was a generalisation. Your point is taken that it was a bit wide. Please refrain from that in future, members.
MR JENSEN: Mr Speaker, I seek leave to make a statement in accordance with standing order 46. I claim to have been misrepresented by Ms Follett.
MR SPEAKER: Please proceed.
MR JENSEN: During an answer to a question, Ms Follett indicated, by implication, that the Rally, of which I am a member, supported the d'Hondt electoral system, implying by that statement that we supported the d'Hondt electoral system without amendment. Mr Speaker, I would like to read into the record a couple of paragraphs from a document entitled "The ACT Electoral System - A Time for a Change?".
Mr Berry: I take a point of order.
MR JENSEN: I claim to have been misrepresented, Mr Speaker.
MR SPEAKER: Order, Mr Jensen! Please let me hear the point of order.
Mr Berry: I do not mind, Mr Speaker, and I am sure you will not, if members rise to take on issues of misrepresentation, but I think again that Mr Jensen is stretching it a bit far.
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