Page 4683 - Week 15 - Thursday, 21 November 1991
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the prospect of what electoral system we could choose which would overcome the difficulties associated with the proposals in 1986, I think it was, that had been sunk by the Democrats at that time. At that stage there was considerable difficulty with what system we would choose.
Labor was adamant about one thing, and that was that there would not be any system which did not include at least some single-member electorates. There must be some single-member electorates, I was told then by the then president of the ALP. Only a few months later we discovered that the Federal Labor Minister for Territories was quite happy to introduce into the Territory a system which did not include single-member electorates because of his desire to break the deadlock and give the ACT self-government.
The pros and cons for that having happened is a matter of history, and I will not comment on that; but I will remind the Assembly that the choice of the d'Hondt system was a very deliberate one taken by the then Federal Government to provide the Territory with self-government. It was a system which was not favoured by the Liberal Party at that time and, if the rhetoric is to be believed, not favoured by the ALP but which was still introduced by the Federal Labor Government with the acquiescence of the Territory Labor Party and which apparently, even today, holds some sway; apparently, even today, the local Labor Party would prefer the d'Hondt system to some of the alternatives.
Mr Kaine: They would certainly rather see that than single-member electorates.
MR HUMPHRIES: Absolutely. They would rather it than that, I think. Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, there is a very strong argument for a better system than d'Hondt. Clearly, the Senate system has been used across this country; it has been used by every State and Territory; it is understood by the citizens of every State and Territory, at least as far as they need to know how to operate the system. I have to ask myself: What is the reluctance on the part of the ALP? What are they afraid of? Of course, as Mr Kaine intimates, they are afraid of change.
We have heard again from the Minister for Education that the idea that Labor would win all the seats under a single-member electorate system is false; it is a myth; really, they would not have any chance of winning all the seats; they would do very well, but they certainly would not win all the seats.
Mr Berry: It would be good for Canberra if we won them all.
MR HUMPHRIES: This is not really a matter which ought to be the subject of conjecture and debate. It is possible to prove this quite conclusively one way or the other. There have been a large number of elections in which the citizens of the Territory have participated over the last 10 years - a very large number of elections - and I throw down a
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