Page 541 - Week 03 - Tuesday, 19 May 1992
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Madam Speaker, on many occasions this afternoon in this speech I have talked about Hare-Clark and these other parts of Hare-Clark as being integral to a system. I think it is that overall system that we are interested in. It is a system that we should now start moving on, to ensure, and to reassure the people of the ACT, that there is going to be a fair and open approach to our electoral system and that the fairest possible system in the world will be delivered to the people of the ACT in accordance with their wishes, as indicated by approximately a two-thirds majority at the referendum held at the last election.
MR HUMPHRIES (3.27): Madam Speaker, I do not think I need to tell most members in this Assembly what a fair system the Hare-Clark system is. I am sure that people either knew that before 15 February or know it now. Of course, those opposite realise how basically essentially wise our electorate is. The people quickly appreciated what a rum system it was that was being imposed on the ACT with the option of single-member electorates, and as a result took little time to swing around behind the view that there ought to be a Hare-Clark system available in the ACT.
That system has been described, I might point out, not by a member of my party but in fact by a member of the Australian Labor Party, as the fairest electoral system in the world. That was done by one Senator Terry Aulich, a Tasmanian Labor senator. So, we have it from the horse's mouth that this system that we are now considering in the ACT is undoubtedly an extremely fair one. It is one which has appealed to the people of the ACT. It is an Australian home-grown system, one which has overcome some of the difficulties of other electoral systems, and therefore is one which needs to be implemented as soon as possible.
We have had some discussion from Mr Moore about essential elements of the Hare-Clark system. Rather than add to what he had to say, I just refer to the words which appeared in the handout which was sent to each householder in the ACT before 15 February this year. Members will recall that the referendum ballot-paper described the two options as either the single-member electorate system or the proportional representation Hare-Clark system. Then, in small print underneath, it said: "As outlined in the Commonwealth's referendum options description sheet". That sheet was distributed to every household. It is this document I am holding at the moment. That sheet described both of the systems that were in issue in the election campaign.
That, it seems to me, Madam Speaker, is what we are talking about here today. Are we going to put in place what the electorate actually, at least in theory, voted upon when they went to the polls on 15 February and overwhelmingly endorsed the Hare-Clark electoral system by a two to one vote among the electors of the Territory?
Mr Lamont: A lot of Labor people must have voted for it.
MR HUMPHRIES: Indeed, a lot of Labor voters must have supported this system. I know of many who spoke to me about the matter and who obviously felt that - - -
Mr Kaine: At least four of those opposite must have.
MR HUMPHRIES: They must have, yes, on proportion. You are right, Mr Kaine; they must have. I wonder who they were. Would they like to volunteer? All right; I will respect their desire for secrecy.
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