Page 4831 - Week 15 - Thursday, 8 December 1994
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electorates, for example, just cannot be argued. I was not trying to entrench democracy per se. That is why we did not have a provision there about people not having to vote in certain circumstances or about compulsory voting and things of that kind. We tried to entrench things that were essential to the Hare-Clark system. I do not believe that democracy in general is under threat in this Territory; but I do think that the essentials of the Hare-Clark system are, and that is why this system has to be entrenched.
Madam Speaker, let me talk about the two amendments being brought forward by the Chief Minister. One is about compulsory voting and the other is about fixing the size of the Assembly at 17 members. The Liberal Party does not have a policy on compulsory voting in the ACT.
Debate interrupted.
ADJOURNMENT
]
MADAM SPEAKER: Order! It being 4.30 pm, I propose the question:
That the Assembly do now adjourn.
Mr Berry: I require the question to be put forthwith without debate.
Question resolved in the negative.
PROPORTIONAL REPRESENTATION (HARE-CLARK)
ENTRENCHMENT BILL 1994
Agreement-in-Principle Stage
Debate resumed.
MR HUMPHRIES: Madam Speaker, I have personal views about compulsory voting. My personal view is that it is a fine argument but I tend to prefer compulsory voting to voluntary voting. However, the point that I think needs to be made here is that the Liberal Party fully accepts that, before anybody puts compulsory voting or voluntary voting into law, they ought to seek a reference to the people of the ACT. So, if we as a party decided in a party convention in a year's time that voluntary voting was a good thing, I believe that it would be appropriate for us not just to make our case in here, if we had nine seats, but to make it out there in the electorate as well. So, I have no problems at all with compulsory voting as a principle which necessitates going to a referendum to change. That is why we accept the amendments being put forward by the Government.
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