Preferential Voting

If our election on 21 August had been held under British, Canadian, Indian or American rules, we wouldn’t have had to wait. We would have known the results that evening. 

First past the post, Prime Minister Tony Abbott. Photo: Kym Smith

It would have been a landslide to the Coalition.  Their majority would have been about the same size as that of the Rudd government. The three independents would have had no role in the formation of the government, and neither the Green MP nor Mr. Willkie would have been there.

There is no perfect electoral system, and none is sacrosanct. Politicians being human, they prefer the system which they think will favour them. But circumstances change. What favours a party at one time can disadvantage them at another. 

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  • Aussie Unionist says:

    03:46pm | 13/10/10

    You’ve hit the nail on the head Ricky. I’m pretty sure that in the USA where they’re trialling preferential voting for the first time they are calling it “instant run off” because that is exactly what it is. Read more »

  • Aussie Unionist says:

    11:17pm | 12/10/10

    “It’s time to change.” How bloody rich coming from this Queen loving fool. He wouldn’t know ‘change’ if it fell on him. Read more »

 

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