Anthony Green
- Disconnect between voters and the electoral system
- Optional preferential voting good for those in remote areas and non-English speaking backgrounds.
- More disclosure and explanation of laws but not the only answer.
Graeme Orr
- Qld identical to NT in the lack of checks and balances
- No upper house for checks and balances
- Single tabloid that shapes the agenda
- Qld abolished optional preferential voting
- moving to real time disclosure with election financing
- Political financing a real challenge across all jurisdictions
- Population small so upper house difficult and not a big gene pool
- MMP style like NZ a possibility
- Single member electorates may not be best thing for indigenous constituents.
- Indigenous Advisory Council a possibility.
Gerry Wood
- Donations – cap on how much people can donate – eg $30.000
- The concept of a maximum donation – anything over $100 needs a receipt
- Create an even playing field
- NO taxpayer funding
- Returns – unfair system – unfair for independents
- Voting- doesn’t believe in optional preferential;
- MME give better chance of representation
- Media – important part and can change the way people vote.
- Journalists need to give both sides of argument – this is important for a democracy
Jeff Collins
- We have an inherited system – familiarity with the system we have is important
- MMC would just end up increasing the size of an electorate
- Our electorates are small. We have a numerical advantage as members can service them well.
- Idea of portfolio review committees being looked at by present government.
- Supports full preference voting
- Our system is compulsory attendance not compulsory voting!
Ken Parish
- Donations – disclosure should happen during the election – need to know who is funding parties
- Needs radical reform – we have the software to enable this.
- MME – a good idea – advantages 1. Proportion of representatives more closely aligned to the votes they get, 2. Bigger talent pool to work with
- People are deterred from standing when ‘winner takes all.’
- Need enough members from whom we can select competent ministers.
- Electorates wouldn’t be huge
- Independents a positive in our government
- Would still have the majority ALP and CLP
Danial Kelly
- No gene pool problem
- We have a deterrence problem – people abhor the idea of being a politician
- Funding leads to deterrence
- Need to have a change that is robust and lasts
- ALP spend 4 negative dollars to 1 positive in advertising! One side is bad x4 and one is good. Turns people off
- Campaign is negative and dumb – the effect of this deters peole from standing.
- All expenses relating to a campaign should be attributed to the individual and capped
- If individual wants to donate part of that to the party campaign then they can do that.
- Standard and approved amount of information about each candidate could be contained on a website – low cost – possibly Electoral Commission Website
- Outcomes
- Public well informed
- No flood of dumb advertising
- More sophisticated discussion around issues
- Can assist good governance
Comments and questions
Anthony Green
- Single member electorates with some form of top up might work
- Top up allocated to parties who have less seats
Steve Hatton
- Believes in compulsory preferential voting
- Electorates so small – forces oNE member to get to know their constituents
Gerry Wood
- Let’s have a good review of options tht might be better – there is something wrong when 31% of votes gives only 2 members in parliament!
Question – How would you deal with candidates who work for a minister – they have an advantage over another citizen standing for election for the first time?
Ken P
- Can’t prohibit this – all is not a level playing field – incumbency also an advantage
Graeme O
Question – How realistic is the suggestion re advertising etc in light of developments in technology – social networks?
Danial – Have to have a definition of what is advertising material. Can be argued that there are ways to get around this
Graeme – Mix of party-centred and individual funding
Gerry – personal contact still most effective and important. Letting constituents know what you stand for
Question- How are top up members elected?
Antony Green – List of members nominated before the election used to top up.
Question – MME encourages people to be lazy. One person ends up doing all the work How would you convince Canberra to allow up 40 + members of parliament?
Ken – The electorates would still be small. Can finace and money would be well spent if you get better representation and government – more consensus between parties.
Question – Most preferred group to get re-elected are sitting members. How is this fair that they get 4 years to campaign and new members get nothing?
Danial – Look at the last election this did not happen! You can’t really do anything about this.
Question – If you want to improve candidates why is there not a course at university?
Response – a good idea
Question to Jeff Collins – What do you want to change?
Jeff C –Caps on campaign finance a good idea. Need to work on the area of disclosure.
Antony Green
- Biggest problem is that NT is small jurisdiction
- Parties need to be watched. Parties have to look after broader issues – independents don’t.
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