[EM] Entrenching PR in the Constitution

[David Catchpole]

On Wed, 6 Oct 1999, Crabb, Deane (PIRSA) wrote:

> I get Hansard for the Australian Parliament.  As this is always slow in
> coming and then I need to find time to "read" it, I am often very much
> behind the times!!
> 
> However in reading the Senate proceedings for August 24, I was very
> interested in Senator Len Harris (the new One Nation Senator from
> Queensland) introducing a Bill to entrench proportional representation as
> the method of choosing Senators.

It seems that One Nation lurves PR for some reason now even though just
previously it was being dissed by them in favour of FPP. Fascists are so
fickle aren't they? Oh well, allies come in all persuasions. It may not be
surprising to find that the entire block of Labor, the Democrats and the
Greens get behind Harris' Bill if they can get past the inconvenience
associated with referenda, which in Australia are tiresome, expensive,
often unsuccessful, and perhaps the democratic institution Australians
can be most proud of (yes, Virginia, we do have a popular constitution)
(ignoring a federal hangover which the referendum mechanism could do
without). 

I would suggest that Harris and One Nation's rationalisation for the Bill
was that they wouldn't have recieved votes outside PR. However, I would
support such an amendment to the constitution, providing it was loose
enough (that is, just entrenching basic elements like "a candidate who
recieves a Droop quota of first preferences shall be elected," maybe the
meaning of party votes as they relate to the "direct election" clause,
etc.). I'll have to get a look at that Bill.

> Was anyone else aware of this?  Has anyone dealt with Senator Harris (he has
> only recently been added to the mailing list for the Proportional
> Representation Society of Australia's publication "Quota Notes")?  Whoever
> is assisting him needs to be congratulated.

Well, here comes my Lefty bias, but- hmmm...

>
> Deane Crabb
> Electoral Reform Society of South Australia