[EM] Australian Senator Stott Despoja: "Compulsory voting has served us well"

[Chris Benham]

http://www.theadvertiser.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5936,16717614%255E5000423,00.html



Natasha Stott Despoja: Compulsory voting has served us well

26sep05

IN THE same week some Liberal Party members renewed a push for voluntary 
voting in Australia, the leader in the British House of Commons, Geoff 
Hoon, has urged his country to introduce compulsory voting.

In response to a 61 per cent voter turnout in the past British general 
election, former defence minister Hoon is keen to reinvigorate 
democracy. Mr Hoon can see that a low voter turnout does not bode well 
for democracy.

In Australia, we get a 94 per cent voter turnout and we face fines if we 
do not have good reason for not voting. Compulsory attendance at the 
ballot box is a more apt description given. Once inside a booth, voters 
can vote formally or informally - they can doodle on their ballot 
instead of number a box if they so choose - but they must take part.

The change in the Senate numbers - which gave the Coalition control from 
July 1 and has seen unedifying displays such as the gagging of the 
Telstra debate - could now see a revamp of our electoral laws.

Already we have seen attempts to change electoral laws in the past 
Parliament, including a proposal to close the roll earlier for new 
voters. Despite the abandonment of these plans, I would not be surprised 
if they make a comeback in this changed Senate.

Giving new voters less time to enrol disadvantages the young. At the 
past election, about 200,000 voters aged between 18 and 21 missed out on 
enrolling.

Nonetheless, most surveys, including my annual Youth Poll, show most 
young people do not want a lower voting age, more the pity. I suspect 
politicians would give less lip service to the issues affecting young 
people: education, training and employment; income support; mental 
health, etc, if they had a louder voice.

A lot of the rhetoric about freedom of association and choice emanating 
from federal circles - be it in relation to so-called voluntary student 
unionism or voting - seems more about disenfranchising and disempowering 
people.

The same people who constantly remind us that rights incur 
responsibilities - for example, that one has a responsibility to work 
for the dole - tend to be those who advocate voluntary voting. That is, 
they promote the chance for people to dodge their responsibility to 
democracy. Can't they see the selectivity of their arguments on rights 
and duties? The rights of a democracy incur - at the very least - the 
responsibility to vote. Democracy is a high-maintenance form of 
government. It takes effort. It exists because people participate. It 
dies when they don't. If you overstate choice as a quality to be pursued 
at all costs, you have a crippled or dying democracy, dependent on 
elites, the people who stir themselves or have a reason to stir themselves.

At least with compulsory enrolment, you give people a valid reason to 
stir themselves and that is to express their choice.

The energy used by the voluntary voting proponents should be used to 
widen the franchise for young people, and to make it easier for people 
to vote: through the internet, in remote areas, for the aged, sick and 
to improve understanding about our voting system and democracy.

The absolute imperative for those who advocate voluntary voting must be 
that they convey better than ever why people should vote. I wonder how 
many schools those politicians have addressed on the merits of voting.

At least we can say after an election now: this was the people's choice. 
If voting becomes voluntary, "people's choice" becomes "the voting 
elite's choice".

We have to ask: who would voluntary voting suit? Those with power, those 
interested in power, those who can work the system, those who profit 
from apathy and keeping people ignorant. Those with greater means to 
persuade people to vote, for example, by providing transport to get 
people to polling stations.

The system of compulsory voting has served us well. I will not be using 
my vote to abolish it.

# *Natasha Stott Despoja is Democrats senator for South Australia.
*




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