Re: Australian voting system
 

Well, it certainly leads to more accurate representation, however this is usually at the cost of government stability


S

Re: Australian voting system
 

I was about to edit my post to say that the issue of people voting for seats which go to form a government is always interesting if the govt so formed is not representative of the popular vote - in any electoral counting system. The popular vote as reported in these systems is just an artifact and a statistic, (am I right there?)

If people voted for a ruling party/PM then it would be fair and utterly clear but the point of electing a local seat is that the govt can then be represented by more than one party.

This is seperate to the notion that PR is undemocratic. I am still wanting clarification from Wol on why the votes are used by the government the way they want, in the lower house certainly. I don't get that.

Re: Australian voting system
 

It isnt, it is a common lie that is told over and over again.

I support PR, rather than preferential or FPTP not because I think it is the best system, but because it gives people what they want. If they want instability and 27 different parties in Parliament then so be it.

Re: Australian voting system
 

Ok....so is Wol worrying needlessly?

Re: Australian voting system
 

I think the key difference is that FPTP is predicated on local representation - you vote for a local member for the seat you live in - where PR is predicated on national representation, and you lose the concept of having a local MP based in your constituency.

But in reality, what do local MPs actually do? As I mentioned before, they don't actually represent their seats at all do they? I'm leaning towards voting for a party at a national level with manifold splinter parties being the more democratic form of representation...


S

Re: Australian voting system
 

Whatever system you use you end up with nearly half the population unhappy and not being represented so clearly Democracy as it currently stands is pretty bad. I think I prefer the Chinese way where the country is always put first with huge long timeframes for long term planning etc. (minus the tanks of course)

Re: Australian voting system
 

That's another problem with the Australian Federal system - the 3 year govenrment cycle means you are never further than 18 months away from an election - this breeds short termist thinking I think. There's very little strategic, long term consideration.


S

Re: Australian voting system
 

The length of parliamentary terms is a problem anywhere - there's no such thing as a perfect length. If you have a good government 3 years is too short, if you have a bad one 3 years is too long. And whether a government is good or bad is a subjective personal opinion.

I like the US presidential system of limiting any one government to two 4 year terms - which means that for the second term the president doesn't have to worry about being re-elected when he forms his policies. Unfortunately he does have to get them ratified by people who are wanting to get re-elected!