Electoral Reform

Dominion, Volume 29, Issue 5, 1 October 1935, Page 11

Electoral Reform

Sic,—lt is interesting to point . oat that preferential voting in Australia is m reality something very different from what has been proposed in this country. I have already pointed out that in Tasmania, where proportional representation is in force, preferential voting is a reality for the reason that the electors have a choice of candidates, and though the law requires the voter to number six names on the ballot-paper, that is something not very material where there » a large field of candidates. For tlie Stare Parliament of South Australia there are 46 members elected by 19 constituencies, and for every constituency there are at least two representatives. For the election of the Senate each of the component States of the Commonwealth is one constituency, electing six members. Under such conditions preferential voting approaches reality. If Mr. Jail’s suggestion were followed, and proportional representation adopted for .lie four chief cities, Wellington city would probably include Hutt, and thus we would have a six-member constituency, aud the electoral quota would be oneseventh of the total votes cast. For the six seats there would probably be fifteen to twenty candidates, because each party would probably try to win all the seats. In the result the voters would have a field of candidates to select from, and preference, whether lie were obliged to mark a certain number of names or not, would be what it should be, namely, the voluntary act of the voter. On the other hand, suppose preferential voting were adopted in single-member constituencies, the voter in Wellington East, who would give Mr. Mazengarb his s first preference, would he compelled to mark a preference for Mr. Gaudin, MrSemple and Mr. Nicolaus, for neither,ot whom he would vote unless compelled. Thus in single-member electorates there can be no real preference, and of course the minority would lx> deprived of ad chance of representation. Obviously, preferential voting in single-member electorates is no improvement whatever on the present system, and accordingly, nobody who is sincerely anxious to arrive at a just and final solution of the electoral problem will give it the slightest consideration. —I am, etc.. P. J. O’REGAN. Wellington. September 30.