Page 4631 - Week 15 - Wednesday, 15 December 1993
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .
QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE
Electoral System
MR HUMPHRIES: My question is to the Chief Minister. I refer the Chief Minister to her comments this morning on the ABC's Matthew Abraham program. She said, "What we are doing is implementing everything that is on the referendum options description sheet under the heading, 'Model Proportional Representation Hare-Clark System'". I remind her that the sheet to which she referred on the Matthew Abraham program contains a sample ballot-paper for that model, and the copy of the ballot-paper which I have here in the chamber does not contain any above-the-line voting boxes. Does the Chief Minister wish to rephrase her comments on the Matthew Abraham program this morning? Does she concede that the only course for an honest government would be to deliver an electoral system that produces ballot-papers which, like the one in the options description sheet she referred to, contains no above-the-line boxes?
MS FOLLETT: No, I do not agree, and I believe that - - -
Mr Kaine: You never meant it right from the beginning.
Mr De Domenico: Credibility, zilch.
MS FOLLETT: I point out to members that the ballot-paper in the referendum options description sheet does not contain any candidates' names or any parties' names either. If Mr Humphries's question is whether I am going to reproduce the exact ballot-paper that is on that description sheet, the answer is no, and nor would he. As I have said, the electoral legislation I will introduce contains all of the elements that voters voted for in that referendum. It contains an additional option of above-the-line voting.
Mr Moore: That totally undermines everything else.
Mr Kaine: Why only one option? Why do we not have several?
Mr De Domenico: It is called the Brezhnev rotation.
Mr Cornwell: Why do you not just ban all other political parties, and be done with it?
MADAM SPEAKER: Order! I believe that the question came from the Opposition side. Perhaps if there was a little order you might hear the answer.
MS FOLLETT: Madam Speaker, as I said in answer to an earlier question, that is one issue amongst the 300-odd clauses of the electoral legislation on which this Assembly has the final say. I realise that members are enjoying themselves enormously in this debate, but I think they are overlooking the fact that the future of the Government's legislation is in the hands of this Assembly, and I have made it very clear that I am prepared to discuss that legislation.
Mrs Carnell: It is your legislation. It is a cop-out.
Mr Humphries: It is a blatant lie.
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .