“Only the abolition of the Upper House regions can properly de-corrupt the electoral process and give all candidates fair representation..."
Following electoral reform in Western Australia in 2021 that abolished all Upper House regions and the group voting ticket, the Sustainable Australia Party has called for the same reforms to be adopted in Victoria in time for the 2026 state election.
Sustainable Australia Party’s Warrandyte by-election candidate Jack Corcoran says the party supports reform to the voting system that ensures minor parties and independents get a fair go in 2026.
“Sustainable Australia Party strongly supports Upper House electoral reform in Victoria,” said Mr Corcoran.
“In our party’s 2021 submission to Western Australia’s Ministerial Expert Committee on Electoral Reform, the Sustainable Australia Party said that the fairest and most representative system to ensure electoral equality is to adopt the New South Wales system of Legislative Council voting, including the abolition of Upper House regions. If all MPs are elected every four years, such a proportional representation system provides for a healthy number of minor parties and independents, in line with overall voting patterns.[1]
“We were pleased to see the WA Government adopt our recommendation and deliver a fairer system that will add to the diversity of background and thought of our MPs. That’s good for democracy.
“Much has been said about minor parties ‘gaming the system’ in Victoria, but it was entirely reasonable that minor parties worked together in 2018 and 2022 to increase their chances of election. This is due to the fact that the system was designed to entrench the Liberal/National, Labor and Greens parties in the Upper House to the exclusion of all others, despite those ‘others’ now totalling around 25 per cent of the vote. For example, in the 2014 Victorian election, the Greens were winning around 10 per cent of the vote in Upper House regions such as Eastern Metropolitan yet taking 20 per cent, or one in five, of the seats in those regions.[2] Minor parties and independents now total over 25 per cent of the Upper House vote and should therefore collectively have 25 per cent of the seats.
“Only the abolition of the Upper House regions can properly de-corrupt the electoral process and give all candidates fair representation. If a party wins 10 per cent of the vote, it should receive 10 per cent of the seats (four seats out of 40). If a party wins 2.5 per cent of the vote, it should receive 2.5 per cent of the seats (one seat).
“Sustainable Australia Party has always called for voters to be able to easily choose their own preferences and for minor parties to get a fair go. The WA reforms under the Labor Party offer the perfect model for the Andrews Government to reform Victoria’s electoral system. It’s time for Daniel Andrews to step up and deliver a more transparent and democratic election.” | Ends
Contact: Jack Corcoran
[1] https://www.sustainableaustralia.org.au/submission_ministerial_expert_committee_on_electoral_reform_-_western_australian_legislative_council
[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Results_of_the_2014_Victorian_state_election_(Legislative_Council)