More seats for Queensland

[ozbob]

Brisbanetimes --> Labor leader (BCC) calls for return to compulsory preferential voting

The Labor Party's leader in Brisbane City Council has sought to reignite debate over optional preferential voting in Queensland, warning of a rise in informal votes at the upcoming federal election.

Wynnum Manly councillor Peter Cumming used his first speech as opposition leader to call for uniformity of voting systems across all levels of government.

Brisbane City Council opposition leader Peter Cumming has called for the reintroduction of compulsory preferential voting. Photo: Glenn Hunt

Cr Cumming said Queensland voters were confused about the state's different voting systems, which were optional preferential at state and local level and compulsory preferential in federal polls.

Adding to the discrepancy was the fact 54 of Queensland's 77 councils were not divided into wards or divisions, so they employed a first-past-the-post system.

Cr Cumming, who led a team of five in the 27-person council chamber, said Queensland's system of optional preferential voting should be scrapped, a move that could have bolstered Labor's Brisbane City Council ranks.

Such a move could well have also delivered Labor an outright majority in State Parliament, according to 2015 voting data.

"I believe we need a uniform voting system for all levels of government in Queensland," Cr Cumming said.

"There will be far more informal votes in the federal election in Queensland than in other states because voters have cast their vote in two consecutive optional preferential elections in succession, the state election in January 2015 and the council election in March 2016.

"We should have a uniform voting system of compulsory preferential every time Queenslanders vote.

"I have read that state opposition leader Lawrence Springborg also supports compulsory preferential."

But Cr Cumming did not receive the support of his Labor colleagues on George Street.

For now, at least, a change to optional preferential voting was not on the cards, according to a spokesman for state Attorney-General Yvette D'Ath.

"It's not something that's under active consideration at the moment," he said.

Former Labor premier Peter Beattie, who was a vocal proponent of optional preferential voting during his time in government, agreed there should be uniformity across the three levels of government, but said it should go the other way.

Rather than reintroduce compulsory preferential voting in state and local government elections, Mr Beattie told Fairfax Media directing preferences at federal elections should also be made optional.

"I've always been a strong supporter of choice, but I understand the concerns people have about different voting systems," he said.

"I can understand Peter's concerns about it and I respect that, but I think people are pretty smart – Queenslanders are pretty clever – and they know the difference between voting for different levels of government."

Mr Beattie said the reasoning behind his stance was clear.

"If I don't want to vote for someone, then why should I?" he said.

"If you've got a government people what to vote for, then they'll be elected. The system won't change that."

Optional preferential voting in Queensland was introduced by the Goss Labor government in time for the 1992 state election, following a recommendation from Electoral and Administrative Review Commission – a body set up following recommendations coming out of the Fitzgerald Inquiry.

It was long seen as an electoral disaster for the conservative side of politics in three-cornered contests involving the National and Liberal parties.

The National Party platform in the late 1990s called for the reintroduction of compulsory preferential voting.

The Liberal Party, meanwhile, blamed optional preferential voting for the then-Coalition's electoral defeat in 1998 and the coinciding rise of One Nation.

But the Liberal National Party has changed its tune since the Queensland parties merged in 2008.

Since then, LNP has become the main beneficiary of optional preferential voting.

The rise of the Greens as a stronger political force in Queensland in the past decade has meant three-cornered contests generally consisted of the conservative LNP and, from the progressive side of politics, the Greens and Labor.

So it was the progressive, rather than the conservative, vote that was now being split.

State opposition leader Lawrence Springborg said while he did not initially support optional preferential voting, his views had changed.

"I fully support optional preferential voting because it respects voters' choice," the LNP leader said.

"This has been the case for many years now."

A Fairfax Media analysis of last year's state election suggested Labor could have ended up with an outright majority if compulsory preferential voting had been in place.

Based on preference flows in Mount Ommaney and Whitsunday at the 2015 state election, assuming exhausted votes would have followed those flows under compulsory preferencing, Labor would have claimed those two electorates and won 46 seats with a majority in its own right.

However, the subsequent departures of north Queensland MPs Billy Gordon and Rob Pyne would have returned Labor to a minority government.

And the preference flows in the Coorparoo and Northgate wards at last month's Brisbane City Council election show that had the exhausted votes in those wards followed suit, Labor would almost certainly have had another two seats in the council chamber.

Kim Flesser, the former Labor councillor for Northgate, has cited the lack of preference flows from the Greens as a major contributor for his party's loss in the ward.

The only other Australian state to have optional preferential voting was New South Wales.

A Newman government review of Queensland's electoral system in 2013 recommended no changes be made.

"Queensland uses an optional preferential voting system, meaning a voter only has to indicate his or her first preference, with all subsequent preferences optional," it found.

"An alternative is full preferential voting, as used in Federal House of Representatives elections, under which the voter must show a preference for all candidates listed on the ballot paper by consecutively numbering in order of preference.

"The government has considered the relative merits of both of these systems and is not persuaded of the need for change where the current system of voting is understood by electors and is consistent with the system currently used in local government elections."

[#Metro]

Why should I vote for someone I don't care about?

Would rather have my vote exhausted than give it to a party that didn't deserve it.

[James]

ALP crocodile tears. They're hungry for Greens preferences, that's why they want CPV (compulsory preferential voting) back. Who introduced OPV? Peter Beattie, to the detriment of the Libs/Nats, something which decimated the conservative parties and threw them into the electoral wilderness for nearly 15 years. Just because the game has now turned, that's no reason for the ALP to change their tune. Personally I'd rather see OPV introduced nationwide. I think it is a better system, allowing preferences if you so desire, but not forcing it on you.

Perhaps Labor could try being less awful and try and get more voters organically? Instead of relying on Greens voters' tendency to prefer a brain aneurysm to voting LNP. Could have started with better PT policies...

[ozbob]

Brisbanetimes --> Pyne likely to vote in favour of electorate increase

Whether or not Queenslanders see an increase in the number of state electorates will come down to one MP.

And he's leaning towards voting yes.

MP Rob Pyne looks set to vote in favour of more Qld electorates. MP Rob Pyne looks set to vote in favour of more Qld electorates.

The LNP blindsided the Palaszczuk Government on Tuesday, by putting forward a private member's bill to increase the number of Queensland electorates from 89 to 93.

It already had the support of the two Katter Party MPs, who had previously attempted their own private member's bill to increase the number of electorates. 

The Katter's had also previously supported the LNP in their previous bid to do the same thing.

That leaves Thursday's vote resting on Labor-turned-independent MP Rob Pyne, who sided with the LNP to pass the motion to bring the bill before the House  ...

More > http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/pyne-likely-to-vote-in-favour-of-electorate-increase-20160419-goac26.html

The proposal is to go from 89 to 93 seats.  I don't have a real problem with this. Many MPs do work hard, others just suck on the public teat however ...

[aldonius]

The biggest few seats are already under-population compared to the others, purely because they're already huge.
The fact is that the population just isn't out there. This is how one-citizen-one-vote works.

I don't have a problem with expanding Parliament, as long as they do it as a proper state-wide distribution. Long-term we still need proportional representation to smooth out the landslides.

[ozbob]

In 1986 the seats went from 82 to 89,  I think it is reasonable to go to 93  in 2016 ... been a while and significant population increases.

[Fares_Fair]

Concur, and it was supposed to be reviewed every seven years. Been a while since.

[ozbob]

Parliament has just passed the law to increase seats to 93.

Apparently there is a debate now on an ALP move to introduce Compulsory Preferential Voting.  If that goes the same as the seat increase will not get up either.

[ozbob]

LOL

Brisbanetimes --> Government wrong foots LNP on electoral reform

[aldonius]

Absolutely beautiful procedural move IMHO.     

[#Metro]

MOTION PASSED

Labor has won in its bid to have compulsory preferential voting restored in Queensland after blindsiding the LNP with the surprise amendment mere hours ago.

As a result of the support of the crossbench, Queensland will see its electorates increase by four to 93 and will have to number every box in elections.

http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/government-wrong-foots-lnp-on-electoral-reform-20160421-goc3bs.html

This is so wrong. Fundamentally tamper with democracy and did not consult on it at all. Disgusting!!

If I don't want to vote for party or candidate X, why should I have to?!?!

Gov't and Opposition literally in life support mode. Won't be doing anything useful for the next few years, other than to hold on to office until the next election.

[James]

This is so wrong. Fundamentally tamper with democracy and did not consult on it at all. Disgusting!!

If I don't want to vote for party or candidate X, why should I have to?!?!

Gov't and Opposition literally in life support mode. Won't be doing anything useful for the next few years, other than to hold on to office until the next election.

Tired of the electoral system favouring the other party? Just change it back so it can favour yourself and keep your mates in power!

That reminds me of something a certain someone did... don't you worry about that!

[aldonius]

Antony Green has weighed in. I take particular gleeful vindication in the closing sentences:

With no upper house in the Queensland parliament, there is no chance for a second opinion on the matter.

It makes you think the no case against the recently passed fixed four year term legislation might have had a point.

[verbatim9]

Greens may pick up a state seat or 2 with compulsary preferential.

[aldonius]

Fairly unlikely for a while yet. Best results this time around were: in Mt Coot-tha, on 22%, ALP win on Green preferences; Greens would need to take ~1500 votes directly off Labor to have a chance. In Noosa, on 21%, the LNP won that with a near-majority on primary vote (albeit a 12% swing away). Greens would need to gain another 5 percent or so on primary at the LNP's expense, which is fairly significant.

As for South Brisbane (GRN 21%, ALP win on GRN prefs) - also very unlikely for a while yet. Needs significant growth in the Green vote in the two-thirds of the electorate outside of West End, and then probably a high-profile Green against a non-incumbent ALP. Much the same as Mt Coot-tha, except with lower LNP vote.

[#Metro]

With no upper house in the Queensland parliament, there is no chance for a second opinion on the matter.

It makes you think the no case against the recently passed fixed four year term legislation might have had a point.

Not really. The 4-year term law hasn't taken effect yet. Proper constitution with referendum if any changes are made with this stuff (voting) would have protected against this.

In my view making such a major change to the state's electoral system unannounced and at short notice is exactly the sort of slip shod legislative behaviour that the single chamber Queensland Parliament has been criticised for so often in the past.

Even the Northern Territory parliament allowed a decent period of consultation and debate before moving to optional preferential voting earlier this year. Jarrod Bleijie as Attorney General asked for submissions before changing the Electoral Act when the Newman government had a massive majority.

http://blogs.abc.net.au/antonygreen/2016/04/electoral-law-ructions-in-the-queensland-parliament.html

This was a really bad judgement call. Should not have done it without consultation. It is truly eye widening!

Now in a matter of two hours the Queensland Parliament has abandoned a method of voting that was recommended by a post-Fitzgerald inquiry body, the Electoral and Administrative Review Commission (EARC), way back in November 1990.

No call for submissions. No inquiry. No committee. No warning. Just the moving of an amendment in committee to an opposition bill. It backs every argument that no campaigners made last month against granting fixed four year terms to a parliament with no upper house.

Neverthless the Commission is concerned that electors are currently required to record views they may not have, by ranking in order of preference all candidates offering in their district. If they do not have a complete set of preferences they have either to invent preferences, or to arbitrarily assign rankings to candidates about whom they know nothing or care less or accept their ballot papers will be excluded from the scrutiny. The Commission believes that it is not unreasonable or oppressive to require every adult citizen to play a meaningful part in the choice of their government ... But having required that duty be discharged, it is inappropriate for the electoral system to corrall votes on behalf of candidates or parties who electors do not wish to support but merely consider less objectionable than the other on the ballot paper.

[ozbob]

This brings Queensland in line with Federal voting practise.   Very smart move by the ALP, the LNP pulled a swifty, ALP just returned the favour in spades.

There was no consultation re seat increases, although I don't have problem that.  Don't have a problem with CPV either. 

CPV can always be overturned again.

Greens will come out of this a lot stronger down the track is my guess.

Some interesting facts:

===============

Twitter

smh.com.au ‏@smh 9h

Buried in the rich data of recent opinion polling lurked a disturbing number for @AustralianLabor http://ow.ly/4mVG4N  #Auspol



[Buried in the rich data of recent opinion polling lurked a disturbing number for Labor Party apparatchiks: the Greens have amassed record support from Australia's youngest voters.

At 32 per cent, the Greens' primary vote among 18 to 24-year-olds is seven points ahead of the Coalition and just one point behind Labor's 33, highlighting the century-old social democratic party's problem with losing voters from the left.

Labor's vote is 20 points down from its peak of 53 per cent in mid-2015, the height of the Abbott government's political woes.

Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/federal-politics/federal-election-2016/election-2016-labors-looming-electoral-threat-from-young-people-in-one-chart-20160421-gobrv4.html ]

[ozbob]

http://statements.qld.gov.au/Statement/2016/4/21/full-preferential-voting-reintroduced-for-queensland-elections

Media Release
Attorney-General and Minister for Justice and Minister for Training and Skills
The Honourable Yvette D'Ath

Full preferential voting reintroduced for Queensland elections

Parliament passed legislation tonight to reintroduce full preferential voting for Queensland State elections and increase the size of the Parliament from 89 to 93 seats.

Attorney-General and Minister for Justice Yvette D'Ath said while the Government opposed the increase to the number of politicians moved by the Liberal National Party, the Government moved to reintroduce full preferential voting as required in every Federal election.

"Full preferential voting allows voters to indicate their preference for all candidates listed on the ballot paper for a Queensland State election by consecutively numbering the ballot paper in order of preference," she said.

"No longer will Queenslanders elect their Federal and State MPs via different methods. The votes of all Queenslanders will be counted in the election of the Member of Parliament to represent them."

Mrs D'Ath said the process to undertake a required redistribution of Queensland's electoral boundaries – the first since 2008 - will now proceed for 93 electorates.

[#Metro]

More seats for Queensland?

Pity they are not seats on buses and trains! 

[ozbob]

Fairly unlikely for a while yet. Best results this time around were: in Mt Coot-tha, on 22%, ALP win on Green preferences; Greens would need to take ~1500 votes directly off Labor to have a chance. In Noosa, on 21%, the LNP won that with a near-majority on primary vote (albeit a 12% swing away). Greens would need to gain another 5 percent or so on primary at the LNP's expense, which is fairly significant.

As for South Brisbane (GRN 21%, ALP win on GRN prefs) - also very unlikely for a while yet. Needs significant growth in the Green vote in the two-thirds of the electorate outside of West End, and then probably a high-profile Green against a non-incumbent ALP. Much the same as Mt Coot-tha, except with lower LNP vote.

I actually think South Brisbane (presently held by Ms Trad) could go green, particularly with the lack lustre performances we have seen the last few years.  Changes to CPV will help the Greens significantly.

[ozbob]

Brisbanetimes -->Queensland compulsory preferential voting: How Labor beat LNP at their own game

[aldonius]

I actually think South Brisbane (presently held by Ms Trad) could go green, particularly with the lack lustre performances we have seen the last few years.  Changes to CPV will help the Greens significantly.

If I had to put a timeline on it, I'd say once Trad and Miles retire I expect South Brisbane and Mt Coot-tha to go Green. Until then they can probably hold on.
The precursor stage of this timeline, should it play out, will most likely feature the Greens taking and holding the Gabba and Paddington wards (as CPV also affects local govt elections).

[ozbob]

#qldpol Hijacking the hijackers: Amy Remeikis explains passage of the bill for 93 electorates & CPV

[ozbob]

Couriermail --> Leader of the House Stirling Hinchliffe behind Palaszczuk Govt preferential voting laws

[#Metro]

A Nickel company can be put into administration, but the Queensland Government cannot.

http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/lnp-consult-on-compulsory-preferential-voting-before-governors-signoff-20160423-godikl.html

The commissioner of that inquiry, Tony Fitzgerald, QC, appeared resigned to the sort of politicking seen in Queensland Parliament in the past week.

"They're all just self-interested politicians and I've sought refuge from them in a zone of total indifference," he told Fairfax Media on Saturday.

But Ms D'Ath said the reason for the change was that voters were confused by the different electoral systems at state and federal levels.

"confused" what a load of rubbish.

[ozbob]

Brisbanetimes --> New Queensland parliament numbers to stay

[Fares_Fair]

A Nickel company can be put into administration, but the Queensland Government cannot.

http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/lnp-consult-on-compulsory-preferential-voting-before-governors-signoff-20160423-godikl.html

The commissioner of that inquiry, Tony Fitzgerald, QC, appeared resigned to the sort of politicking seen in Queensland Parliament in the past week.

"They're all just self-interested politicians and I've sought refuge from them in a zone of total indifference," he told Fairfax Media on Saturday.

But Ms D'Ath said the reason for the change was that voters were confused by the different electoral systems at state and federal levels.

"confused" what a load of rubbish.

Concur. No confusion whatsoever - and to add to the insult Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk's broken promise on consultation.
There was none.

Further, this is trashing the post-Fitzgerald inquiry recommendation by the Electoral and Administrative Review Commission.

Ironically, Mr Fitzgerald chooses to be indifferent when it's a different political party.
He publicly tore strips off the other party.

[verbatim9]

They only break promises when it suits the party not the people. LOL. Wish they would break promises on Retail Deregulation and Daylightsaving to help Queensland along, but no, nothing! Not even a joint parliamentary committee on those issues. I am sure retail deregulation can get off the ground this term with joint support.

[aldonius]

Further, this is trashing the post-Fitzgerald inquiry recommendation by the Electoral and Administrative Review Commission.

Ironically, Mr Fitzgerald chooses to be indifferent when it's a different political party.
He publicly tore strips off the other party.

You're seriously suggesting that this is at the same level?

[#Metro]

Ironically, Mr Fitzgerald chooses to be indifferent when it's a different political party.
He publicly tore strips off the other party.

True. This is a very serious disrespect of the electorate. It forces people to vote for parties that they do not want to.

It was done without due process. The intention of the changes is also wrong  - it is just to boost Red Team at the next election.

This isn't the first time Red Team have modified the voting system to be in their favour. The gerrymander IIRC was also introduced by

Red Team to entrench themselves, except Bjelke-Petersen came in after that and got himself established with it, and the rest is history!

It's just wrong, on moral grounds.

[Stillwater]

Logic and sound analysis of transport issues, leading to sensible and cost-effective transport solutions, seem to not matter in Queensland, where the game is about gathering voter support with trinkets and stadiums in order to gain power.  The interesting thing about the extra seats in state Parliament is that at least one extra seat will go to each of the Sunshine Coast and the Gold Coast.  When those seats go up for grabs, both major political parties may make rash promises - such as duplication of the SCL. OR a suitable 'transport candidate' could be found to stand as an independent and give both parties grief around this issue.

[ozbob]

ABC News --> New Queensland electorates decided, but not revealed

Four new electorates for Queensland have been decided but the proposed new boundaries will not be released until February, adding to the guesswork around the timing of the next election.

In a statement the Electoral Commission said the Queensland Redistribution Commissioners were agreed on the changed electoral boundaries, including four new seats to take the total to 93.

But although the proposed boundary report was unofficially expected in January, the Commission said it was unlikely to have the final descriptions of the new electorates until mid-to-late February 2017.

The gazetting and objection process which follows means the boundaries would not be finalised before the next budget in June.

The revised redistribution timetable comes as Acting Premier Curtis Pitt rejected Pauline Hanson's prediction of an early poll.

Ms Hanson said she expected the election would be in the first few months of 2017 but Mr Pitt said it was not due until 2018.

"So on that front we are well and truly a long way away from an election," Mr Pitt said.

"We're not suggesting that there's going to be any short term election unless Pauline Hanson knows something that we don't.

"I fully intend to continue implementing our back to work program, all of the initiatives that we announced in last year's budget.

"I'm hoping to hand down my third budget in the middle of next year."

[aldonius]

As I was informed not long ago, an election before October 2017 puts the following one in October 2020... a whole seven months after Council elections. To be repeated every four years. (I had previously misread the legislation as putting the following election in 2021 regardless.)

I think I can speak for all political types when I say that elections are bloody exhausting and, given a choice, aren't scheduled within a year of each other.

To me, this militates an October election. Going pre-Budget also leaves the Government open to accusations that they're trying to pre-empt the redistribution.

[Stillwater]

^^ Yep, only need to wait until the end of February to see redistribution.  Depending on where the boundaries fall, various political parties may make promises in the new electorate to win over the voters who live there.

[ozbob]

23rd February 2017

Media Release
Premier and Minister for the Arts
The Honourable Annastacia Palaszczuk

Redistribution of electoral boundaries

My Government's priorities are to create jobs and opportunities for Queenslanders and ensure their access to frontline services, including health and education, no matter where they live.

The redistribution of the State's electoral boundaries – released today on the recommendations of an independent panel - may alter the electorate that thousands of Queenslanders belong to, but it does not change my Government's commitments to Queenslanders.

My Government provides stability and a plan for our great State. We have cut unemployment from 6.6% when we came to office to 6.1%. Economic growth and business confidence is nation-leading. Exports are at record levels.

Frontline services have been restored with the appointment of more than 2390 nurses, 770 new doctors, 1990 new teachers, 990 new teacher aides and more than 250 new police officers.

I expect all members of my team will seek re-election, and ask their local communities to judge them on their performance. My team has done a great job championing local jobs and restoring frontline services. There is more work to do.

At the insistence of the LNP, four new electorates have been added. The LNP cut 14,000 government workers, including in key service areas of health, child safety and education, when it was in office. They are prepared to create four new jobs – for four extra politicians.

The next election, due in almost 12 months, will be contested in 93 electorates.

[ozbob]

One Brisbane seat abolished, five new seats in the south-east and one abolished and one created in Nth Qld https://t.co/9dQhFBnF0G #qldpol

— Antony Green (@AntonyGreenABC) February 23, 2017

[ozbob]

ABC News --> 2017 Queensland State Redistribution

[ozbob]

Queensland's political map has been completely redrawn, and the political shockwaves are huge. @ShaneDoherty9 #9News pic.twitter.com/lYmMeiN8Zd

— Nine News Brisbane (@9NewsBrisbane) February 23, 2017

[ozbob]

ECQ Boundaries Map >> https://t.co/SV4KYIRGJh  ( ext PDF 32 MB)

[ozbob]

So SEQ gets 4 more seats.  Will railfail hurt?  You bet ...