Talk:Opposition should push for Australian federal electoral reform: Whitlam

Mr. W said
Perhaps it would be better to state that in a different way, as almost all sentences start with Mr. W said. Bawolff ☺☻ 22:48, 29 May 2006 (UTC)
 * I changed a couple Mr. Whitlam said to he said etc. Bawolff ☺☻[[image:smile.png]] 23:08, 29 May 2006 (UTC)
 * I seem to have trouble transcribing speeches :( - Cartman02au (Talk)(AU Portal) 09:55, 30 May 2006 (UTC)

What does everyone else think of this
Does anyone know what the government/anybody else thinks of his speech (For neutrality and balance)? I looked but can't seem to find anything. Bawolff ☺☻ 23:12, 29 May 2006 (UTC)
 * I looked and found nothing either. I think the government is just going to pretend it never happened - Cartman02au (Talk)(AU Portal) 09:55, 30 May 2006 (UTC)

Frustration is a good thing.
The whole point of a bicameral parliament is to make the status quo stronger than radical change. The House and the Senate are designed to have different electoral systems and produce different results.

The reason we have the staggered double Senate terms is to act as a brake on someone who is instantly but not consistently popular. It is generally a very good system that has served us well ( I think we are 1 of 4 countries that have 100 years of uninterrupted democracy and universal sufferage. ). The Senate more accurately reflects public opinion because it has proportional representation, unlike the House which silences 20-25% of electors who do not agree with either Liberal or Labor, but the Senate is slower to respond to the changes of pulic opinion because of the staggered terms.

I would vote against any proposal that did away with staggered terms (which requires a constitutional change).

It should be work to get something throught the Senate because governence should be for the whole of society, not just the majority which by definition is what the Government of the day represents.


 * Personally I would support fixed-terms for the house of reps, but the senate should be left alone. I think the senate model is perfect - Cartman02au (Talk)(AU Portal) 09:56, 30 May 2006 (UTC)
 * Personally I would support fixed-terms for the house of reps, but the senate should be left alone. I think the senate model is perfect - Cartman02au (Talk)(AU Portal) 09:56, 30 May 2006 (UTC)