Proportional Representation Society of Australia
Encyclopedia
The Proportional Representation Society of Australia is one of the main electoral reform
organisations in Australia
. It has branches in South Australia, Victoria-Tasmania, New South Wales, Western Australia and the Australian Capital Territory. Its membership includes a number of people that have successfully promoted electoral reform (both past and present).
The Society regularly reviews and makes submissions on electoral reform within Australia with a focus on multi-member single transferable vote
- proportional representation
voting systems. It has also made numerous submissions to various international organizations including the United Nations and the New Zealand Parliament.
The Society's origin dates back to before the commencement of Australia as a Federation with Catherine Helen Spence
as one of its founding members.
Catherine Helen Spence's 1861 booklet, 'A Plea for Pure Democracy', helped the early formation of a proportional representation group called the 'Effective Voting League of South Australia'. Miss Catherine Spence was the first female candidate at a public election in the then British Empire when she stood unsuccessfully at the 1897 election (under the unfair first-past-the-post multiple vote) for the 1897 Australasian Federal Convention.
A statue in Light Square in Adelaide, unveiled on 10 March 1986 by Her Majesty the Queen,commemorates Miss Spence. The PRSA later launched its reprint of her booklet there. She is remembered by her Autobiography, and was depicted on the Australian $5 banknote issued for the Centenary of Federation, in 2001. The PRSA's SA Branch (the Electoral Reform Society
of South Australia) influenced the replacement of the first party list system used, briefly, for Australian parliamentary elections, introduced by the Dunstan Labor Government in 1973, by direct election using the present quota-preferential form of proportional representation
that the SA Electoral Act 1985 prescribes for elections for SA's Legislative Council
. The SA Constitution Act 1934 requires a referendum before either House can be abolished, but it does not specify or entrench the electoral system, and that oversight
should be remedied.
It has published a quarterly newsletter entitled "Quota Notes"
In addition the Society has also published a number of educational documents and aids such as
, one of Australia's leading electoral analysts and political journalists.
Electoral reform
Electoral reform is change in electoral systems to improve how public desires are expressed in election results. That can include reforms of:...
organisations in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. It has branches in South Australia, Victoria-Tasmania, New South Wales, Western Australia and the Australian Capital Territory. Its membership includes a number of people that have successfully promoted electoral reform (both past and present).
The Society regularly reviews and makes submissions on electoral reform within Australia with a focus on multi-member single transferable vote
Single transferable vote
The single transferable vote is a voting system designed to achieve proportional representation through preferential voting. Under STV, an elector's vote is initially allocated to his or her most preferred candidate, and then, after candidates have been either elected or eliminated, any surplus or...
- proportional representation
Proportional representation
Proportional representation is a concept in voting systems used to elect an assembly or council. PR means that the number of seats won by a party or group of candidates is proportionate to the number of votes received. For example, under a PR voting system if 30% of voters support a particular...
voting systems. It has also made numerous submissions to various international organizations including the United Nations and the New Zealand Parliament.
History
Catherine Helen Spence
Catherine Helen Spence was a Scottish-born Australian author, teacher, journalist, politician and leading suffragette. In 1897 she became Australia's first female political candidate after standing for the Federal Convention held in Adelaide...
as one of its founding members.
Catherine Helen Spence's 1861 booklet, 'A Plea for Pure Democracy', helped the early formation of a proportional representation group called the 'Effective Voting League of South Australia'. Miss Catherine Spence was the first female candidate at a public election in the then British Empire when she stood unsuccessfully at the 1897 election (under the unfair first-past-the-post multiple vote) for the 1897 Australasian Federal Convention.
A statue in Light Square in Adelaide, unveiled on 10 March 1986 by Her Majesty the Queen,commemorates Miss Spence. The PRSA later launched its reprint of her booklet there. She is remembered by her Autobiography, and was depicted on the Australian $5 banknote issued for the Centenary of Federation, in 2001. The PRSA's SA Branch (the Electoral Reform Society
Electoral Reform Society
The Electoral Reform Society is a political pressure group based in the United Kingdom which promotes electoral reform. It is believed to be the oldest organisation concerned with electoral systems in the world.-Aims:...
of South Australia) influenced the replacement of the first party list system used, briefly, for Australian parliamentary elections, introduced by the Dunstan Labor Government in 1973, by direct election using the present quota-preferential form of proportional representation
Proportional representation
Proportional representation is a concept in voting systems used to elect an assembly or council. PR means that the number of seats won by a party or group of candidates is proportionate to the number of votes received. For example, under a PR voting system if 30% of voters support a particular...
that the SA Electoral Act 1985 prescribes for elections for SA's Legislative Council
Legislative Council
A Legislative Council is the name given to the legislatures, or one of the chambers of the legislature of many nations and colonies.A Member of the Legislative Council is commonly referred to as an MLC.- Unicameral legislatures :...
. The SA Constitution Act 1934 requires a referendum before either House can be abolished, but it does not specify or entrench the electoral system, and that oversight
Oversight
Oversight may refer to:*Oversight , a French Thoroughbred racehorse*Regulation – rulemaking*Separation of powers - the concept of separate branches of government or agencies exercising authority over one another...
should be remedied.
Advocacy
The Society advocates the use of Hare-Clark preferential voting, which is a form of the Single Transferable Vote method (STV) that is currently in use for many elections in Australia including the Australian Senate, mainland State Upper Houses of Parliament, the Australian Capital Territory and much of Local Government.It has published a quarterly newsletter entitled "Quota Notes"
In addition the Society has also published a number of educational documents and aids such as
- Rules for Counting Single Transferable VotesCounting Single Transferable VotesThe single transferable vote is a voting system based on proportional representation and preferential voting. Under STV, an elector's vote is initially allocated to his or her most-preferred candidate...
- The Gerrymander Wheel, a simple calculator to demonstrate the futility of drawing geographical boundaries in a single-member electorate system.
Issues
The Society has raised a number of issues in relation to the conduct of public elections in Australia, which include:- Robson RotationRobson RotationRobson Rotation is the method of printing multiple ballots for single transferable vote elections, with each having the candidates listed in a different order....
, the need to randomly order candidates listings in the printing of ballot papers so as to minimize the effect of donkey voting - Calculation of the surplus transfer value and method of segmentation used in the distribution of preferences in the counting of proportional representation counts.
- Critiques of the above-the-line voting device unfortunately used in certain Australian proportional representation elections
- Electronic voting, the introduction and use of computer technology in the conduct of elections
Submissions to Government
The Proportional Representation Society through its numerous submissions to governments has played a significant role in the development and formation of Australia's electoral systems.Federal Government
- Submission Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters, 2006
- Electoral reform Green paper - Strengthening Australia's Democracy, Report by the Australian Parliament's Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Reform,
Australian Capital Territory
New South Wales
Victoria
Public discussion and forums
The Society holds and participates in public meetings and forums on electoral reform in various parts of Australia. A recent example was a presentation by Malcolm MackerrasMalcolm Mackerras
Malcolm Hugh Mackerras AO is an Australian psephologist and commentator and lecturer on Australian and American politics.-Education and works:...
, one of Australia's leading electoral analysts and political journalists.
Accreditation
The Proportional Representation Society's Victoria-Tasmania Branch also provides accreditation and services in conducting elections for corporate and community organizations in Australia including computations of results by email. Its clientele includes:- National Trust of AustraliaNational Trust of AustraliaThe Australian Council of National Trusts is the peak body for community-based, non-government organisations committed to promoting and conserving Australia's indigenous, natural and historic heritage....
- Victorian Local Governance Association
- Oxfam AustraliaOxfam AustraliaOxfam Australia is an Australian, independent, not-for-profit, secular, community-based aid and development organisation, and an affiliate of Oxfam International. Oxfam Australia's work includes long-term development projects, responding to emergencies and campaigning to improve the lives of...
- Australian Conservation FoundationAustralian Conservation FoundationThe Australian Conservation Foundation is an Australian non-profit, community-based environmental organisation focused on advocacy, policy research and community outreach.-History:...
- RMIT UniversityRMIT UniversityRMIT University is an Australian public university located in Melbourne, Victoria. It has two branches, referred to as RMIT University in Australia and RMIT International University in Vietnam....
, Melbourne - Anglican Diocese of MelbourneAnglican Diocese of MelbourneThe Anglican Diocese of Melbourne is the metropolitan diocese of the Province of Victoria in the Anglican Church of Australia. The diocese includes the urban cities of Melbourne and Geelong and also some more rural areas. The cathedral church is St Paul's Cathedral, Melbourne...
External links
- Official Web site
- Proportional Representation Society of Australia (NSW)
- Elections and Representative government and representation - Australia National Library of AustraliaNational Library of AustraliaThe National Library of Australia is the largest reference library of Australia, responsible under the terms of the National Library Act for "maintaining and developing a national collection of library material, including a comprehensive collection of library material relating to Australia and the...
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