Brave new Senate world - The Centre for Independent Studies
Donate today!
Your support will help build a better future.
Your Donation at WorkDonate Now

Brave new Senate world

senate star wars cantinaOn ABC Radio National’s Drive program on Friday 1 July — election eve — I said the Senate was far more interesting a contest to watch than the lower house. But as I tweeted to the host Patricia Karvelas a couple of days later, I did not expect it to get quite that interesting.

The government’s calculated move to bring the Senate to heel by passing Senate voting reform (designed to give short shrift to minor parties) was somewhat lessened by the decision to call a double dissolution. Now we’re looking at up to three senators from the Nick Xenophon Team, one Pauline Hanson and possibly two of her coterie, or a mix of Christian and Liberal Democrats.

As the results unfolded on Saturday night it became clear this was somewhat reminiscent of that Aussie classic, remixed for modern times: “That’s not a Star Wars Cantina Senate. This is a Star Wars Cantina Senate!”

In the aftermath of the last election, there was a flurry of commentary about the perversity of a system that saw Ricky Muir elected on half a percent of the primary vote. That a third of people voted for parties other than the Coalition, Labor or the Greens seemed immaterial.

Again, a similar number of people have voted for parties other than the big three, but the size has been expanded due to the double dissolution. Only now that Palmer has been traded for Pauline are people waking up to the widespread disenchantment with the established parties.

Disenchantment is visible in other parts of the system too: the record number of pre-poll votes cast or what seems to be a growing number of informal votes (in the House of Reps as well as the Senate). Imagine how many votes might be exhausting in the lower house — not contributing to the election of either of the two preferred candidates — if we had optional rather than compulsory preferential voting.

Ultimately voter disenchantment is a problem created by politicians and it is theirs to fix. But in the meantime, they could at least finish what was started with Senate voting reform and give people more control over their vote in the House as well.