2017-09-28
Greens initial response to SA Government’s Constitutional Reform Proposals:
“The Greens are committed to ensuring that South Australian voters get a Parliament that truly reflects the will of the people”, said Greens SA Parliamentary Leader, Mark Parnell MLC.
“Under the current system, electoral boundaries are set according to a fictional view of the world that assumes there are only two parties. That doesn’t reflect the reality of today and it doesn’t reflect what South Australians have chosen” said Mr Parnell.
“In recent elections in South Australia, around a third of voters didn’t vote for either of the old parties. These voters clearly preferred alternatives such as the Greens, other small parties and independents. Sticking with the entrenched “2-Party” view of the world doesn’t respect the wishes of South Australian voters. By keeping this archaic practice of last century, the old parties aren’t listening to citizens and are preventing our state’s democracy from evolving into a truly representative system. The Greens are seeking reform to ensure that the Parliament represents the diversity of those who elect them.
“A multi-member electorate system, as exists in Tasmania, the ACT and New Zealand, is a fairer electoral system and the Greens believe that this enhances democracy as the proportion of seats won more closely reflects the proportion of votes received.
“The Greens call on the old parties to stop holding us in the past and instead put some real reforms on the table that ensure fairness and equality, and that put the voters’ wishes front and foremost”, concluded Mr Parnell.