The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1956)(about) |
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Thursday 16 September 1915
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PROPORTIONAL VOTING.
DEBATE BY EXPERTS.
Mr. John H. Humphreys (secretary of the Proportional Representation Society of Great Britain) last night met in debate Mr. T. R. Ashworth, in a debate on the merits or otherwise of the Hare system of propor- tional voting for the selection of Australian Parliaments. Mr. W. H. Renwick was in the chair. The debate look place in the rooms of the Freetrade League, London House, Elizabeth street. The audience was small. Mr. Humphreys held that more and more the present system of election de- prived a large number of citizens of repre- sentation. The single transferable vote form of proportional representation gave each citizen an effective vote in the Govern- ment of his country. This form gave more power to the elector than any other form.
Mr. Ashworth admitted many of the drawbacks of the single electorate system. But even to-day, and with these drawbacks, it was better than the Hare system. This system was equivalent to plumping and meant that representatives of sections might be elected, while generally favoured candidates were eliminated. But the fatal defect was that it was inimical to the British system of party government. It was opposed to fundamental principles of party and responsibility. It was not in accord with the machinery of the party system, since it would tend to encourage the representation of small sections. The function of the people was not to govern, but to elect those who were to govern. These were to be held responsible. The representation of separate sections would
tend to mob rule.
Mr. Humphreys responded by declaring that the present system did not ensure two parties. Only the other day the Country party had shown that three parties were possible. There were four parties in the
British Parliament, now but Britain had the single electorate system.
In further debate each speaker elaborated these main points by argument and quota- tion. The chairman expressed the thanks of the meeting to the speakers, and a vote of thanks was passed to the chairman.