Is the Senate chaos going to be resolved ?
Changes to Australia’s Senate voting systems in 2016 and consequences
2018 Volume 34 Issue 1 Pages 161-175
Details
2018 Volume 34 Issue 1 Pages 161-175
In March 2016, major changes were made to the electoral systems for Australia’s Senate. While voters can still choose from either closed or open list, voters can decide preferences between parties in the former while it will be less arduous to cast formal vote in the latter. Soon after these changes were enacted, Prime Minister Turnbull dissolved the both Houses of parliament. The double-dissolution election held on 2 July saw Prime Minister scraped back with the barest margin. Judging from the outcomes, the purposes of the changes were achieved. Concerns raised in the parliament were not materialised. Changes were right in terms of making electoral system fairer. However, as a result of calling the unnecessary double-dissolution election, Pauline Hanson’s One Nation, a far-right populist party, obtained a part of the balance of power in the Senate. The government may face serious difficulty in getting its legislative programs through the Senate.
