Craig Kelly (Hughes, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I will briefly speak on the interim report of the Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters. The right to vote is very important in any country, and we have to remember how sacred that right to vote is. We need to ensure the system we have gives the opportunity for individual citizens to have their democratic views fully respected.

I have some concerns about the current compulsory preferential system. I know that throughout the country there are many people who simply do not understand the compulsory preferential system, where they have to number every square. This is especially true in states such as New South Wales, where we have an optional system for preferential voting for the state elections but a compulsory system for the federal election. Many people in our country went to the 2013 election thinking that they were voting for a candidate by writing the number 1—whether it was for the Labor Party, the Liberal Party, the Greens or one of the other minor parties—and thinking that they were voting for that party. Their intention was clear, but because we have a compulsory system, and because they did not number every square, their vote was deemed informal. If someone puts a '1' in the square, it is very clear as to what their intention is, but the voter, because of that honest mistake, is disenfranchised.

I believe that, going forward, federally we need to look at adopting an optional preferential system of voting to make sure that those people are not disenfranchised, and to make sure that where they clearly intend to give their vote to one party or to one candidate, that that vote is respected. Of course, if they then wish to go ahead and distribute their preferences, they can do so, and that vote will also be counted the way it should be. I believe this would improve our democratic system. It would more accurately reflect the will of the people—the will of the voters—and, ultimately, that is what our electoral system should do.

Debate adjourned.

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