Stephen Conroy (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

I have no idea what else she writes but, I tell you what, she has actually done more research than you have on this topic. She has done more research than you have and certainly more than the minister responsible, who did not even know—

An honourable senator interjecting—

I told you, I have never heard of her before! Okay? But she knows more about the voting system than the minister, who did not even know you could get the preferences at the ballot box! You can actually get them, and he did not even know it! He is in here telling us about the system and how terrible it is, and he did not even know that you can get them at the polling booth. He is giving us a lecture about the voting system and he did not even know that. This writer has done more research than the minister and you, Senator Seselja. But I should be following your advice, Mr Temporary Chairman. You are right again. I could read your mind then.

Van Badham continues:

This mechanism will remain with the Greens' changes. What the Greens are removing is what happens to the microparty votes that do not automatically reach a quota: their primary votes are individually small, but combined are around—

She has 20 per cent, and the discussion has been mainly around 24 per cent. So she is four per cent out, which is a helluva lot closer than you have been most of the day.

When a quota isn't met by any candidate, but there are still senators to elect, the counters start go through the smallest pile of votes; they are declared excluded, and their votes are redistributed, at full value, to whoever is second on each individual ballot paper, until a quota is reached.

So while it's true that Ricky Muir got only .51 per cent of a quota in primaries, no less than 23 minor parties—

You know a bit about those, Senator Rhiannon—Senator Lee 'pop-up party' Rhiannon—

directed preferences to him as they were excluded. He stayed in.'

Honourable senators interjecting—

The TEMPORARY CHAIRMAN: Order! Senator Conroy, I will ask you to address people in this place by their correct titles, thank you.

My apologies. So, yes—