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🇦🇺 Australia /Elections & Politics

Why Victoria's upper house voting regime leaves much to be desired

From ABC Australia · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

Analysis Named sources Context piece
  • Victoria's upper house voting system, known as Group Voting Tickets (GVTs), is criticized for allowing secret deals and preference swaps, enabling election with minimal primary votes.
  • The system is unique in the Commonwealth and allows voters to simply number one box, leaving party preferences opaque.
  • Calls for reform are intensifying, particularly after the registration of a new party, 'Free Palestine,' founded by Avi Yemeni, which critics argue is a deceptive vote-harvesting tactic.

Victoria's upper house voting system, the Group Voting Ticket (GVT), faces widespread criticism across the political spectrum for its susceptibility to secret deals and preference swaps. This method allows members of the Legislative Council to be elected with remarkably low primary votes, a practice unique among Commonwealth nations.

Deceptive behaviour in democracy is dishonourable and disgraceful. It doesn't matter who is doing it, it's unacceptable

— Premier Jacinta AllanCommenting on the registration of new political parties with potentially misleading names and tactics.

The GVT system simplifies voting for the public, enabling them to number just one box on the ballot. However, this ease comes at the cost of transparency, as voters often have no clear understanding of how their preferences are distributed by the parties. This lack of clarity has been exploited, with parties engaging in "backroom deals" to secure votes.

If parties are saying one thing, and they are actually another, well that is dishonest.

— Premier Jacinta AllanAddressing concerns about political parties misrepresenting their intentions.

Recent events have amplified calls for reform. The Victorian Electoral Commission's process to register "Free Palestine" as a political party has drawn particular attention. Avi Yemeni, the party's founder and head of a right-wing news site, has openly stated the party's purpose is to harvest votes for the right, referencing One Nation in his promotional video.

Free Palestine

— Avi YemeniReferencing the name of the political party he founded.

Premier Jacinta Allan has acknowledged the issue, stating that deceptive behavior in democracy is "dishonorable and disgraceful." While her government is currently focused on other challenges, including low poll numbers and leadership speculation, the pressure to reform the GVT system before the November election is mounting. The rise of overtly deceptive tactics by aspiring parties has made the need for change more apparent than ever.

What is the one issue that unites all useful idiots from the far-left, to the fringe right, to certain immigrant cultures that have imported their hate? Free Palestine

— Avi YemeniDescribing the unifying appeal of the 'Free Palestine' issue in his promotional video.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by ABC Australia. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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