3 MILLION VOICES: CAMPAIGN TO FIGHT SENATE CHANGES
Leading election expert and political commentator, Mr Malcolm Mackerras AO, is spearheading a new public information campaign titled 3 MILLION VOICES – aimed at fighting the Turnbull Government’s changes to the Senate voting system which were passed in Parliament today.
“These so-called Senate reforms are breathtaking in their contempt for the Australian Constitution,” Mr Mackerras said again today, repeating his statement to the inquiry by the Joint Standing Committee on Electoral matters.
“Now that this Legislation has passed the Senate, the three million voices of Australians who voted for the range of minor parties and Independent Senators will be silenced. Australia has one of the strongest democracies in the world. Our existing Senate system functions effectively as a robust House of Review. The democratic values of our Constitution will be significantly nullified if these proposed electoral changes come into operation.”
Mr Mackerras is the Chairman of the 3 MILLION VOICES independent Steering Committee which met in Parliament House in Canberra this week to brief Senators Bob Day, David Leyonhjelm and Jacqui Lambie about the campaign.
The Committee Co-Ordinator added to Mr Mackerras statements: “This Greens Turnbull Deception Bill is unconstitutional, undemocratic and unAustralian and we will fight it all the way to the High Court if necessary. We will fight on behalf of the three million Australians whose voices will be silenced now that the Government and the Greens have pushed this Legislation through the Senate.”
Malcolm Mackerras is Visiting Fellow in Political Science, School of Humanities and Social Sciences, at the Australian Defence Force Academy in Canberra.