PREFERENTIAL VOTING.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1232, 14 September 1911, Page 5

PREFERENTIAL VOTING.

THE VICTORIAN BILL. By Telegraph-Press AeEociatlon-OoDjrisht Melbourne, September 13. In the Legislative Assembly, the third reading of the Preferential Voting Bill was carried by 31 votes to 20. THE PROPOSALS OUTLINED. In moving the second reading of tho Preferential Voting BUI on July 10 tho Acting-Premier of Victoria stated that tho object of compulsory preferential voting was tho same as that of tho second ballot, namely, to secure an absolute majority of votes in favour of the successful candidate. The second ballot involved two separate, elections where an absolute majority, was not obtained the first time while compulsory- preferential voting secured tho samp resile with n. single election. This system was in force in Western Australia and Queensland. In Western Australia it was made compulsory up to tho third preference. Electors ' had to mark their ballot papers'l, 2, and 3. Various systems of elections wero inquired into by a Boyal Commission in England last year, and rile commission recommended tho contingent vote us the best system for single electorates. Under tho Bill tho elector had to vote contingently, and show how ho desired his vote to bo transferred, so that tho voto would bo of value to some candidate at every count, until one candidate was elected by an absolute majority, iho elector would place the numeral 1 against his first choice, and then give his contingent votes in the order of his preference If a ballot paper did not beat tno contingent votes it would be informal, and would bo rejected. If there were four candidates, on the first count the one with tho lowest number of voles would be dropped out, and the votes of liis ballot papers would be distributed among the other candidates according to the preferences indicated. Tho elector by giviii" subsequent preferences could not injure the enanec-s of the man for whom ho had given his first choice. The "Age," in reviewing tho Bill, said: "Owing to its solidarity tho labour party thinks it lias most to gain from tho present system of casting ono vote, no matter tho number of candidates, and allowing the man highest on tho poll to be the member, though he represents less than one-third of the electors. It is logically reasoned that where a party is solid, and can be handled by the wire pullers with tho greatest continence, an excess of opponents of a different complexion to f-he Labour candidate is ft positive godsend, and may assure a victory even in a constituency where the .J?.', lr p ? r fr is in "» absolute minority. Liberals and Conservati res who are not as well organised ns the Labour party have everything to cain from preferential voting. In a straight-out contest between two candidates in n single electorate the side which lias the higher number is the victor without question. But owing to the absence of party discipline pressure cannot bo brmiptht to bear upon Independent candidates to prevent them from msturbing tho issue, and we see constantly three, or even four, aspirants for the one w>9l. tho effect of which is to make the electim a (rift for the Labour man. Under preferential voting tho number of "•ndirtatfs will cause no heartburning. The electors will sort them out, nnd show their preference for him whom they deem to be tho best mnn."