This article is more than 5 years old

This article is more than 5 years old

The Labor senator Penny Wong has poured cold water on the idea of changing voting laws to stop micro-parties “gaming” the system.



A bipartisan parliamentary committee examining the 2013 federal election recommended voters be allowed to mark preferences above the line on Senate ballot papers, or not have to number all the boxes below the line.



Despite the report being received a year ago the government has yet to decide whether to go ahead with the electoral law changes. The Labor party is deeply divided on the plan and is quickly backing away from its support for a joint parliamentary inquiry which recommended the reforms.



'Madness' for Labor to back Senate voting changes, says Sam Dastyari Read more

Leader of the opposition in the Senate, Penny Wong, told ABC radio on Monday that Labor was still working through the impact of possible changes on the party and the upper house as a whole.



“But I have to say, I’ve been in the Senate since 2002 and apart from a brief period where John Howard actually had the numbers when he passed WorkChoices, the government hasn’t had the numbers,” she said.



“I’ve seen the whole range of different permutations in the Senate and governments have always had to work with them.”



Self-interest was driving the Coalition’s thinking, Senator Wong said. “This government is very keen to point the finger at anyone else but themselves.”

Senator Wong’s comments follow those of fellow Labor senator, Sam Dastyari, who told the Australian newspaper that the measures would result in a more conservative upper house.

Crossbench senators issue ultimatum over plan to curb micro-party influence Read more

“It would be complete madness for Labor to support any proposal that would risk forever preventing a progressive Senate. I can’t see Labor doing that,” Dastyari said. “Frankly, I can’t find a single Labor senator that supports any of this.”

At present, voters must either put a “1” in only one box above the line or fill in every box below the line on a ballot paper. Voting above the line hands the flow of preferences over to the parties which lodge “group voting tickets” with the electoral commission.

There have been concerns that group voting tickets have been exploited by very small parties, enabling candidates to win with a tiny proportion of the vote. In the case of the 2013 election, Australian Motoring Enthusiast party candidate Ricky Muir won a Victorian Senate seat with only 0.51% of the primary vote.

Under the proposed changes, voters would be able to cast preferences above the line, with any preferences deemed to run through each nominated party’s listed candidates in their nominated order before moving on to the next nominated party.



If voters want to cast their ballot below the line, they would only need to fill in at least six boxes for a half-Senate election, 12 for a full Senate election and two for any territory Senate election.



The Coalition would need the support of Labor, the Greens or six crossbenchers to get any changes through parliament.