The Proportional Representation Society of Australia existed in various forms for a century but only became a national organisation in 1982. Its national presidents have been Jack Wright (1982-85), Geoff Goode (1985-94), Bogey Musidlak (1994-2017) and now Jeremy Lawrence, who is president as a consequence of Musidlak's death. Yet there was something peculiar about Musidlak that I never understood. In his many letters to The Canberra Times about Hare-Clark, he would always describe himself as "convener" of the society's "ACT branch", not as national president. Perhaps that's the best example of his understatedness.

This obituary should be about Musidlak not me, but I can't help myself at this point. Canberra Times readers would know of my loathing of the present Senate voting system. That loathing led me to write the book Not Directly Chosen, for which the subtitle is "Australia's Senate vote disgrace". Five chapters are written so far, which I have sent to various people. The only one who went to great trouble to help was Musidlak, a fact has impressed me yet again as to his hard-working nature.

The last email I have from him was received at 5.57pm on Wednesday, August 23, in which, after providing me with important facts about proportional representation, he apologised for not doing more on account of his "preparations for a week's visit to Adelaide". I was told he had a very pleasant stay in Adelaide but died on the flight back to Canberra. His death was a shock to me and was correctly described as "sudden".

This obituary should be about Musidlak not psephology, but again I can't help myself. By that I mean why, in private conversation, I have described the ACT version of Hare-Clark as the "Hare-Clark-Musidlak electoral system".

There is an important difference between the Tasmanian version of Hare-Clark (in operation continuously since 1909) and that in the ACT, where it has operated since 1995. In the ACT, a single, first preference beside the name of a candidate counts as a formal vote. In Tasmania, that has never been the case. In 1909 and for many years thereafter, the elector was told: "Your vote will not count unless you number at least three squares." Today, the elector is told: "Your vote will not count unless you number at least five boxes".