Catholic Communications, Sydney Archdiocese REPORT
4 Jan 2013
4 Jan 2013
Professor Scott Prasser, Executive Director of the Public Policy Institute
Non-compulsory voting would not put Australia's democracy at risk says Professor Scott Prasser, Executive Director of the Public Policy Institute at the Australian Catholic University (ACU), nor would it make democracy the "plaything of cashed-up interest groups" as the Prime Minister Julia Gillard claims.
Professor Prasser points out the argument put up by the PM could "equally apply to trade unions being an embedded part of the Labor Party and a major contributor to ALP finances."
"Times have changed. We now have a more diverse community, a better educated community and new ways of communication that makes compulsory voting increasingly obsolete," he says.
Although voting has been compulsory for federal elections since 1924, and in Queensland since 1915, Australia remains one of the few democracies in the world where registering for the electoral roll and voting in state as well as federal elections is mandatory. In the US, Canada, Britain, New Zealand as well as most European nations and in many Asian democracies, voting is voluntary.
But when Queensland's Newman Government released its Green Paper on Electoral Reform yesterday and suggested compulsory voting be reviewed there was an immediate outcry from the Federal Government. The PM Julia Gillard instantly tweeted Fight@theqldpremier's plan to end compulsory voting. Don't let the Liberals make democracy the plaything of cashed up interest groups."
Queensland to review compulsory voting
Treasurer Wayne Swan lashed out as well and compared the suggestion to the Joh Bjelke-Petersen era and the US Tea Party movement.
A parliamentary inquiry after the 1996 Federal Election which called for a repeal of compulsory voting, arguing Australian could not otherwise "consider itself a mature democracy" and more recently, Shadow Foreign Affairs Minister Julie Bishop and Liberal Senator Eric Abetz have both written in favour of voluntary voting.
But instead of a discussion about whether voting at state or federal level should be voluntary, the Green Paper has triggered a political firestorm and attack and counter-attack between the two major parties.
"We should stop the hysteria and the political-point scoring about the Newman Government's proposal and for a change have a robust, but informed discussion about whether compulsory voting is still warranted in the 21st Century," Professor Prasser says.
While there are very good reasons for compulsory voting, including civic duties and participation, and to ensure an inclusive democratic society, he says one of the problems with mandatory voting is that it makes political parties lazy in terms of seeking members and promoting real participation in democratic processes.
"That is why political parties have so few members these days and no longer act as conduits between leaders, governments and the community," he says. "This problem has been further exacerbated by public funding of political parties."
Public funding has meant that parties do not have to go out and get members and funding from their own supporters, but instead are able to rely on taxpayers to underpin their organisations.
"This has also contributed to the increasing professionalisation of politics with more and more functions being performed by hired hands rather than volunteer citizens," he says.
Australia one of the few democracies where voting is compulsory
While voter turn-out would be less if voting was no longer compulsory, in the US it is believed the freedom to vote or not to vote is all part of the democratic process and argue that those who choose to vote are the ones who take an active interest in policy and politics.
"There are many worthwhile ideas in the Green Paper and it is time these issues were on the agenda for genuine discussion," Professor Prasser says.
If Queensland did decide to end compulsory voting, it would not be an issue for other states or the federal system, he adds.
"The reasons why we have a federal system of government is to promote diversity in policy and to try out new ideas in one jurisdiction," he explains.
Interestingly he points out that when Australians voted on the Constitution and the decision to form a united country at the turn of the 20th Century, voting was not compulsory.
"But this did not undermine the democratic will on that important issue," he says.
SHARED FROM ARCHDIOCESE OF SYDNEY
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