I note that the Member for the Electoral District of Tamworth, Kevin Anderson has called for the abolition of compulsory voting and adoption of First Past the Post voting system.
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Firstly NO is my answer to the call, the electors and residents of NSW are already constrained by poor decisions and policies of major parties that continue to neglect rural NSW.
Secondly the First Past the Post voting system reeks of a system preferred by the landed gentry and is an antiquated voting system favouring wealthy and well-resourced political parties.
In a nutshell if five candidates stood for election to the electorate of Tamworth known as candidates A, B, C, D and E.
Candidate A receives 25 per cent of the vote and more than candidates B, C, D and E who each receive varying amounts of the residual 75 per cent of the primary vote for example 18.75 per cent each.
Candidate A wins on 25 per cent even though 75 per cent of the electorate didn’t want candidate A.
Hence our preferential voting system attempts to get to the magic figure of 50 per cent + 1 in elections to ensure that the winner reflects the views of the majority of the electorate.
It is supremely more democratic than the alternative but then many major party MP’s don’t know what that term means these days putting party donors, lobbyists and vested interests ahead of the voters.
Keep in mind in NSW elections we have Optional Preferential Voting which means you only have to vote 1.
Just Vote 1 as The Nationals so often direct voters to vote, exhausting the votes of alternative candidates who might otherwise direct voters to vote preferentially to keep their vote alive.
I believe rural NSW is at the cross-roads of ruin or prosperity and a very important State election is approaching.
The role of our governments is to enhance our lives not encumber them.
The incumbents have gone out of their way to increase our cost of living via record high electricity prices, putting TAFE education and qualifications out of reach of many NSW kids even with offered loans and subsidies, treating our elderly and disabled as though they are an unnecessary cost by privatising the Aged and Disability Home Care service.
Putting at risk our world-class land titling system and increasing the cost of buying and selling properties in NSW via their ongoing privatisation agenda; selling everything of value to the people of NSW while in some rural electorates residents still do not have fresh potable water, or adequate road infrastructure, mental health facilities or enough police to protect rural communities.
No decentralisation policy and precious little dividends of privatisation returned to rural regions.
This is just not good enough.
Mark Rodda
Tamworth
