Proportional Representation in Victorian Local Government (2019)

LyleAllan Victorian local government has a long history of various ward arrangements and voting systems. Proportional representation using the single transferable vote [PRSTV], which is now used for the great majority of Victoria's 79 municipalities, is relatively new An Andrews Labor Governmentbill will removethe present option for multi-councillor wards, where PR-STVis mainlyused. Most Victorian municipalities before the 1990s had three-councillorwards. Each councillor had a three-year term. Staggeredelections were held annually for the council seat in each ward whose councillor had reached the end of the three-year term. Votes were counted by the singlet'ansferable vote system.A few municipalities were undivided, with saggered at-large elections for one-third of the council membership every year.Wards were very often uncontested,and Victorian Governments generallyhad little interest in local government Rarely was PR-STVconsideredan option. In 1953, former Richmond City councillor and federal parliamentarian,fack Cremea4 criticised the option of PR-STVfor local councils arguing as US Republican councillorsdid successfullyin New York in the McCarthy era, that it would allow the election of Communists. Cremeanjoined the anti-Communist Democratic Labor Party (DLP)when l,abor split in 1955. Under PR-STVthe DLP would probably have won parliamentary seats.Its State Leader; Jack Little, proposed a unicameral parliament in Victoria elected by PR-STVat the 1961 Victorian stateelection,a total reversalfrom the previous attitude of anti-Communist parliamentarians such as Cremean.OftenLabor members would argueagainstPRSTVon grounds that it was complex and unfathomable. An EnglishacademigClassicsProfessorat the University of New England,electedto the Armidale Town Councilin New SouthWales,opposedPR-SWin 1970 on the rather hllacious grounds that the good burghers of Armidale would not understandit. ln 1989,a CainLabor Governmentbill soughtPR-STVfor local government, but it was rejected by the Coalition majority in the LegislativeCouncil.Victoria first used PRSTV in 1988 for Richmond City Council when elections for its council resumed after the dismissal of all its previously elected councillors for cormption. That first PR-STVelectionwas authorised by a specialRegulation. ln 7994 the newly-elected Kennett Liberal Government replacedall Victorian councillors,other than for the tiny Borough of Queenscliffe, with Commissioners it appointed. The number of councils was reduced from 2L0 to 78. The Commissioners were responsible for administering their councils, as well as establishingan electoral structure to operate when tleir councils resumedelections,which were to be held triennially. I Recorder no. 296 The electoral su'ucnrre for each municipality depended on commissionerwhim. Somecouncils were undivided, some had all multi-councillor wards, some had a combination of multi-councillor wards and singlecouncillor wards, while otlers had all single-councillor wards, which had never existedin Victoria beforehand. Legislation providing for PR, surprisingly, was first enacted by the Kennett Governmentin 7997, after the end of commissionerrule, under a dual voting sFucture in three municipalities:the City of Melbourne,the City of Greater Geelong and the Shire of Nillumbik Under dual voting some councillors, referred to as district 'atJarge' councillors, were elected by PR-STVfrom the whole municipality. Others were elected from singlecouncillor wards. Where commissionerschose multi-councillor wards or an undMded council, electionsthere used a block vote system (Lakeman \974, 36), the multiple-majoritypreferential system, which had been discontinued for Senateelectionsin 1948 when, with bipartisan support, itwas replacedby PR-STV The BracksLabor Governmentprovided for PR-STVin all multi-councillor wards in 2003 when the party conffolled both housesof the Victorian Parliament,but its introduction was flawed. Many councils had wards with an even number of councillors (stalematewards), wards of different district magnitudes, and often a mixture of singleand multi'councillor wards.That meant a lack of parity, and in some councils decisions could tlerefore be determined by a pafticular group of councillors that might not be the choice of a majority of voters. An example is the City of Casey,presently the subject of corruption allegations. It has five twocouncillorwardg and one single-councillor ward. Under PR-Sry if two groups seek election in such twocouncillor wards, the likely result is that eachgroup will secure one of the two councillors unless a particular group secures67 per cent of the vote, in which casetlat group would elect both councillors. The sole singlecouncillor ward councillor would, if there were equal numbers on a vote in eachof the stalematewards, act as the kingmaker. In 2003 Bracl<sinstituted Electoral Renresentation Reviews where, on a L}-year cycle, tlre Victorian ElectoralCommissionrecommendeda struchrrefor each council. PR-STVworks best if wards have the same number of councillors,that number is an odd numbe4 and the total size of the council is also to be an odd number. Councilsshould not be a disparate mixture of single and multi-member wards. No Victorian government or oppositionhasyet proposedlegislationto removethose anomaliesto more closelymatchthe better approach of each of the three Statesadjoining Victoria, despite continual representationsfrom the Proportional Representation Society's Victoria-Tasmania Branch (PRSA207e). The present Labor proposal for discontinuanceof the multi-councillor ward option is a total, unforeshadowed, reversal from ALP poliry in Victoria for the past forty years. In part it results from right-wing factional pressure,and the probability that Labor would confol a number of councils if the party endorsescandidates.In part it results from a desire to remove the Greensfrom local governmenl Labor needsto look at history. It might win every seatin certain councilsunder single-councillor wards,one examplebeing GreaterDandenongbut that is not good for the party. Labor-endorsedcouncillors are often of very poor quality, and have not changedmuch since the 1950s when, in Northcote,as noted in several articles in Recorder,they supported a City Librarian that refusedto let children under 14 usethe Library. Before the election of Darebin Councilby PR-STVLabor members held every seat on the council, but it is now likely that Greensmight win severalseats under singlecouncillor wards. The Greensbecame a factor in local government before PR-STV. In Yarra City Council,Greens numbers have been reduced by PR-STV.The failure of Greens to win more than one seat in the Legislative Council in 2078 under PR-Sry resulting from Greens Party in-fighting might also help Labor on this issue,but it is to be totally regretted. References: Enid lakeman, How Democmcies Vote A Study of Eledoml .S)sfems. Fourth ed. [London: Faberand Fabea 1974). PRSA2019. Victoria. Proportional RepresentationHistory at State and Municipal Level. http://www.prsa.org.au/ history.hun#Victoria Peter Love David Hudson's friends and comrades gathered at the Middle Park Bowling Club to farewell him and acknowledgethe work he had done for good causes. Ken Norling, the MC, spoke about his long-term association with David at the International Bookshop. He also admitted that they rejoiced in the pedantry for which they were both known. In David's caseit was a thoroughly practical obsessionwhich qualified him for his last job as an editor at Swinburne University's Institute for SocialResearch. He had a Scottish background but grew up as a Victorian boy in Casterton from where he went to Melbourne University to train as a secondaryteacher. There,he joined in the activist campaignsof the 7970s. 'bond' period After serving his teaching he left the profession and continued a life on the left where he settled into the job of managing the International Bookshop.The comradeswho worked with him at the shop, and many of the customers,came to appreciate his love of literature and left politics. The shop was also one of the few places in Melbourne that sold gay literature in a period where it was unwise to come out. Sadly,some of his closest workmates, Molly Hadfield and Olga Silve4 have predeceasedhim. Nevertheless, Ken Norling bears witness to the intellectual left culture that Davidand the bookshopseruedso admirably. Phil Clearyspokeabout a Europeantrip that he shared with David. He was deeply impressed with the breadth of David's historical knowledge. Other speakers,Fran Barrenge4,Andrew Hewitt and RoseCostelloespoke of his deep learning and enryclopaediclcrowledgeof the Australian left, his kindness and selfless generosity to many.He was alsoa congenialcompanionin the pub. David was the secondsecretaryof the MelbourneASSLH. He was one of those people who came to personiff the quietly committed people who affirmed the leffs core principles and et}tics.It was good to see so many of the comradeswho cameto seehim offand celebratehis life. GeoffRobinsonat the TradesHall launch.Photoby Phillip Deery. Ken Norling speakingat David's farewell.Photo by PeterLove. g Recorderno.296 ECORDER Officialnewsletterof the MelbourneLabourHistorySociety(ISSNo155-8722) IN THISEDITION: . TradesHall Restoration,by PeterLove,p, 1 . JacquelineRiding:Peterloo,by L.W.Maher,p. 2 . JufieSuares:JB Chifley,by LiamByrne,p. 3 . AngelaWoollacott:DonDunston,by MalcolmSaunders, p. 4 . FrankHyeE by DaveNadel,p. 5 . The Politicsof Moratorium,by KenMansell,p. 6 . DavidWalker:StrondedNotion,by AllanPatience, p. 7 . r . . . o . ProportionalRepresentation, by LyleAllan,pp. 8-9 /Prc/Geoff Robinsonat the launchof SelngLefi-Wingin Australio,p.9 ValeDavidHudson,by PeterLove,p.9 pp. 10-11 PaddyManning:lnsidethe Greens,by HallGreenland, Judith Buckrich:GrevilleStreet,by Max Nankervis,pp. 11-12 (Prc/DavidWafker at the launchof StrondedNation,p. 72 p. 12 MelbourneBranchContacts, Peter Love After initial delays and some surprising set-backs during the restoration work, the older sections have been restored to their nineteenth century splendour. The old council chamber is remarkable in how well the restorers have been able to strip back layers of paint to revealthe elegantoriginal d6cor. The total realignment of the so-called 'New Council Chamber'has completely changedthe main chamber back to its original north - south orientation with some of the old honour rolls revealedand a handsome mezzaninelevel added to include alcovesfor historical displays.It is now named Solidarity Hall. The bar in the 'old ballroom' has been changedto the Common Room. It is now managed by Melbourne Fringe and is available for event bookings.Another of the very welcome changes is the way that the architectsand builders have been able to incorporate modern facilities in a heritage building. There is a new lift and an improved range of toilets and showers, particularly for women who were poorly served by the old building. One of the Melbourne ASSLH'snew members,Antony Moore,Trades Hall building managet will take branch members on a conductedtour early in the new year. Inside Solidarity Hall, Victorian TradesHall. Photo by Peter Love. MELBOURNEBRANCH,ASSLH ANNUALGENERALMEETING Thursday 12 December at 5.30pm MelbourneTradesHall ArchivesRoom (Enterfrom Victoria Street) Agenda Reports:President,SecretaryTreasurer. Memberswho attend the Annual GeneralMeeting will see some of the work when they come to the Hall on 12 December.We look forward to seeingyouthere. Electionof OfficeBearersand GeneralBusiness. The official re-opening of TradesHall will take place at 4:30 pm 18 December2079. Pleasealsonote thatyour 2020 membershiprenewalis now due. t Recorderno. z96