ELECTORAL REFORM — LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
161. Hon TJORN SIBMA to the parliamentary secretary representing the
Minister for Electoral Affairs:
I refer to the process the
government intends to follow in reneging on repeated commitments given by the
Premier during the campaign that electoral reform of the upper house was not on
the government's agenda.
(1) Is it the government's official policy
position that non-metropolitan Western Australia is presently over-represented
in the Legislative Council?
(2) If yes to
(1), by a measure of seats currently occupied in the chamber, how many are
considered superfluous to the government's conception of electoral
equality?
(3) How many
seats in the Agricultural, Mining and Pastoral and South West Regions must be
sacrificed to achieve this model of perfection?
Hon MATTHEW
SWINBOURN replied:
I thank the member for some notice
of the question. I provide the following response on behalf of the Minister for
Electoral Affairs.
(1)–(3) The
government has not reneged on any election commitment. The government has
responded to widely expressed community concerns about anomalous outcomes
following the 2021 general election by establishing the ministerial expert
committee, and has asked it to recommend how electoral equality might be
achieved for all citizens entitled to vote for the Legislative Council. The
committee is yet to report, and the government will consider the options once
they have been presented.