A revisionist interpretation of the impact of Queensland's electoral scheme

Bibliographic Data

ID6234724
AuthorsMalcolm Mackerras (UNSW Sydney, corresponding author)
Year1990
Volume25
Issue2
Pages339-349
Publication date1990-11-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueAustralian Journal of Political Science (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1036-1146 • E-ISSN: 1363-030X
PublisherInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/00323269008402129
OpenAlexW2067941752
LanguageEN
Citations received3
References cited5

In December 1989 Queensland voters changed their government from National Party to Labor Party. Labor had been out of office since August 1957, a record period of opposition for a major party. How is that very lengthy Labor period in the wilderness to be explained? The orthodox interpretation is that there has been a gerrymander in Queensland. This article argues, however, that Queensland's electoral system is the same as that of other mainland states. While it is true that electorates are malapportioned in Queensland (and in Western Australia), nevertheless the method of single member electorates with preferential voting is in use for all mainland states. Such a system does not translate a party's percentage of votes into a similar percentage of seats in the Legislative Assembly. The elections of 1956 and 1989 each saw Labor getting a first preference vote in excess of 50 per cent— with which Labor won in excess of 60 per cent of the seats. At no election between these dates did Labor secure a majority of votes, either first preference or two party preferred

Democracy · Economics · Electoral system · Interpretation (philosophy · Legislature · Opposition (politics · Political economy · Political science · Politics · Voting · Wilderness · Commonwealth, Australian Politics and Federalism · Law · Public Administration

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