tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4052593945054595675.post6400536883003453507..comments2024-03-28T14:16:10.498+11:00Comments on Dr Kevin Bonham: Psephology And The Palace LettersKevin Bonhamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06845545257440242894noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4052593945054595675.post-988328816796604612022-01-25T16:22:06.021+11:002022-01-25T16:22:06.021+11:00Indeed, the 1974 Senate election had a particularl...Indeed, the 1974 Senate election had a particularly high informal rate because of ballot flooding and the lack of savings provisions you mention. <br /><br />The Senate system at the time was especially easy to bastardise because of the way casual vacancies were then dealt with - this has since been changed so the incentive to win the last seat that figured in the Whitlam government's 1975 strategy has gone. However there remain serious problems with allocating long and short terms after a DD (or for that matter a Senate expansion a la 1984) in a way that reflects the will of the voters rather than the will of the big parties. Kevin Bonhamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06845545257440242894noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4052593945054595675.post-59007016274499488902022-01-25T11:04:40.396+11:002022-01-25T11:04:40.396+11:00To add to all the mess there was also the possibil...To add to all the mess there was also the possibility of the ballot paper being flooded with loads of extra candidates. In 1974 voters in New South Wales had the joy of having to number 73 different candidates entirely accurately - no ticket voting, no optional prefencing, no savings provision, no allowance for accidental duplication or any other later provisions even though over 90% of voters voted for either Labor or the Coalition. A lot of conservative activists (including a youngish Fred Nile) had nominated in the belief that Labor voters were more likely to make mistakes in such circumstances and a high informal rate could cost the ALP a seat. The narrow failure to win a sixth seat suggests their tactic had worked. But what a group on one side of politics can do in one election can be duplicated by others in the next.<br /><br />A clear conclusion from your piece is that STV is too easy to bastardise. The initial election should always be for seats of exactly equal weight with nothing hinging on the order of election (if a split is needed have some follow-on mechanism) and parties should benefit from getting more votes instead of how well they could do at game theory.Tim Roll-Pickeringhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12589024696145675963noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4052593945054595675.post-12749733216678654692021-12-27T12:54:50.192+11:002021-12-27T12:54:50.192+11:00This comment has been removed by the author.Ethanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07226942488996369403noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4052593945054595675.post-74781578656851105022021-12-26T20:36:07.180+11:002021-12-26T20:36:07.180+11:00For this post reader one of the absolute delights ...For this post reader one of the absolute delights of the palace letters, finally being released (story there too), particularly having listened to some bang on endlessly about 'seeking to engage the Palace', is the solid documented history that the only one of Kerr, Whitlam, and Fraser, who directly lobbied the Palace to intervene was.... wait for it.... it really is priceless... not Kerr, .... not even Fraser, .... but WHITLAM. Think I laughed on an off for a month when I read that.Dave Ohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11232533713295346967noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4052593945054595675.post-18927165471067253402021-12-25T22:17:54.083+11:002021-12-25T22:17:54.083+11:00Thanks for the mention, Kevin! Not sure if I could...Thanks for the mention, Kevin! Not sure if I could fit down a chimney without breaking myself or something around me...<br /><br />In all honesty, I planned that piece to drop after the next Resolve poll, but I realised the aural similarity between "Resolve" and "Rudolph" and couldn't resist.<br /><br />Enjoy the holidays, and the very best of wishes for next year as well! It looks to be a pretty big year for Aussie election-watchers, especially given how close the state SA and federal elections will likely be.Ethanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07226942488996369403noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4052593945054595675.post-37564400385649474502021-12-25T19:34:06.411+11:002021-12-25T19:34:06.411+11:00The Whitlam Government`s half-Senate election stra...The Whitlam Government`s half-Senate election strategy would have been much more credible if there were 3 seats per territory, meaning the territory seats that were needed for the strategy to work were actually within the realm of realistic possibility of being up for grabs, something that would likely have favoured or been neutral to non-right parties in subsequent years. It may even have worked without NSW and Queensland holding half-Senate elections, unless Albert Field turned up to vote on supply.<br /><br />Another interesting counter-factual is would the Whitlam Government have got half or more of the Senators if the 1967 New England Statehood Referendum had passed and resulted in New England Statehood?T0000000000001https://www.blogger.com/profile/05135088419363685867noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4052593945054595675.post-38150728486170819922021-12-25T19:26:06.896+11:002021-12-25T19:26:06.896+11:00Hi Keven,
Thanks for the excellent article today ...Hi Keven,<br /><br />Thanks for the excellent article today - I have enjoyed reading it, as I do for all your articles.<br /><br />dedwardsdedwardshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11754130418220136533noreply@blogger.com