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Bill: Proposed Electoral Reform - Senate
Details
Submitted by[?]: Country Liberal Party
Status[?]: passed
Votes: This bill is a resolution. It requires more yes votes than no votes. This bill will not pass any sooner than the deadline.
Voting deadline: November 2909
Description[?]:
| Proposal We propose a reform of the Senate. Currently the Senate is elected under a first past the post (fptp) method. Although we recognise that this method has been utilised for a very long time, and we do favour tradition, we cannot but feel that the fptp is not a fair system, and has often led to a single party dominating the Senate and various Provincial Legislatures. Suggested Reforms - Senate Therefore we propose that the fptp system is scrapped and replaced by D’Hondt Method, a proportional system. The Senate shall retain 100 seats. However Senators are to be elected for seven-year terms (of the lifetime of two legislatures, whichever is shorter). This means that half of the Senate shall be up for re-election every time there is a national general election. Each province is to have 20 Senators, so ten will be elected at every general election. The seats are to be distributed using the D’Hondt Method and shall be calculated at the provincial level. Example At the last election (http://classic.particracy.net/viewnews.php?newsid=251512) 50 Senate seats would have been up for election and they would have been distributed as follows under the proposed system; (using this calculator http://icon.cat/util/elections) Uwakah – PHU - 4 UPK - 4 KPJP - 2 BP - 0 Dirguzia – PHU -4 UPK - 2 KPJP - 0 BP - 4 Nuchtmark – PHU - 6 UPK - 2 KPJP - 1 BP - 1 Dirlana – PHU - 5 UPK - 2 KPJP - 3 BP - 0 Merkan – PHU - 4 UPK - 2 KPJP - 2 BP - 2 Total – PHU - 23 UPK - 12 KPJP - 8 BP - 7 As you can see it roughly means that there is a threshold of about 8% before a seat is obtained, although if there were more parties this would probably decrease. Possibly for the first set of Senate elections under this system, each Senator would be double to give a round hundred, but then at elections after 50 would be elected each time. |
Proposals
Debate
These messages have been posted to debate on this bill:
| Date | 12:44:24, March 14, 2010 CET | From | Country Liberal Party | To | Debating the Proposed Electoral Reform - Senate |
| Message | How do the other parties view this? Any support, or opposition? It is a fairer system, and I would be willing to operate it, if the KPJP didn't object, or we could both operate it to ensure our figures match. If there is support, would anyone like to see a tariff, say a party must achieve a minimum of 10% in order to gain Senate representation? I will also propose a similiar model for Provincial Assemblies, as I feel it is currently too easy for one party to dominate such a legislature. |
| Date | 21:14:57, March 14, 2010 CET | From | Urban Party of Kirlawa | To | Debating the Proposed Electoral Reform - Senate |
| Message | How about this, There is a total of 50 seats up for grabs and each province has 10 Senators with 5 being up for election each cycle. As for the method, I say we could try the D'Hondt Method on a trial basis starting with the next election after one in 2909. |
| Date | 02:08:00, March 15, 2010 CET | From | Barletonian Party | To | Debating the Proposed Electoral Reform - Senate |
| Message | I'd support any proposal of reform. |
| Date | 05:00:40, March 15, 2010 CET | From | Kirlawan People's Justice Party | To | Debating the Proposed Electoral Reform - Senate |
| Message | KPJP are open to both the CU's suggestion and the UPK's suggestion. We have a mild preference for the former since it keeps the total number of Senate seats at its current 100 (and, with 20 Senators from each province, allows finer gradations of support than having 50 total and 10 from each province). We especially agree with: > Although we recognise that this method has been utilised for a very long time, > and we do favour tradition, we cannot but feel that the fptp is not a fair system, > and has often led to a single party dominating the Senate and various Provincial Legislatures. |
| Date | 15:41:22, March 15, 2010 CET | From | Country Liberal Party | To | Debating the Proposed Electoral Reform - Senate |
| Message | We too would favour retaining an 100 seat Senate for now, so when we put this to vote it shall be for the 100 seat reform option. Sadly there is not enough time to put this forward before the Jan 2909 election, so it will have to be voted upon during the lifetime of the next assembly. |
| Date | 10:29:43, March 17, 2010 CET | From | Country Liberal Party | To | Debating the Proposed Electoral Reform - Senate |
| Message | Probably should have mentined in the text that this is a constitutional reform and thus will require a two-thirds majority. |
| Date | 18:31:54, March 17, 2010 CET | From | Urban Party of Kirlawa | To | Debating the Proposed Electoral Reform - Senate |
| Message | OOC: I have put this bill in the Reference Section: Important Resolutions involving our Government |
| Date | 21:00:15, March 17, 2010 CET | From | Kirlawan People's Justice Party | To | Debating the Proposed Electoral Reform - Senate |
| Message | Thank you :) |
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Voting
| Vote | Seats | ||||
| yes |
Total Seats: 717 | ||||
| no | Total Seats: 0 | ||||
| abstain | Total Seats: 0 |
| Random fact: Cultural Protocols should generally be reflective of RP conducted within the nation and should not significantly alter or modify the ethnic, religious or linguistic composition without considerable and reasonable role-play or other justification. |
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