‘IMAGINE’ believes if one can attract 0.67% of the NATIONAL vote one should earn the right to represent that 0.67% in the 151 seat House of Representatives. To set a higher threshold distorts the MMP system in favour of larger parties.
The model ‘IMAGINE’ proposes is a Mixed Member Proportional (MMP) system. MMP is mature system used by country’s such as Germany and New Zealand.
Voters have two votes, a Electorate vote that determines local representation, which may be different to the voters’ candidate/party vote.
Voter candidate/alliance/party vote will determine proportionality in the House of Representatives. It is this vote that has the power. For further explanation click MMP and Q&A.
(NOTE: one seat in the 151 seat House of Representatives = 0.6622516% of the vote rounded up to 0.67)
Before IMAGINE can do anything it must first achieve 1500 members in order to register. The LNP and Labor both recently voted to raise the membership threshold from 500 to 1500 in order to make it more difficult for the minor parties.
Everything is academic until this step is achieved, if you believe that the IMAGINE proposal has merit please help by joining, it’s free.
The IMAGINE strategy is to attract the one off vote (not necessarily the allegiance) of the 25.22% that did not vote for the LNP or Labor, and in addition also attract those voters who believe that not to vote for one of the major parties would be a waste of their vote.
If successful IMAGINE could potentially achieve approximately a third of the vote. This would mean with the help of the dodgy TPP voting system, IMAGINE would likely gain control of the House of Representatives, or at least the balance of power.
If this was achieved with the exception of changing the voting system to MMP, IMAGINE would maintain the contemporary status quo.
IMAGINE would introduce legislation that would task the AEC to reduce the number of electorates, change the electoral system to MMP with a 0.67% threshold and call a new election ASAP.
In the second election a voter would vote with the knowledge that if the total national vote achieved a 0.67% threshold, the individual/party would win the right to represent that 0.67% in the House of Representatives.
In the second election IMAGINE would stand as a movement/party whose only mandate would be to act for the ‘Good Public Purpose’. IMAGINE would stand on a range of progressive policies that raise would take home incomes by approximately 20%, create full employment, build an economic floor that would support all, eliminate homelessness, support the private sector and much more.