AAP General News (Australia)
08-15-2000
TAS: Greens want Tasmanian upper house abolished
By Don Woolford
HOBART, Aug 15 AAP - The Tasmanian Greens today called for the state's upper house
to be abolished and the lower house's numbers to be nearly doubled.
Peg Putt, the Greens' only MP, said that the change would lead to a more democratic
and inclusive system.
The Greens had favoured reforming rather than abolishing the Legislative Council.
Just before the 1998 election, the Liberal and Labor parties did a deal to cut the
House of Assembly from 35 to 25 members and the council from 18 to 15.
The change, opposed by the Greens, had the anticipated effect of ending the minor party's
balance of power.
Ms Putt said that the change had meant a more dysfunctional and less democratic parliament.
She said that ministers could not handle their huge portfolios, constituents couldn't
get to see their members and committees had been shelved because of lack of numbers.
Promised savings had not eventuated because of the proliferation of highly paid advisers.
The Greens want a referendum to approve the abolition of the upper house and an increase
to 45 members in the assembly.
The Hare Clark proportional representation system would be retained, with nine rather
than five members being returned from each of the state's five electorates.
Ms Putt acknowledged that the major parties, who she said had rigged the system to
advantage themselves, were unlikely to support a referendum.
The Greens would take their proposal directly to the people and hope a groundswell
of support would force the major parties to act.
Abolition of the council, traditionally made up of independent conservatives, remains
on Labor's platform though it's gathering dust.
In practice, Labor has concentrated on winning council seats - it now has four - and
negotiating the passage of sensitive legislation.
AAP dw mg .
KEYWORD: GREENS TAS
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