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The Forum > Article Comments > Should we have by-elections? > Comments

Should we have by-elections? : Comments

By Crispin Hull, published 8/8/2008

Peter McGauran, Alexander Downer and Mark Vaile: and now Peter Costello? We can expect more by-elections in the future, now John Howard has left the prime ministership.

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Far be it from me to be mischievous, but why not have the person who received the next greatest number of two-party preferred votes at the last election replace the retiring member. By-elections need only be held if a member dies or is so ill as not to be able to take his/her seat. Think of the money saved as well as the dissembling avoided!
Posted by LRAM, Friday, 8 August 2008 10:13:30 AM
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I've often though the same about giving the seat to the next in line, LRAM.

As far as I'm concerned a politician who jumps ship mid-term is in breach of their implied contract with the electorate, and should be penalised. No financial entitlements should be available until the parliament is dissolved for the next election. Their payment for the votes they received at the election should be forfeit, as it was obtained under a false undertaking to the voters that they were offering themselves for a full term. And any claims if illness as a reason to leave should be independently assessed.
Posted by Candide, Friday, 8 August 2008 11:24:45 AM
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Why two-party preferred vote, LRAM? If a Green or Independent came second, let him or her take the seat.

I agree with Candide about the deceptive conduct aspects of resigning midterm. Moreover, if someone does neglect his responsibilities because he is staying on unwillingly, his party is likely to pay for it at the next election. There will thus be strong pressure on people to do their jobs.
Posted by Divergence, Friday, 8 August 2008 12:30:14 PM
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There may be valid arguments against by-elections but the expense is not one of them. Democracy does not come free and all elections have to be paid for. However, I'd rather live in a country where we do have elections, even if that means a degree of expense, rather than somewhere like North Korea which doesn't have to worry about the inconveniences of democracy.
Posted by DavidJS, Saturday, 9 August 2008 6:31:55 PM
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I agree that members resigning prior to the expiration of their term should be liable for financial penalties. I suggest (and it's unlikely that policiticans will agree) that they should forfeit their superannuation to fund all costs of any by-election. Any resignation on the grounds of ill-health should be confirmed by independent diagnosis. It's about time we got the politicians' snouts out of OUR trough.
Posted by RonH, Monday, 11 August 2008 11:22:06 AM
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RonH, would you then get any other employee to fund the costs of advertising etc if s/he resigned two years into a three year contract (maybe to get a permanent job)?

Personally, I don't get excited about the costs of by-elections because I prefer to give voters some choices. Appointment of a candidate from the same party would not give the voters a choice if they were angry about the MP in question resigning before the term was up (and so missing the chance of giving the MP's party a boot up the bum).

Also, if you start asking politicians to sacrifice some of their superannuation for inconvenient costs where would it stop? I say wear the costs of by-elections but find other ways to rein in expenditure (cut back on advertising perhaps).
Posted by DavidJS, Tuesday, 12 August 2008 9:08:13 AM
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