Yes and however, The changes put the preferencing back in the voters hands, allegedly And given the number of parties and how to vote cards, doing justice to a table cloth sized ballot paper is probably made more complex and difficult!?

Optional preferencing would have been better and simply destroyed the ubiquitous backroom deals, which will still go on, except by folk with a slightly larger primary vote?

Optional preferencing would likely mean most folk would just vote 1 and end forever the preferential swaps that have gifted the greens more seats and allowed the nats to have any!? And given that is so the only thing keeping the coalition in power!

I mean, how often have the libs gained enough seats to govern in their own right, or a larger primary vote than Labor?

And the blue and white collar coalition, all that has allowed the co-ops to be dismantled, the sugar subsidies to be withdrawn and the floor ripped out from under the wool market?

All of which has depopulated the bush and effectively destroyed many generational family farms! We were once a bustling dairy based locality, now we import most of our milk, cream, butter and cheese etc, from who knows where?

Well done nats!

Inside influence?

What?

Like roll over and beg for a tummy rub as your own constituency was effectively demolished?

That said, if the government was genuinely reform minded, (LOL) then proportional representation would replace the hopscotch dog's breakfast of the system we have now. Just don't hold your breath!
Rhrosty.

Well something has to change, given the current fundamentally flawed system was self evidently designed by that villain of evil repute, Gerry Mander!
Rhrosty.

For the first time, due to partial preferencing above the line, it will become possible to make a formal vote without having to grit one's teeth in trying to determine which of the major parties is the lesser evil.

While the Australian electoral system falls way short of democracy and while democracy itself fails way short of the principle of non-violence, this welcome change makes it a notch better than before.

Sadly this option of partial preferencing is not yet available for the lower house.

The senate is clearly not doing what it was meant to do. Anybody not in Qld, NSW or Vic can see that.

I would propose we get rid of the "senators" and have the Sates appoint a rep for the Federal Senate, that would vote in accordance with the State government's wishes.

Oh and make the lower house proportional Representative.

People belonging to minorities, as this gentleman does, are always at odds with the majority in any country. Their solution? Stay in countries where they are the majority, or return to such countries.