Gary Gray laments 'dumb' arguments against Senate voting Bill


WA Labor MP Gary Gray has made an impassioned defence of proposed reforms to the Senate election system, lamenting that he had lost the argument inside Labor against some “dumb” arguments.

Rising as the first speaker on the Government’s Bill, Mr Gray said he disagreed with claims – made by his colleagues – that more than three million voters would be disenfranchised by the proposal.

He told Parliament that “many pieces of misinformation” spread about the Bill, which seeks to stamp out so-called preference harvesting that saw micro-candidates win Senate spots on minuscule numbers of votes in the 2013 federal election.

Mr Gray referred to criticisms made of the Bill by Labor frontbenchers Penny Wong, Stephen Conroy and Sam Dastyari.

“Some have said that this Bill would deliver the coalition a 38 or 39-member controlling majority in the Senate,” he said.

“We’ve been told this Bill will increase (vote) informality. Informality is a scourge and the lower threshold for informality that is in fact enshrined in this Bill is a good measure.”

He said the vote-saving measures in the Bill – which seek to ensure the voter’s intention is reflected in the counting of ballots notwithstanding mistakes – were good, adding that he’d like them applied to the House of Representatives.

“We are told that three million-plus voters will be disenfranchised by this Bill, we’re told that their votes will be wasted or voided.

“I don’t agree with that, no more that I would think that a person who voted Liberal in the seat of Brand had wasted their vote.”

“Votes count and I’m astonished that the kind of dumb view that if you vote for someone who loses, your vote's wasted, has taken some hold during this discussion.

“I lost the argument in my party room on Senate reform, so Labor will oppose the substantive reforms that are enshrined in this Bill.

“I think that’s sad but it is reality. My party has moved that it will be opposing this Bill and therefore I will oppose this Bill.”

If Mr Gray had instead chosen to defy the party and vote in favour of the Bill, ALP rules dictate that he would be expelled from the Labor Party.

Mr Gray revealed that even if the Bill reflected in their entirety the recommendations of a unanimous joint committee on electoral reform, the Labor Party would have still voted against the legislation.

“In speaking to this Bill I speak frankly to the House in that I lost the debate internally to meet the Government and negotiate a better Bill. I think we could have had a better Bill,” he said.

“If this Bill reflected 100 per cent the recommendations of the joint standing committee it would be a better Bill but Mr Speaker it would still not have won the support of my party.”

He said Senate reform remained an issue for Labor and a “vital issue for the nation; a nation that was built on the sanctity of the ballot and on the integrity of the ballot.”

Inside shadow Cabinet, Mr Gray’s view was supported by shadow attorney-general Mark Dreyfus.

And an internal review conducted by fellow shadow minister David Feeney also came down on Mr Gray’s side.
But Labor leader Bill Shorten defended the Opposition’s decision.

“Labor is always up for reform. But just because the Liberals and the Greens do a deal and sticky tape the word ‘reform’ over the top of it doesn't constitute reform,” Mr Shorten said.

“I am deeply sceptical when the Liberal Party is proposing a measure which will potentially entrench their influence in the Senate, that Labor shouldn't be voting for $100,000 degrees, voting for the cuts to Medicare, voting for our poor policies on climate change.

“If we institutionalise Liberal control of the Senate, then that's what will happen and Labor's got to put the interests of Australians ahead of a deal fixed between the Greens and the Liberal Party.”

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