The Greens are also pretty incensed about some of the changes – particularly the rule that would allow Hansard not to record the names of MPs voting in favour of legislation if there are six or fewer members on one side of the chamber for the vote.
Greens MP Elizabeth Watson-Brown has called it a “stitch up” that undermines transparency.
It gives Labor and Liberal MPs cover to hide how their MP’s are voting on important issues. Voters deserve to know how their representatives are voting.
Labor needs to explain why they want to hide their MPs voting positions from the public. Transparency should be a bare minimum in a democracy.
Among the changes are rules allowing members to be booted from parliamentary proceedings for a maximum of three hours, up from the previous rule of 60 minutes.
Another change would allow Hansard, the record of proceedings, not to record the names of MPs voting in favour of legislation if there are six or fewer members on one side of the chamber (ie, clearly in the minority) at the time of a vote. The new rule states:
If, after the doors are locked, there are six or fewer Members on one side in a division, the Speaker shall declare the decision of the House immediately, without completing the count. The names of the Members who are in the minority shall be recorded in the Votes and Proceedings.
People who care about those things don’t get the support of mass media major shareholders, huge financial backers, and other corporate interests that have the power to more easily sway elections.
The bottom line is our electoral system is dominated by people who don’t benefit from democracy or transparency. Bad politicians aren’t an outlier or corruption, but the system working as it’s been built to.
Yeah it’s total bullshit. One of the good things about social media I feel is people getting more of their information from non corporate sources but then again, social media for the most part is very corporate.
Yeah, astroturf (both political and commercial marketing) is common but at least it’s a lower barrier of entry to get heard, more grassroots can spring up.
Happy cake day!
Cheers mate!