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which senators get 6 year terms? (Read 9182 times)
freediver
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which senators get 6 year terms?
Jul 18th, 2016 at 10:15pm
 
Territory senators get 3 year terms that match the lower house terms.

Of the 12 senators elected for each state in a double dissolution election, 6 get full (six-year) terms and 6 get half (three-year) terms. Terms will be deemed to have started on the first of July this year, and the periods are fixed, unlike the lower house.

The 'old' method was to give the 'first' 6 senators elected full terms. Where parties have more than a full quota of first preferences, the party with the biggest first preference take gets one senator elected first, then it moves to the next party with a full quota, and so on until they have one each, then back to the first party if they had 2 full quotas of first preferences.

The electoral act was modified in 1984 with a new method. This method effectively recounts the ballots as if it were a half-senate election, and the 6 winners get full terms. The process starts by excluding all but the 12 elected senators (and distributing those preferences) in case through some quirk a different senator makes it into the top 6.

I think this new method is fairer.

There is an exception to this rule - the Senate actually has the power to determine who gets full terms, according to the constitution. In the 1987 double dissolution election, they voted to use the old method. This is because it favoured Labor and the Democrats, who held power in the Senate. I think that theoretically whoever controls the senate could give all of the full terms to themselves.

Since 1987 the Senate has passed several resolutions stating it's intention to use the new recount method, but this is effectively an untested convention that the new Senate may choose not to follow.

http://blogs.abc.net.au/antonygreen/2014/06/how-senate-rotations-are-re-established-after-a-double-dissolution.html
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Squire
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Re: which senators get 6 year terms?
Reply #1 - Jul 19th, 2016 at 12:26am
 
The guilty ones should get the 6 year terms. The others can be released into the wild.
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bogarde73
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Re: which senators get 6 year terms?
Reply #2 - Jul 20th, 2016 at 10:28am
 
That sounds very "Anthony Green" and I didn't understand it, but I'm not reading it again.

Whatever will be will be.
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Bias_2012
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Re: which senators get 6 year terms?
Reply #3 - Jul 20th, 2016 at 10:34am
 
I doubt if freediver can understand it either - who can ??
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skippy.
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Re: which senators get 6 year terms?
Reply #4 - Jul 20th, 2016 at 3:19pm
 
I thought I heard Antony Green say on election night that the Senate will decide who get six and who gets three. I'd say they'll get rid of Hanson quick smart. Cool
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freediver
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Re: which senators get 6 year terms?
Reply #5 - Jul 20th, 2016 at 7:05pm
 
It is a summary of an Antony Green article, which I provided the URL for.

The Senate has the authority to decide on any basis they want, but they should use the new method. There is a good chance Hanson will get a full term using the new method. She definitely would with the old method.
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John Smith
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Re: which senators get 6 year terms?
Reply #6 - Jul 20th, 2016 at 7:14pm
 
Hinch has already said he will challenge it in court if he doesn't get 6 yrs.
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I hope that bitch who was running their brothels for them gets raped with a cactus.
 
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Re: which senators get 6 year terms?
Reply #7 - Jul 20th, 2016 at 7:16pm
 
John Smith wrote on Jul 20th, 2016 at 7:14pm:
Hinch has already said he will challenge it in court if he doesn't get 6 yrs.


I hope he gets three, just to see the challenge.
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Re: which senators get 6 year terms?
Reply #8 - Jul 20th, 2016 at 7:44pm
 
Can't say that I have ever "liked" Hinch but he really got up my nose when he called the GG a drunk because he sacked Whitlam.

Plus Hinch and that 15 year old girl and a heap of other stuff.  Senator? Good grief.  If that is all you have to be to become a Senator .... Australia is STUFFED!

Oh and Jackie Weaver is about 5 foot .... tiny little thing ... saw/talked to her at a Northshore shop selling baby clothes and stuff .... eons ago.

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Re: which senators get 6 year terms?
Reply #9 - Jul 23rd, 2016 at 8:06am
 
I'm pretty sure Hinch will only get a 3 year term, regardless of how it is done. He is only considered "Likely" to get a seat at all. I'm surprised he got that far.
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freediver
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Re: which senators get 6 year terms?
Reply #10 - Aug 14th, 2016 at 10:11am
 
They have screwed us over again. Despite changing the electoral act in 1984 to adopt the new fairer method of deciding who gets 6 year terms, and passing resolutions twice since then to use the new method (in 1998 and 2010), both Labor and the Coalition have gone back to the old method. This is the second time this has happened. In 1987, the AEC went ahead and did the count using the new method, but the Senate changed it's mind at the last minute and went with the old method.

In both cases the motive was the same - the senate majority found that they would get more six year terms if they went with the old method. They are basically electing themselves into the senate for 6 year terms, despite a law and several agreements not to do this.

We need to change the constitution to fix this, as the "gentleman's agreement" is obviously not working. These people cannot be trusted.

This is how they spun it:

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-08-12/pauline-hanson-secures-six-years-in-senate/7730280

Cabinet Minister Mathias Cormann told Sky News the first six senators elected in each state will get six-year terms.

"Under the methodology used so far, the first six senators elected would get six years, whoever they are and whoever they represent," Senator Cormann said.

When pressed about whether minor party senators would be unfairly disadvantaged, he said the outcomes varied in different states.

The Opposition intends to back the move, ensuring it will be endorsed by the Senate.

Labor's Senate leader Penny Wong said: "Labor will support the Government's proposal to allocate senators' terms of office according to the order in which Senators were elected in each state."

"This is consistent with the Senate's previous practice following double dissolution elections and reflects the will of the voters."

Crap.
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« Last Edit: Aug 14th, 2016 at 10:23am by freediver »  

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greggerypeccary
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Re: which senators get 6 year terms?
Reply #11 - Aug 14th, 2016 at 10:18am
 
Neferti wrote on Jul 20th, 2016 at 7:44pm:
Senator? Good grief.  If that is all you have to be to become a Senator .... Australia is STUFFED!


Pretty much anyone can become a Senator.

No education requirements.

No experience requirements.

No references required.

It's probably harder to get a job at MacDonald's.

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Re: which senators get 6 year terms?
Reply #12 - Aug 14th, 2016 at 10:31am
 
Quote:
"This is consistent with the Senate's previous practice following double dissolution elections and reflects the will of the voters."

Crap.


It is not you know.  It is cute spin of the arsehole kind smart arses use all the time.

'Australians prefer Pauline Hanson.'

'Australians want Muslims excluded.'

'Australians vote for capital punishment.'

All 100% true and completely mischievous.
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Re: which senators get 6 year terms?
Reply #13 - Aug 14th, 2016 at 10:38am
 
Jack Lang: ''In the race of life, always back self-interest - at least you know it's trying''.
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BAN ALL THESE ABO SITES RECOGNITIONS.

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freediver
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Re: which senators get 6 year terms?
Reply #14 - Aug 14th, 2016 at 12:27pm
 
I urge everyone to write to their local federal MP and state senators to complain about this.

Find your local MP here:

http://apps.aec.gov.au/esearch/

Find your local MP and state senator contact details here:

http://www.alp.org.au/people/#filter=.mp
http://www.alp.org.au/people/#filter=.senator
https://lnp.org.au/our-team/federal/



What I have sent in:

Senate debacle

LNP:

What your party has done in the Senate is wrong. Your party supported the changes to the electoral act in 1984 to adopt a new, fairer method. Your party passed resolutions in 1998 and 2010 to adopt these changes. Your party has reneged on your promise to the Australian people, in a greedy move to get your senators a bigger share of the full 6 year terms, at the expense of other candidates. Your party can not be trusted with this most fundamental aspect of democracy. Your party has deligitimised the senate of Australia. The spin your party has attempted to put on this grubby move in the media is dishonest.

I ask you to do the right thing and change this decision. If you have any backbone at all, you will call out your colleagues for supporting this despicable act.


Labor:

What your party has done in the Senate is wrong. Your party passed changes to the electoral act in 1984 to adopt a new, fairer method. Your party passed resolutions in 1998 and 2010 to adopt these changes. Despite this, your part reneged on this promise to the Australian public in 1987, in a greedy move to get your senators a bigger share of the full 6 year terms, at the expense of other candidates. Your party reneged on your promise yet again just two days ago, for the same greedy motive. Your party can not be trusted with this most fundamental aspect of democracy. Your party has deligitimised the senate of Australia. The spin your party has attempted to put on this grubby move in the media is dishonest.

I ask you to do the right thing and change this decision. If you have any backbone at all, you will call out your colleagues for supporting this despicable act.


Make sure you sign off with your name and suburb.
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