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| Senate voting changes: Day and Leyonhjelm to launch high court action | Senate voting changes: Day and Leyonhjelm to launch high court action |
| (6 months later) | |
| Two Senate crossbenchers facing potential political death at the next election will launch a high court challenge to laws changing the way Australians vote for senators. | Two Senate crossbenchers facing potential political death at the next election will launch a high court challenge to laws changing the way Australians vote for senators. |
| The legislation passed parliament after a marathon Senate sitting on Friday and speculation is mounting that the move could pave the way for the federal government to call a July double-dissolution election, clearing out both chambers. | The legislation passed parliament after a marathon Senate sitting on Friday and speculation is mounting that the move could pave the way for the federal government to call a July double-dissolution election, clearing out both chambers. |
| The Family First senator Bob Day is behind the legal challenge but the Liberal Democrats senator David Leyonhjelm is also on board. | The Family First senator Bob Day is behind the legal challenge but the Liberal Democrats senator David Leyonhjelm is also on board. |
| Senator Day said he thought the challenge had a 50-50 chance of success. | Senator Day said he thought the challenge had a 50-50 chance of success. |
| “Yesterday the Liberal party, Nationals, Greens and Nick Xenophon teamed up to get rid of independent senators and minor parties. We think that is undemocratic,” he said. | “Yesterday the Liberal party, Nationals, Greens and Nick Xenophon teamed up to get rid of independent senators and minor parties. We think that is undemocratic,” he said. |
| He expected other crossbenchers to join the action. | He expected other crossbenchers to join the action. |
| “We’re confident others will see the value in what we are doing,” Senator Day said. | “We’re confident others will see the value in what we are doing,” Senator Day said. |
| He was to sign the paperwork for the legal challenge on Saturday. | He was to sign the paperwork for the legal challenge on Saturday. |
| The basis for the challenge is that 3 million voters will be disenfranchised by the laws because their votes will no longer result in electing political candidates. | The basis for the challenge is that 3 million voters will be disenfranchised by the laws because their votes will no longer result in electing political candidates. |
| Senator Day is also seeking an injunction from the High Court to intervene before the election to decide whether the electoral changes are constitutionally valid. | Senator Day is also seeking an injunction from the High Court to intervene before the election to decide whether the electoral changes are constitutionally valid. |
| Senator Leyonhjelm said he believed there was an outside chance the challenge could be successful. | Senator Leyonhjelm said he believed there was an outside chance the challenge could be successful. |
| The prime minister, Malcolm Turnbull, insists the passage of the laws are a “great day for democracy” because Australians will determine where their preferences go rather than backroom deals. | The prime minister, Malcolm Turnbull, insists the passage of the laws are a “great day for democracy” because Australians will determine where their preferences go rather than backroom deals. |
| “The parliament is the most important single institution in our system of government and what this has done is made it more representative, more democratic, more effective,” he told reporters in Sydney. | “The parliament is the most important single institution in our system of government and what this has done is made it more representative, more democratic, more effective,” he told reporters in Sydney. |
| Political analysts say the voting changes will wipe out minor parties and independent senators, and entrench the Liberal-National Coalition in the upper house. | Political analysts say the voting changes will wipe out minor parties and independent senators, and entrench the Liberal-National Coalition in the upper house. |
| It will end the situation where small parties can win a place in the Senate with as little as 0.5% of the primary vote. | It will end the situation where small parties can win a place in the Senate with as little as 0.5% of the primary vote. |
| The changes allow voters to allocate their own preferences above the line on the Senate ballot paper. | The changes allow voters to allocate their own preferences above the line on the Senate ballot paper. |
| And if they choose to vote below the line, they won’t have to number every box – in some states that could be as many as 100. | And if they choose to vote below the line, they won’t have to number every box – in some states that could be as many as 100. |