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Proportional Representation Society of Australia Inc. (PRSA Inc.) is an electoral reform organisation in Australia. Its membership includes people that have successfully promoted electoral reform.^[1]

The Society regularly reviews and makes submissions on electoral reform within Australia with a focus on implementing proportional representation through the single transferable vote. It has made submissions to international organizations including the United Nations and the New Zealand Parliament.

History

Forerunners of the Society began before Australian Federation with Catherine Helen Spence as one of their founding members. See details of the growth and success of quota-preferential proportional representation (PR-STV)in Australia, particularly at the national level.

Catherine Helen Spence's 1861 booklet,^[2] A Plea for Pure Democracy, and her other writings and activism encouraged the 1895 formation of a proportional representation group called the 'Effective Voting League of South Australia'.[1] (Spence was the first female candidate at a public election in the then British Empire when she stood unsuccessfully (under the quite unfair multiple vote^[3]) for election to the 1897 Australasian Federal Convention.)

A statue in Light Square in Adelaide, unveiled on 10 March 1986 by Queen Elizabeth II, commemorates Miss Spence. The PRSA reprinted her 1861 booklet. Her memory is also preserved in her published autobiography and the novels she wrote. In some places even outside Australia, PR-STV (and its single-winner version, instant-runoff voting) was referred to as Hare-Spence in honour of her work.^[4]

She was depicted on the Australian $5 banknote issued for the Centenary of Federation, in 2001.

PRSA Inc's SA members (in the Electoral Reform Society of South Australia) influenced the replacement of the only party-list system used, briefly, for Australian parliamentary elections, introduced by the Dunstan Labor Government in 1973, by direct election using the present quota-preferential form of proportional representation (PR-STV) that the SA Electoral Act 1985 prescribes for elections for SA's Legislative Council. (The SA Constitution Act 1934 requires a referendum before either House can be abolished, but does not specify or entrench the electoral system.)

Advocacy

The Society advocates the use of Hare-Clark proportional voting, a form of the Single Transferable Vote method (PR-STV) currently in use for elections in Tasmania and the Australian Capital Territory.

It publishes a quarterly newsletter entitled Quota Notes.

The Society has also published educational documents and aids such as

Rules for Counting Single Transferable Votes^[5]
The Gerrymander Wheel, a simple calculator to demonstrate the perceived futility of drawing geographical boundaries in a single-member electorate system.^[6]

Issues

The Society has raised issues in relation to the conduct of public elections in Australia, which include:

Robson Rotation, the need to randomly order candidates' listings in the printing of ballot papers so as to minimize the effect of donkey voting^[7]
The rules for the calculation of the surplus transfer value in the distribution of preferences in proportional representation counts.
Opposition to the voting device^[8] still imposed on certain Australian proportional representation elections
Filling casual vacancies by countback,^[9] which is a form of direct election,^[10] rather than by the party appointment system used to fill Senate and Legislative Council casual vacancies, except for Western Australia's Legislative Council.^[11]
Electronic voting, and the introduction and use of computer technology in the conduct of elections

Submissions to Government

Proportional Representation Society of Australia Inc. has made submissions to governments that have influenced the development and formation of Australia's electoral systems, as can be seen at its News pages.

Public discussion and forums

The Society holds and participates in public meetings and forums on electoral reform in various parts of Australia. There is a 2009 presentation by Malcolm Mackerras AO, an electoral analyst and political journalist.

Vote-counting Service

PRSA Inc. also provides services in counting votes or fully conducting elections^[12] for corporate and community organizations in Australia including economical computations of results by email. See its list of clients.

Associations

The Society maintains a connection with:

References and footnotes

^ Why We Chose Proportional Representation, (The Australian Senate, John Uhr) Archived 1 October 2009 at the Wayback Machine
^ "Form for Ordering Publications from the PRSAV-T". prsa.org.au. 24 December 2016. Retrieved 2 March 2018.
^ "first-past-the-post multiple vote". Prsa.org.au. 3 November 2017. Retrieved 2 March 2018.
^ "New government in Lethbridge". Edmonton Bulletin (Canada) (December 9, 1913): 1.
^ Copyright Proportional Representation Society of Australia 2001 (28 November 2016). "Proportional Representation Society of Australia PR Vote-counting Rules". Prsa.org.au. Retrieved 2 March 2018.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
^ Computerized demonstration of the Society's gerrymander wheel
^ Prsav-T. "Robson Rotation: Provisions of Tasmania's Electoral Act 1985". Prsa.org.au. Retrieved 2 March 2018.
^ "The Growth and Success of Single Transferable Vote Proportional Representation (PR-STV): Group Voting Tickets". Prsa.org.au. Retrieved 2 March 2018.
^ Prsav-T. "Countback". Prsa.org.au. Retrieved 2 March 2018.
^ Prsav-T (6 May 2016). "Direct Election of Candidates for Election". Prsa.org.au. Retrieved 2 March 2018.
^ "The growth and success of Single Transferable Vote proportional representation (PR-STV)". prsa.org.au. Retrieved 2 March 2018.
^ PRSA (1 November 2017). "Election and Vote-counting Services". Prsa.org.au. Retrieved 2 March 2018.

External links

[1] Why We Chose Proportional Representation, (The Australian Senate, John Uhr) Archived 1 October 2009 at the Wayback Machine

[2] "Form for Ordering Publications from the PRSAV-T". prsa.org.au. 24 December 2016. Retrieved 2 March 2018.

[3] "first-past-the-post multiple vote". Prsa.org.au. 3 November 2017. Retrieved 2 March 2018.

[4] "New government in Lethbridge". Edmonton Bulletin (Canada) (December 9, 1913): 1.

[5] Copyright Proportional Representation Society of Australia 2001 (28 November 2016). "Proportional Representation Society of Australia PR Vote-counting Rules". Prsa.org.au. Retrieved 2 March 2018.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)

[6] Computerized demonstration of the Society's gerrymander wheel

[7] Prsav-T. "Robson Rotation: Provisions of Tasmania's Electoral Act 1985". Prsa.org.au. Retrieved 2 March 2018.

[8] "The Growth and Success of Single Transferable Vote Proportional Representation (PR-STV): Group Voting Tickets". Prsa.org.au. Retrieved 2 March 2018.

[9] Prsav-T. "Countback". Prsa.org.au. Retrieved 2 March 2018.

[10] Prsav-T (6 May 2016). "Direct Election of Candidates for Election". Prsa.org.au. Retrieved 2 March 2018.

[11] "The growth and success of Single Transferable Vote proportional representation (PR-STV)". prsa.org.au. Retrieved 2 March 2018.

[12] PRSA (1 November 2017). "Election and Vote-counting Services". Prsa.org.au. Retrieved 2 March 2018.

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@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
+{{short description |Australian electoral reform organisation}}
-{{NPOV language|date=August 2011}}
+{{Use Australian English|date=July 2015}}
-The '''Proportional Representation Society of Australia''' is one of the main [[electoral reform]] organisations in [[Australia]]. It has branches in South Australia, Victoria-Tasmania, New South Wales, Western Australia and the Australian Capital Territory. Its membership includes a number of people that have successfully promoted electoral reform (both past and present).<ref>[http://www.aph.gov.au/SEnate/pubs/pops/pop34/c02.htm Why We Chose Proportional Representation, (The Australian Senate, John Ur)]</ref>
+{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2021}}
+'''Proportional Representation Society of Australia Inc.''' (PRSA Inc.) is an [[electoral reform]] organisation in [[Australia]]. Its membership includes people that have successfully promoted electoral reform.<ref>[http://www.aph.gov.au/SEnate/pubs/pops/pop34/c02.htm Why We Chose Proportional Representation, (The Australian Senate, John Uhr)] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091001034435/http://www.aph.gov.au/senate/pubs/pops/pop34/c02.htm |date=1 October 2009 }}</ref>
-The Society regularly reviews and makes submissions on electoral reform within Australia with a focus on multi-member [[single transferable vote]] - [[proportional representation]] [[voting systems]].  It has also made numerous submissions to various international organizations including the United Nations and the New Zealand Parliament.
+The Society regularly reviews and makes submissions on electoral reform within Australia with a focus on implementing [[proportional representation]] through the [[single transferable vote]]. It has made submissions to international organizations including the United Nations and the New Zealand Parliament.
 ==History==
-[[Image:Catherine Helen Spence plate, Melrose.jpg|right|thumb|250px|A wall plaque at the Townhouse Hotel in Melrose, Scotland dedicated to Catherine Helen Spence]]
+[[Image:Catherine Helen Spence plate, Melrose.jpg|right|thumb|250px|A wall plaque at the Townhouse Hotel in Melrose, Scotland, dedicated to Catherine Helen Spence]]
-The Society's origin dates back to before the commencement of Australia as a Federation with [[Catherine Helen Spence]] as one of its founding members.
+Forerunners of the Society began before Australian Federation with [[Catherine Helen Spence]] as one of their founding members. See [[#External links|details of the growth and success]] of quota-preferential proportional representation (PR-STV)in Australia, particularly at the national level.
-Catherine Helen Spence's 1861 booklet, 'A Plea for Pure Democracy', helped the early formation of a proportional representation group called the 'Effective Voting League of South Australia'. Miss Catherine Spence was the first female candidate at a public election in the then British Empire when she stood unsuccessfully at the 1897 election (under the unfair first-past-the-post  multiple vote) for the 1897 Australasian Federal Convention.
+Catherine Helen Spence's 1861 booklet,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.prsa.org.au/publicat.htm |title=Form for Ordering Publications from the PRSAV-T |publisher=prsa.org.au |date=2016-12-24 |accessdate=2018-03-02}}</ref> ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=x9Um1rg2pZQC&dq=a+plea+for+pure+democracy+chs&pg=PA1 A Plea for Pure Democracy]'', and her other writings and activism encouraged the 1895 formation of a proportional representation group called the 'Effective Voting League of South Australia'.[https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/34525634] (Spence was the first female candidate at a public election in the then British Empire when she stood unsuccessfully (under the quite unfair [[Plurality block voting|multiple]] vote<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.prsa.org.au/pluralit.htm#plurality |title=first-past-the-post multiple vote |publisher=Prsa.org.au |date=2017-11-03 |accessdate=2018-03-02}}</ref>) for election to the 1897 Australasian Federal Convention.)
+A statue in Light Square in Adelaide, unveiled on 10 March 1986 by Queen Elizabeth II, commemorates Miss Spence. The PRSA reprinted her 1861 booklet. Her memory is also preserved in her published autobiography and the novels she wrote. In some places even outside Australia, PR-STV (and its single-winner version, instant-runoff voting) was referred to as Hare-Spence in honour of her work.<ref>{{Cite journal |title=New government in Lethbridge |journal=Edmonton Bulletin (Canada) |issue=December 9, 1913 |pages=1}}</ref>
-A statue in Light Square in Adelaide, unveiled on 10 March 1986 by Her Majesty the Queen,commemorates Miss Spence. The PRSA later launched its reprint of her booklet there. She is remembered by her Autobiography, and was depicted on the Australian $5 banknote issued for the Centenary of Federation, in 2001. The PRSA's SA Branch (the [[Electoral Reform Society]] of South Australia) influenced the replacement of the first party list system used, briefly, for Australian parliamentary elections, introduced by the Dunstan Labor Government in 1973, by direct election using the present quota-preferential form of [[proportional representation]] that the SA Electoral Act 1985 prescribes for elections for SA's [[Legislative Council]]. The SA Constitution Act 1934 requires a referendum before either House can be abolished, but it does not specify or entrench the electoral system, and that [[Regulation|oversight]] should be remedied.
+She was depicted on the Australian $5 banknote issued for the Centenary of Federation, in 2001.
+PRSA Inc's SA members (in the [[Electoral Reform Society]] of South Australia) influenced the replacement of the only party-list system used, briefly, for Australian parliamentary elections, introduced by the Dunstan Labor Government in 1973, by [http://www.prsa.org.au/direct_e.htm direct election] using the present quota-preferential form of [[proportional representation]] (PR-STV) that the SA Electoral Act 1985 prescribes for elections for SA's [[Legislative Council]]. (The SA Constitution Act 1934 requires a referendum before either House can be abolished, but does not specify or entrench the electoral system.)
 ==Advocacy==
-The Society advocates the use of [[Hare-Clark]] preferential voting, which is a form of the [[Single Transferable Vote method]] (STV) that is currently in use for many elections in Australia including the Australian Senate, mainland State Upper Houses of Parliament, the Australian Capital Territory and much of Local Government.
+The Society advocates the use of [[Hare-Clark]] proportional voting, a form of the [[Single Transferable Vote method]] (PR-STV) currently in use for elections in Tasmania and the Australian Capital Territory.
-It has published a quarterly newsletter entitled ''[http://www.prsa.org.au/qn/indexqn.htm Quota Notes]''
+It publishes a quarterly newsletter entitled ''Quota Notes''.
-The Society has also published a number of educational documents and aids such as
+The Society has also published educational documents and aids such as
+* Rules for Counting Single Transferable Votes<ref>{{cite web|author=Copyright Proportional Representation Society of Australia 2001 |url=http://www.prsa.org.au/rule1977.htm |title=Proportional Representation Society of Australia PR Vote-counting Rules |publisher=Prsa.org.au |date=2016-11-28 |accessdate=2018-03-02}}</ref>
-* Rules for [[[http://www.prsa.org.au/rule1977.htm Counting Single Transferable Votes]]]
-* The [[Gerrymander]] Wheel, a simple calculator to demonstrate the futility of drawing geographical boundaries in a single-member electorate system.<ref>[http://www.stvaction.org.uk/files/gerrymander_wheel.ppt Computerized demonstration of the Society's gerrymander wheel]</ref>
+* The [[Gerrymander]] Wheel, a simple calculator to demonstrate the perceived futility of drawing geographical boundaries in a single-member electorate system.<ref>[http://www.stvaction.org.uk/files/gerrymander_wheel.ppt Computerized demonstration of the Society's gerrymander wheel]</ref>
 ===Issues===
-The Society has raised a number of issues in relation to the conduct of public elections in Australia, which include:
+The Society has raised issues in relation to the conduct of public elections in Australia, which include:
+* Robson Rotation, the need to randomly order candidates' listings in the printing of ballot papers so as to minimize the effect of [[donkey vote|donkey voting]]<ref>{{cite web|author=Prsav-T |url=http://www.prsa.org.au/tasearob.htm |title=Robson Rotation: Provisions of Tasmania's Electoral Act 1985 |publisher=Prsa.org.au |accessdate=2018-03-02}}</ref>
+* The rules for the calculation of the [http://www.prsa.org.au/gregoryj.htm surplus transfer value] in the distribution of preferences in proportional representation counts.
-* [[[http://www.prsa.org.au/tasearob.htm Robson Rotation]]], the need to randomly order candidates' listings in the printing of ballot papers so as to minimize the effect of [[donkey voting]]
+* Opposition to the voting device<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.prsa.org.au/history.htm#gvt |title=The Growth and Success of Single Transferable Vote Proportional Representation (PR-STV): Group Voting Tickets |publisher=Prsa.org.au |accessdate=2018-03-02}}</ref> still imposed on certain Australian proportional representation elections
-* Calculation of the surplus transfer value in the distribution of preferences in proportional representation counts.
+* Filling casual vacancies by countback,<ref>{{cite web|author=Prsav-T |url=http://www.prsa.org.au/countbac.htm |title=Countback |publisher=Prsa.org.au |accessdate=2018-03-02}}</ref> which is a form of direct election,<ref>{{cite web|author=Prsav-T |url=http://www.prsa.org.au/direct_e.htm |title=Direct Election of Candidates for Election |publisher=Prsa.org.au |date=2016-05-06 |accessdate=2018-03-02}}</ref> rather than by the party appointment system used to fill Senate and Legislative Council casual vacancies, except for Western Australia's Legislative Council.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.prsa.org.au/history.htm#CWTH_3_1977 |title=The growth and success of Single Transferable Vote proportional representation (PR-STV) |publisher=prsa.org.au |accessdate=2018-03-02}}</ref>
-* Opposition to the [http://www.prsa.org.au/history.htm#gvt above-the-line voting device] unfortunately imposed on certain Australian proportional representation elections
 * Electronic voting, and the introduction and use of computer technology in the conduct of elections
 ===Submissions to Government===
-The Proportional Representation Society through its numerous submissions to governments has played a significant role in the development and formation of Australia's electoral systems.
+Proportional Representation Society of Australia Inc. has made submissions to governments that have influenced the development and formation of Australia's electoral systems, as can be seen at its [[#External links|News pages]].
-====Federal Government====
-* [http://www.aph.gov.au/house/committee/em/education/subs/sub060.pdf Submission] Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters, 2006
-* [http://www.dpmc.gov.au/consultation/elect_reform/strengthening_democracy/docs/strengthening_australias_democracy_5.pdf Electoral reform ''Green paper'' - Strengthening Australia's Democracy], Report by the Australian Parliament's Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters,
-====Australian Capital Territory====
-* [http://www.elections.act.gov.au/pdfs/redistrib_00/prscomments.pdf Submission to the ACT Government]
-====New South Wales====
-* [http://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/prod/parlment/committee.nsf/0/ed143ece2b6bf35fca25740300031963/$FILE/0012.pdf Submission to the Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters Inquiry into the 2007 NSW Election and Related]
-====Victoria====
-* [http://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/emc/2006%20State%20Election/Submissions/21_Proportional_Representation_Society.pdf Submission into the conduct of the Victorian State Election, 2006]<ref name="PRSA_submission_vic2006">{{cite web|url=http://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/emc/2006%20State%20Election/Submissions/21_Proportional_Representation_Society.pdf|title=Submission into the conduct of the Victorian State Election, 2006|work=[[Proportional Representation Society]]|publisher=Victorian state Parliament|accessdate=2009-11-07}}</ref>
 ===Public discussion and forums===
-The Society holds and participates in public meetings and forums on electoral reform in various parts of Australia.  A recent example was a presentation by [[Malcolm Mackerras]], one of Australia's leading electoral analysts and political journalists.<ref name="Mackerras_submision">{{cite web|url=http://www.prsa.org.au/mackerras2009senate.mp3|title=Why the Australian Senate’s above-the-line voting option should be abolished|work=[[Malcolm Mackerras]]|publisher=PRSA|accessdate=2009-11-07}}</ref><ref name="Mackerras_submision2">{{cite web|url=http://www.prsa.org.au/mackerras2009nz.mp3|title=Referendums to let New Zealand replace MMP with voters’ choice of Hare-Clark or MMM|work=[[Malcolm Mackerras]]|publisher=PRSA|accessdate=2009-11-07}}</ref>
+The Society holds and participates in public meetings and forums on electoral reform in various parts of Australia.  There is a 2009 presentation by Malcolm Mackerras AO, an electoral analyst and political journalist.
+==Vote-counting Service==
-==Accreditation==
-The Proportional Representation Society's Victoria-Tasmania Branch also provides accreditation and services in conducting elections for corporate and community organizations in Australia including computations of results by email. See its [http://www.prsa.org.au/clients_.htm list of clients.]
+PRSA Inc. also provides services in counting votes or fully conducting elections<ref>{{cite web|author=PRSA |url=http://www.prsa.org.au/software.htm |title=Election and Vote-counting Services |publisher=Prsa.org.au |date=2017-11-01 |accessdate=2018-03-02}}</ref> for corporate and community organizations in Australia including economical computations of results by email. See its [[#External links|list of clients]].
 ==Associations==
 The Society maintains a connection with:
-* The [[Electoral Reform Society UK]]
+* The [[Electoral Reform Society]]
+* [http://www.stvaction.org.uk STV Action UK]
+* [http://www.fairvote.org The Center for Voting and Democracy USA]
+* [http://www.fairvote.ca Fair Vote Canada]
+* [http://fairvotingbc.com Fair Voting British Columbia]
 ==References and footnotes==
-{{reflist|2}}
+{{Reflist}}
 ==External links==
-* [http://prsa.org.au Official Web site]
+* [http://prsa.org.au Official PRSA Web site]
 * [http://www.electoralreformaustralia.org Proportional Representation Society of Australia (NSW)]
 * [http://effectivevoting.wordpress.com Proportional Representation Society of Australia (SA)]
-* [http://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/765622 Elections and Representative government and representation - Australia]  [[National Library of Australia]] Archives
+* [http://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/765622 Elections and Representative government and representation – Australia]  [[National Library of Australia]] Archives
+* [http://www.prsa.org.au/hist_ind.htm Growth details]
-{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2011}}
+* [http://www.prsa.org.au/comm_sub.htm]
+* [http://www.prsa.org.au/qn/indexqn.htm Quota Notes]
+* [http://www.prsa.org.au/latest01.htm News pages]
+* [http://www.prsa.org.au/mackerras2009senate.mp3 2009 presentation]
+* [https://www.google.com.au/search?q=Malcolm+Mackerras&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&channel=sb&gfe_rd=ctrl&ei=iMozU--7POyOiAfdhoC4Dg&gws_rd=cr Malcolm Mackerras]
+* [http://www.prsa.org.au/clients_.htm List of clients]
-[[Category:Psephology|Australia]]
 [[Category:Elections in Australia]]
+[[Category:Electoral reform in Australia]]
+[[Category:Political organisations based in Australia]]
+[[Category:Psephology]]