PROPORTIONAL REPRESENTATION SOCIETY OF AUSTRALIA
	Tel +613 9589 1802	Tel +61429176725	18 Anita Street	BEAUMARIS VIC 3193
		info@prsa.org.au	www.prsa .org.au	2010-06-02

Excerpt from 'A History of Tasmania' Part 2, by Dr Lloyd Robson (Chapter 10, Page 180)

'Pausing only to pour contempt on the idea that women should have a voice in the government of the colony, the Legislative Council directed its powers of analysis to a curious Bill which sought to provide for the representation of minorities in Hobart and Launceston by a new scheme of "proportional representation" based on the Hare system and promoted by A.I. Clark. It was a variety of proportional representation and used the single transferable vote. The Bill provided that the colony be divided into equal electoral divisions and that a seat be allocated to each complete quota of votes in each division, the quota being ascertained by a formula:

Number of valid ballot papers + 1 = "electoral quota".
Number of candidates to be elected + 1

This was introduced by Clark at the fourth attempt in 1896. The ministry wanted a division into three rural districts of two members each; six with one member each; and to consolidate Hobart into one division of six members and Launceston into one division of four. The [Legislative] Council agreed to a trial period of one year and it was renewed annually until superseded in 1902. Five years later the Hare-Clark system was adopted for the whole state.'

* * * * * * * *