Recently, Dr. Kevin Bonham, a Tasmanian academic known for offering "expert election commentary" on his social media channels, claimed that Queensland’s compulsory preferential voting system does not force voters to "vote" for a party they don't support. Instead, he suggested that it simply involves ranking 'preferences'. This perspective paints an overly simplistic picture—one that brings to mind unicorns, rainbows, and skittles.

Setting the Record Straight

Queensland, like Australia at large, operates under a compulsory preferential voting system that does, in fact, require voters to rank every candidate on the ballot. This means voters must give a preference to all parties, even those they do not support. Effectively, this forces them to cast a vote for parties they may not want.

(a copy of Dr Bonham's 'tweet' as here on X)

Here's how it works: suppose you vote (1) for One Nation but rank the Liberal candidate above the Labor candidate at the bottom of your ballot (e.g., Liberal as 5 and Labor as 6). On election night, once all votes are counted, if One Nation does not finish in the top two candidates your ballot cast for our party is transferred from the One Nation pile to the Liberal pile. In essence, even though your initial support was for One Nation, your vote ultimately contributes to the Liberal candidate's total. Let's be clear - for the purpose of counting - even though you voted for One Nation, our pile is pulled apart and votes are then moved into the Liberal or Labor pile of votes being cast. 

The compulsory preferential system forces voters to choose between major parties, typically Labor or Liberal, resulting in most votes being allocated to one of these two parties, even if the voter's first choice was for a minor party.

This process, known as "vote-transfer," requires voters to number every box on the ballot paper. One Nation believes that this system is undemocratic and fundamentally unfair.

One Nation's Video on Compulsory Preferential Voting

To help Queenslanders better understand the compulsory preferential voting system, One Nation has produced an engaging and informative video explaining the process in detail. You can watch it here.

Dispelling Misinformation

Due to misinformation from left-wing sources and some Liberal Party members, there is a misconception that One Nation can "direct" where a person's vote ends up. This is not the case. While we issue a how-to-vote card to guide voters, we have no authority to dictate where their votes are ultimately allocated. Voters decide how to number their ballot, and we can only suggest how they might do so based on their preferences—not impose a specific order.

Addressing Misinformation and Promoting Free Speech

In this election, One Nation has already encountered misinformation campaigns from left-wing sources. This includes false claims that we lack candidates in certain seats where we do, as well as misleading comments from former senior Labor MPs about our party’s structure and finances. We will not hesitate to expose such misinformation whenever it arises.

However, it is essential to highlight a key difference between One Nation and these left-wing zealots. While we stand firm in defending our right to speak out against misinformation, we also uphold the fundamental right to free speech. Unlike our opponents, who advocate for stricter controls over what can be said and how it is communicated, we oppose any legislation that allows a government or organisation to dictate what constitutes "acceptable" information based on its alignment with government views. Many left-wing activists seek to control the narrative, using so-called misinformation laws to spread their agenda while silencing opposing viewpoints.