Rachel Payne MP has spoken against the Electoral Amendment (Miscellaneous Matters) Bill 2026, arguing that abolishing group voting tickets without broader reform to Victoria’s upper house electoral system would hand more power to the major parties rather than strengthen democracy.
Full Transcript
Democracy Belongs to Victorians
Rachel PAYNE (South-Eastern Metropolitan) (17:31): I rise to make a contribution to the Electoral Amendment (Miscellaneous Matters) Bill 2026. Democracy should never be taken for granted. Our democracy belongs to Victorians; it does not belong to political parties, governments or politicians. It belongs to every Victorian who takes the time to enrol, cast their vote and place their trust in this Parliament to act in the public interest. Reform should always be guided by what strengthens public trust and ensure that Parliament remains responsive to the people of Victoria.
I do acknowledge that this reform is aligned to the recommendations of the Victorian Electoral Commission’s report on the upper house electoral system. However, abolishing group voting tickets without broader electoral reform benefits the major parties rather than strengthening our democracy. This reform is self-serving and motivated by all the wrong reasons. The government argues that abolishing group voting tickets will make Victoria’s Legislative Council elections more transparent by ending preference whispering. I agree that voters should be back in control of where their votes go to ensure that voters rather than political parties decide where their preferences flow. However, electoral reform should strengthen democracy, not simply reshuffle political advantage. Without broader reforms to the upper house electoral system, abolishing GVTs will simply see Labor retain seats, see the Liberals potentially gain additional representation and give One Nation a huge leg-up.
A Predictable Outcome
We have had some independent expert advice provided, looking at what the upper house will look like without group voting tickets. If I was to get out my crystal ball and make a prediction, the 61st Parliament will look like this: one party, an emerging party in Victoria, will end up with the balance of power, holding 12, potentially 13, seats – more seats than the traditional older parties.
The upper house will be made up of the big four. How effective will the 61st Parliament be when you are handing the balance of power to one party? Victorians deserve an electoral system that puts voters, not political parties, at the centre. Real reform means protecting proportional representation and ensuring every vote counts fairly.
When it becomes more difficult for smaller parties and independents to win seats, Parliament is more likely to be dominated by the major parties. This can mean that communities with views not represented by Labor or the coalition, such as members of the Legalise Cannabis Party and others, have fewer representatives advocating their interests.
This bill addresses only one part of the problem and in doing so creates another. If this Parliament is serious about electoral reform, then we must also be serious about ensuring that reform is comprehensive and consistent. If the objective is genuine electoral reform, it should be comprehensive rather than selective. Victoria’s upper house electoral system requires reform that is fair. We should not be satisfied with only implementing reforms that advantage the larger parties while ignoring parts of the system that compromise and erode representation and accountability.
Reform Should Be Comprehensive, Not Selective
Abolishing group voting tickets while retaining the existing regional structure risks creating an imbalance that advantages larger parties at the expense of smaller parties and independent voices. If both elements of the current system are considered flawed, then reform should address both together, rather than implementing only one change that favours almost always those already holding power. Electoral reform should never be driven by political convenience.
If the current regional structure is also considered to be flawed, then we should have the courage to pursue that reform as well. Of course unlike the abolition of group voting tickets, changing or abolishing Victoria’s eight Legislative Council regions requires a constitutional referendum. That means that the Victorian people, not the politicians, must have the final say. This is an appropriate safeguard for a change of such significance.
It should ask whether every voter has an equal opportunity to influence the outcome of the election, whether Parliament remains representative of the diversity of our community and whether the electoral system gives the public confidence that elections are fair. If GVTs are abolished without the necessary changes to the regions, success in the upper house will become increasingly dependent on higher primary votes alone. This means substantial campaign funding and established party infrastructure will be critical, making it almost impossible for emerging parties and independent voices to get elected.
Electoral reform should improve transparency without reducing political diversity or limiting genuine community representation. More than ever, voters are disillusioned and are feeling unheard, and this is why we need to ensure that reforms to our electoral system can restore faith in our democratic processes.
The Value of a Diverse Crossbench
The Legislative Council was designed to be a house of review, not simply a chamber that endorses decisions made by the Legislative Assembly. This means that voices that may not be represented by major parties may still be able to have influence in decision-making. A diverse crossbench can hold the government to account by scrutinising legislation and demanding greater transparency. It is more reflective of the reality of the Victorian community. Many significant improvements to legislation come through this process.
We all know that I represent the Legalise Cannabis Party, a protest and grassroots party that was founded in 1993. For decades people involved in this movement have been advocating to bring the lived experiences of patients, families and advocates whose voices were often ignored. The possession, use, supply and unlicensed cultivation of cannabis remain illegal in most Australian states and territories. It has done so for nearly 100 years. Despite growing evidence of the harms associated with the criminalisation of cannabis and increasing public support for reform, I and my colleagues across the country are still pushing for change. For too long, cannabis policy has been driven by ideology and stigma rather than evidence and public health. As a crossbench MP, I bring these voices to the chamber and I can scrutinise government decisions.
Lessons from Past Crossbenchers
I am not alone as a crossbencher who has brought the government on the journey and pushed for meaningful reform. In fact last week I listened with interest as the Premier delivered his apology to victim-survivors of child abuse in state schools. Interestingly, the Premier, the opposition leader and Brad Rowswell MP all acknowledged former upper house crossbencher Stuart Grimley and the work that he did to bring the issue to the forefront. Stuart did not give up on survivors; he elevated their voices in Parliament until those in positions of power listened. This is the power of a diverse crossbench.
Another amazing former crossbencher and a dear friend of mine, Fiona Patten, was also pivotal in getting issues on the table and persuading government to act. Safe access zones, voluntary assisted dying, medically supervised injecting rooms, spent convictions – to name a few – were all campaigns initiated by Fiona and taken up by this Labor government.
Fewer Voices, Fewer Checks and Balances
My colleague Georgie Purcell raised the important work of former crossbencher Rod Barton. The thing about us crossbenchers is that we are brave enough to raise issues in this place that those from the major parties are too afraid to raise in this place. All of the abovementioned have come from all sides of politics. Again, this is the power of a diverse crossbench.
If Parliament becomes less politically diverse, governments will face fewer challenges to their decisions. The result will be a reduction in the checks and balances that are an important part of a healthy democracy. Crossbenchers are needed in this chamber.
A Rushed Timeline
I am also concerned about how rushed these changes are and how close they are being made to the election. I am proud to represent the South-Eastern Metropolitan Region, a growing, vibrant area and one of the most culturally diverse regions in Victoria. Over 45 per cent of our residents were born outside Australia and speak languages other than English. Any significant change to our electoral system requires education and understanding.
It carries with it a responsibility to ensure that every voter understands how changes affect them before they cast their ballot. It is not enough to simply change the law; we must also invest in educating the community about what those changes mean in practice. Need I remind you that the overwhelming majority of voters – some 95 per cent of voters – vote with that ‘1’ above the line?
How can the VEC effectively educate all Victorians about this electoral reform in the next three months?
We need to make sure that we are not rushing the reforms to our Electoral system and that any changes that need to be implemented are done carefully. That includes ensuring that clear, accessible and culturally appropriate information is available to all Victorians, including people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, people with disability, young voters and those voting for the first time.
If we are asking Victorians to vote differently, then we have an obligation to make sure they understand how to complete their ballot correctly, how their preferences will be counted and what these reforms mean for their representation in Parliament. It should be guided by democratic principles and by what best serves the Victorian people to make sure that their voices are heard.
Electoral reform should not create confusion or unintentionally disenfranchise voters. It should empower them to participate with confidence, knowing that their vote reflects their choices and that their voice matters. Every reform we consider should be measured against a simple question: does it give Victorians a stronger voice in the decisions that affect their lives?
A Coherent, Transparent System
Victorians deserve an electoral system that is coherent and transparent, not one that is selectively reformed according to what is politically expedient for the major parties. If we believe the system needs fixing, then we should commit to fixing it properly. Genuine electoral reform should be comprehensive, respect the voices of the people and strengthen, not weaken, the diversity and representativeness of this Parliament.
Look around: voters are already disillusioned. We see the polarisation, the confusion and the anger. They do not feel seen or heard, and rigging the system to give more power to the already powerful major parties will make them feel worse. We are at a critical time in our state’s history. We need now more than ever to encourage greater engagement in our democratic process, strengthen public trust in our institutions and ensure that every Victorian has confidence that their vote carries genuine weight and importance.
As such, we will oppose this half-baked reform of our electoral system and this bill.
Standing Up for a Diverse Crossbench
Rachel’s speech makes the case that real electoral reform can’t be selective — that abolishing group voting tickets in isolation, without also addressing Victoria’s regional structure, risks entrenching the power of the major parties rather than putting voters back in control. Drawing on the track record of crossbenchers past and present, she argues that a diverse Parliament produces better outcomes for Victorians, and that reform of this scale deserves proper time, education and consultation — not a rushed process in the run-up to an election.
