Proposed changes to electoral laws are based on faulty arguments, writes Marian Sawer.

Ever since above-the-line voting was introduced for the Australian Senate in 1984 there has been concern over what happens with preferences under this system. Marian Sawer examines the problems of this voting system and looks at options for reform.

In this audit Graeme Orr assesses key aspects of Australia's electoral systems against the ideal of political equality. Political equality means formal equality (treating people equally as electors), and it requires systems that are representative and inclusive, accessible to all and competitive (so that elections are open to outsiders and newcomers, not just to incumbents).