Antinuclear

Australia’s voting system distorts Climate Change action

Queensland and particularly Western Australia, which both have strong fossil fuels industries, relatively rural dwelling patterns, and populations of about 2m and 4.5m respectively.’……….

The climate policy disconnect: It’s rural voter over-representation  Financial Times February 8,  by Kate Mackenzie “………..a new paper finds that over-representation of regional voters can make a significant difference to public policy on both gasoline taxes and international climate change agreements…

…’Malapportionment results in a “rural bias” such that the political system disproportionately represents rural voters. Since rural voters in industrialized countries rely more heavily on fossil fuels than urban voters, our prediction is that malapportioned political systems will have lower gasoline taxes, and less commitment to climate change amelioration, than systems with equitable representation of constituents.’………

‘The upper house in Australia, which has also seen its attempts to introduce a cap-and-trade system stumble, has similar problems with representation: each state has six senators, meaning Tasmania, with barely half a million residents, has the same number as New South Wales, with almost 7m. The case is perhaps better made for Queensland and particularly Western Australia, which both have strong fossil fuels industries, relatively rural dwelling patterns, and populations of about 2m and 4.5m respectively.’……….
The full paper, which was presented at an international political economy conference, is here. H/T The Monkey Cage via Matthew Yglesias.

The climate policy disconnect: It’s rural voter over-representation | FT Energy Source | FT.com

February 9, 2010 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | AUSTRALIA - NATIONAL, climate change - global warming, politics | Australia, climate change, climate change - global warming, renewable