Playmander
Encyclopedia
The Playmander was a form of electoral malapportionment
in the Australia
n state of South Australia
, in place from 1936 to 1968. It consisted of rural districts enjoying a 2-to-1 advantage in the state parliament
, even though they contained less than half of the population, as well as a change from multiple member to single member electorates, and the number of MPs in the lower house was reduced from 46 to 39.
More equitable boundaries were subsequently put in place: in 1968, 1975, and 1989. More seats were introduced, and seats are required to be proportionate, as well as having a unique fairness clause which directs the Electoral Commission of South Australia to strategically re-draw boundaries in attempts to ensure as much as possible that the party which wins the majority of the two-party preferred vote wins government.
The word Playmander is a portmanteau
derived from the name of Premier Sir Thomas Playford
and the political term gerrymander, though the system did not originate with Playford (it was introduced under his predecessor Richard Layton Butler
) and was not technically a gerrymander (the latter does not imply malapportionment). Playford was its primary beneficiary, however, as his Liberal and Country League
(LCL) party was able to stay in power for three decades even while losing several elections in terms of vote numbers.
in 1856, its constitution required that there be two country electorates for every one electorate in Adelaide
and its suburbs.
With the merger of the Liberal Federation
and the Country Party
in 1932 to form the Liberal and Country League
, the Country Party demanded key concessions as part of the deal, particularly to the electoral system. The system of rural overweighting was to increase to a 2:1 ratio, the number of MPs was to be reduced to 39 and the multi-member electorates were to be abandoned for single-member electorates
. The changes would effectively lock the Labor Party out of power.
There was much uproar when they were brought in; Labor MP Tom Howard
declared that "the working class will not lay down like tame dogs under a system that will not give them proper representation". The electoral system contributed to Playford achieving a world-record for a democratically elected leader; he spent 27 years as Premier of South Australia. During this period, as a result of population changes, the rural overweighting strengthened Playford's hold on power. Rural areas, excepting industrial towns such as Whyalla
, were likely to support the League. The Adelaide metropolitan area was overwhelmingly Labor, with the League only managing to gain seats in the wealthy "eastern crescent" and around Holdfast Bay. By the early 1960s, the rural-to-urban ratio had been almost completely reversed from 1856. More than two-thirds of the state's population lived in the Adelaide metropolitan area, yet those living outside it elected two-thirds of the House of Assembly members.
The system was eventually branded the "Playmander" (a pun on the term Gerrymander) by political scientists, the Adelaide press, and the articulate young Labor member Don Dunstan
. Dunstan, more than anyone else, was the driving force behind Labor both "beating" the Playmander and changes being made to the electoral system. The latter, however, would not be implemented by Dunstan.
The 1962 state elections
showed just how grossly distorted the Playmander had become. Labor, under Frank Walsh
, won 54 percent of the two-party vote, yet came up one seat short of a majority. The balance of power rested with two independents, who supported Playford and allowed him to continue in office with a bare one-seat majority.
The Playmander was eventually beaten at the 1965 election
through the abandonment of a statewide campaign, and instead through direct targeting of the League's marginal seats. However, while Labor won 55 percent of the first-preference vote, it only had a two-seat majority. Walsh retired in late 1967 and was succeeded by Dunstan, who led Labor into the 1968 election
. While Labor won 53.2 percent of the two-party vote, it lost two seats, resulting in a hung parliament
. Independent Tom Stott
threw his support to the LCL, thus making LCL leader Steele Hall
the new premier even though the LCL had won only 46.8 percent of the vote.
The outcry over this result led Hall to institute electoral reform that saw the establishment of 47 single-member electorates in 1968. While there was still a slight rural overweighting, 28 seats were to be contested in Adelaide, making it a near-certainty that Labor would win the next election. When an election was called in 1970
, the Labor Party gained power with 53.3% of the vote.
In 1973
, Labor retained office with 54.5% of the vote, and the LCL became the South Australian division of the Liberal Party of Australia
in 1974. Labor retained power in 1975
with a majority of seats but lost the vote on 49.2%, which saw Dunstan institute "one vote one value
" electoral reform, which meant that all electorates had to contain approximately the same number of enrolled voters. The reform solidified Labor's position, as the "one vote one value" system did not take into account sizeable electoral majorities; much of the Liberal vote was held in ultra-safe rural seats where it was rendered useless. The Labor Party would hold power between 1970 and 1993, excepting a Liberal stint between 1979
and 1982
. Labor then regained power in 2002 under Mike Rann
and has held office since. After John Bannon
won in 1989
even after losing the vote at 48%, a referendum
was passed which added a "fairness clause" to electoral legislation, stipulating that boundaries must reflect results and as far as possible ensure that a party that wins more than 50% of the two-party-preferred vote will gain office, with boundaries to be re-drawn after each election.
Apportionment (politics)
Apportionment is the process of allocating political power among a set of principles . In most representative governments, political power has most recently been apportioned among constituencies based on population, but there is a long history of different approaches.The United States Constitution,...
in the Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n state of South Australia
South Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
, in place from 1936 to 1968. It consisted of rural districts enjoying a 2-to-1 advantage in the state parliament
Parliament of South Australia
The Parliament of South Australia is the bicameral legislature of the Australian state of South Australia. It consists of the Legislative Council and the House of Assembly. It follows a Westminster system of parliamentary government....
, even though they contained less than half of the population, as well as a change from multiple member to single member electorates, and the number of MPs in the lower house was reduced from 46 to 39.
More equitable boundaries were subsequently put in place: in 1968, 1975, and 1989. More seats were introduced, and seats are required to be proportionate, as well as having a unique fairness clause which directs the Electoral Commission of South Australia to strategically re-draw boundaries in attempts to ensure as much as possible that the party which wins the majority of the two-party preferred vote wins government.
The word Playmander is a portmanteau
Portmanteau word
A portmanteau or portmanteau word is a blend of two words or morphemes into one new word. A portmanteau word typically combines both sounds and meanings, as in smog, coined by blending smoke and fog. More generally, it may refer to any term or phrase that combines two or more meanings...
derived from the name of Premier Sir Thomas Playford
Thomas Playford IV
Sir Thomas Playford, GCMG was a South Australian politician. He served continuously as Premier of South Australia from 5 November 1938 to 10 March 1965, the longest term of any elected government leader in the history of Australia. His tenure as premier was marked by a period of population and...
and the political term gerrymander, though the system did not originate with Playford (it was introduced under his predecessor Richard Layton Butler
Richard Layton Butler
Sir Richard Layton Butler KCMG was the 31st Premier of South Australia, serving two disjunct terms in office: from 1927 to 1930, and again from 1933 to 1938....
) and was not technically a gerrymander (the latter does not imply malapportionment). Playford was its primary beneficiary, however, as his Liberal and Country League
Liberal and Country League
The Liberal and Country League was a major political party in South Australia throughout its forty year existence. Thirty-four years were spent in government, in part due to the electoral malapportionment known as the Playmander, introduced after coming to power.Created on 9 June 1932 as the...
(LCL) party was able to stay in power for three decades even while losing several elections in terms of vote numbers.
History
When South Australia first gained responsible governmentResponsible government
Responsible government is a conception of a system of government that embodies the principle of parliamentary accountability which is the foundation of the Westminster system of parliamentary democracy...
in 1856, its constitution required that there be two country electorates for every one electorate in Adelaide
Adelaide
Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...
and its suburbs.
With the merger of the Liberal Federation
Liberal Federation
The Liberal Federation was a liberal conservative South Australian political party from 1922 to 1932. It stemmed from the Liberal Union's Henry Barwell. Richard Layton Butler was also premier during the party's time. It was a predecessor to the Liberal and Country League....
and the Country Party
National Party of Australia
The National Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Traditionally representing graziers, farmers and rural voters generally, it began as the The Country Party, but adopted the name The National Country Party in 1975, changed to The National Party of Australia in 1982. The party is...
in 1932 to form the Liberal and Country League
Liberal and Country League
The Liberal and Country League was a major political party in South Australia throughout its forty year existence. Thirty-four years were spent in government, in part due to the electoral malapportionment known as the Playmander, introduced after coming to power.Created on 9 June 1932 as the...
, the Country Party demanded key concessions as part of the deal, particularly to the electoral system. The system of rural overweighting was to increase to a 2:1 ratio, the number of MPs was to be reduced to 39 and the multi-member electorates were to be abandoned for single-member electorates
Single-winner voting systems
A single-member district or single-member constituency is an electoral district that returns one officeholder to a body with multiple members such as a legislature...
. The changes would effectively lock the Labor Party out of power.
There was much uproar when they were brought in; Labor MP Tom Howard
Tom Howard (politician)
Thomas Patrick "Tom" Howard was an Australian politician. Before entering parliament he was Secretary of the Trades and Labour Council...
declared that "the working class will not lay down like tame dogs under a system that will not give them proper representation". The electoral system contributed to Playford achieving a world-record for a democratically elected leader; he spent 27 years as Premier of South Australia. During this period, as a result of population changes, the rural overweighting strengthened Playford's hold on power. Rural areas, excepting industrial towns such as Whyalla
Whyalla, South Australia
-Demographics:According to the 2006 Census the population of the Whyalla census area was 21,122 people, making it the second largest urban area in the state outside of Adelaide...
, were likely to support the League. The Adelaide metropolitan area was overwhelmingly Labor, with the League only managing to gain seats in the wealthy "eastern crescent" and around Holdfast Bay. By the early 1960s, the rural-to-urban ratio had been almost completely reversed from 1856. More than two-thirds of the state's population lived in the Adelaide metropolitan area, yet those living outside it elected two-thirds of the House of Assembly members.
The system was eventually branded the "Playmander" (a pun on the term Gerrymander) by political scientists, the Adelaide press, and the articulate young Labor member Don Dunstan
Don Dunstan
Donald Allan "Don" Dunstan, AC, QC was a South Australian politician. He entered politics as the Member for Norwood in 1953, became state Labor leader in 1967, and was Premier of South Australia between June 1967 and April 1968, and again between June 1970 and February 1979.The son of a business...
. Dunstan, more than anyone else, was the driving force behind Labor both "beating" the Playmander and changes being made to the electoral system. The latter, however, would not be implemented by Dunstan.
The 1962 state elections
South Australian state election, 1962
State elections were held in Australia on 3 March 1962. All 39 seats in the South Australian House of Assembly were up for election. The incumbent Liberal and Country League led by Premier of South Australia Thomas Playford IV defeated the Australian Labor Party led by Leader of the Opposition...
showed just how grossly distorted the Playmander had become. Labor, under Frank Walsh
Frank Walsh
Francis Henry "Frank" Walsh was the 34th Premier of South Australia, serving from 10 March 1965 to 1 June 1967.-Early life:One of eight children, Walsh was born into an Irish Catholic family in O'Halloran Hill, South Australia...
, won 54 percent of the two-party vote, yet came up one seat short of a majority. The balance of power rested with two independents, who supported Playford and allowed him to continue in office with a bare one-seat majority.
The Playmander was eventually beaten at the 1965 election
South Australian state election, 1965
State elections were held in Australia on 6 March 1965. All 39 seats in the South Australian House of Assembly were up for election. The incumbent Liberal and Country League led by Premier of South Australia Thomas Playford IV, in power since 1938, was defeated by the Australian Labor Party led by...
through the abandonment of a statewide campaign, and instead through direct targeting of the League's marginal seats. However, while Labor won 55 percent of the first-preference vote, it only had a two-seat majority. Walsh retired in late 1967 and was succeeded by Dunstan, who led Labor into the 1968 election
South Australian state election, 1968
State elections were held in Australia on 2 March 1968. All 39 seats in the South Australian House of Assembly were up for election. The incumbent Australian Labor Party led by Premier of South Australia Don Dunstan was defeated by the Liberal and Country League led by Leader of the Opposition...
. While Labor won 53.2 percent of the two-party vote, it lost two seats, resulting in a hung parliament
Hung parliament
In a two-party parliamentary system of government, a hung parliament occurs when neither major political party has an absolute majority of seats in the parliament . It is also less commonly known as a balanced parliament or a legislature under no overall control...
. Independent Tom Stott
Tom Stott
Tom Cleave Stott CBE spent 37 years as an independent member of the South Australian House of Assembly, serving as Speaker of the House from 1962 to 1965 and 1968 to 1970....
threw his support to the LCL, thus making LCL leader Steele Hall
Steele Hall
Raymond Steele Hall was the 36th Premier of South Australia 1968-70, a senator for South Australia 1974-77, and federal member for the Division of Boothby 1981-96.-Biography:...
the new premier even though the LCL had won only 46.8 percent of the vote.
The outcry over this result led Hall to institute electoral reform that saw the establishment of 47 single-member electorates in 1968. While there was still a slight rural overweighting, 28 seats were to be contested in Adelaide, making it a near-certainty that Labor would win the next election. When an election was called in 1970
South Australian state election, 1970
State elections were held in Australia on 30 May 1970. All 47 seats in the South Australian House of Assembly were up for election. The incumbent Liberal and Country League led by Premier of South Australia Steele Hall was defeated by the Australian Labor Party led by Leader of the Opposition Don...
, the Labor Party gained power with 53.3% of the vote.
In 1973
South Australian state election, 1973
State elections were held in Australia on 10 March 1973. All 47 seats in the South Australian House of Assembly were up for election. The incumbent Australian Labor Party led by Premier of South Australia Don Dunstan defeated the Liberal and Country League led by Leader of the Opposition Bruce...
, Labor retained office with 54.5% of the vote, and the LCL became the South Australian division of the Liberal Party of Australia
Liberal Party of Australia
The Liberal Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Founded a year after the 1943 federal election to replace the United Australia Party, the centre-right Liberal Party typically competes with the centre-left Australian Labor Party for political office...
in 1974. Labor retained power in 1975
South Australian state election, 1975
State elections were held in Australia on 12 July 1975. All 47 seats in the South Australian House of Assembly were up for election. The incumbent Australian Labor Party led by Premier of South Australia Don Dunstan defeated the Liberal Party of Australia led by Leader of the Opposition Bruce...
with a majority of seats but lost the vote on 49.2%, which saw Dunstan institute "one vote one value
One vote one value
In Australia, one vote one value is a legislative principle of democracy whereby each electorate has the same population within a specified percentage of variance. In the case of the Commonwealth, the maximum variance for the House of Representatives is 10% above or below the mean...
" electoral reform, which meant that all electorates had to contain approximately the same number of enrolled voters. The reform solidified Labor's position, as the "one vote one value" system did not take into account sizeable electoral majorities; much of the Liberal vote was held in ultra-safe rural seats where it was rendered useless. The Labor Party would hold power between 1970 and 1993, excepting a Liberal stint between 1979
South Australian state election, 1979
State elections were held in Australia on 15 September 1979. All 47 seats in the South Australian House of Assembly were up for election. The incumbent Australian Labor Party led by Premier of South Australia Des Corcoran was defeated by the Liberal Party of Australia led by Leader of the...
and 1982
South Australian state election, 1982
State elections were held in Australia on November 6, 1982. All 47 seats in the South Australian House of Assembly were up for election. The incumbent Liberal Party of Australia led by Premier of South Australia David Tonkin was defeated by the Australian Labor Party led by Leader of the Opposition...
. Labor then regained power in 2002 under Mike Rann
Mike Rann
Michael David Rann MHA, CNZM , Australian politician, served as the 44th Premier of South Australia. He led the South Australian branch of the Australian Labor Party to minority government at the 2002 election, before attaining a landslide win at the 2006 election...
and has held office since. After John Bannon
John Bannon
John Charles Bannon AO is a former Australian politician. He was the 39th Premier of South Australia, leading the Labor Party to government at the 1982 election. The Bannon Labor government was re-elected at the 1985 election and the 1989 election...
won in 1989
South Australian state election, 1989
State elections were held in Australia on November 25, 1989. All 47 seats in the South Australian House of Assembly were up for election. The incumbent Australian Labor Party led by Premier of South Australia John Bannon defeated the Liberal Party of Australia led by Leader of the Opposition John...
even after losing the vote at 48%, a referendum
Referendums in Australia
In Australia, referendums are binding polls usually used to alter the Constitution of the Commonwealth or a state or territory. Non-binding polls are usually referred to as plebiscites.-Federal referendums:...
was passed which added a "fairness clause" to electoral legislation, stipulating that boundaries must reflect results and as far as possible ensure that a party that wins more than 50% of the two-party-preferred vote will gain office, with boundaries to be re-drawn after each election.
Results 1938–70
The playmander began in 1936 and ended after 1968.| Results 1938–1970 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| % (seats) | ALP | LCL | IND | OTH | ALP 2PP | LCL 2PP | |||
| 1970 South Australian state election, 1970 State elections were held in Australia on 30 May 1970. All 47 seats in the South Australian House of Assembly were up for election. The incumbent Liberal and Country League led by Premier of South Australia Steele Hall was defeated by the Australian Labor Party led by Leader of the Opposition Don... |
51.64 (27) | 43.76 (20) | 1.46 | 3.14 | 53.3 | 46.7 | |||
| 1968 South Australian state election, 1968 State elections were held in Australia on 2 March 1968. All 39 seats in the South Australian House of Assembly were up for election. The incumbent Australian Labor Party led by Premier of South Australia Don Dunstan was defeated by the Liberal and Country League led by Leader of the Opposition... |
51.98 (19) | 43.82 (19) | 1.03 (1) | 3.18 | 53.2 | 46.8 | |||
| 1965 South Australian state election, 1965 State elections were held in Australia on 6 March 1965. All 39 seats in the South Australian House of Assembly were up for election. The incumbent Liberal and Country League led by Premier of South Australia Thomas Playford IV, in power since 1938, was defeated by the Australian Labor Party led by... |
55.04 (21) | 35.93 (17) | 1.88 (1) | 7.16 | 54.3 | 45.7 | |||
| 1962 South Australian state election, 1962 State elections were held in Australia on 3 March 1962. All 39 seats in the South Australian House of Assembly were up for election. The incumbent Liberal and Country League led by Premier of South Australia Thomas Playford IV defeated the Australian Labor Party led by Leader of the Opposition... |
53.98 (19) | 34.51 (18) | 3.15 (2) | 8.37 | 54.3 | 45.7 | |||
| 1959 South Australian state election, 1959 State elections were held in Australia on 7 March 1959. All 39 seats in the South Australian House of Assembly were up for election. The incumbent Liberal and Country League led by Premier of South Australia Thomas Playford IV defeated the Australian Labor Party led by Leader of the Opposition Mick... |
49.35 (17) | 36.95 (20) | 5.93 (2) | 7.77 | 49.7 | 50.3 | |||
| 1956 South Australian state election, 1956 State elections were held in Australia on 3 March 1956. All 39 seats in the South Australian House of Assembly were up for election. The incumbent Liberal and Country League led by Premier of South Australia Thomas Playford IV defeated the Australian Labor Party led by Leader of the Opposition Mick... |
47.37 (15) | 36.69 (21) | 7.34 (3) | 8.60 | 48.7 | 51.3 | |||
| 1953 South Australian state election, 1953 State elections were held in Australia on 7 March 1953. All 39 seats in the South Australian House of Assembly were up for election. The incumbent Liberal and Country League led by Premier of South Australia Thomas Playford IV defeated the Australian Labor Party led by Leader of the Opposition Mick... |
50.84 (15) | 36.45 (20) | 11.10 (4) | 1.60 | 53.0 | 47.0 | |||
| 1950 South Australian state election, 1950 State elections were held in Australia on 4 March 1950. All 39 seats in the South Australian House of Assembly were up for election. The incumbent Liberal and Country League led by Premier of South Australia Thomas Playford IV defeated the Australian Labor Party led by Leader of the Opposition Mick... |
48.09 (12) | 40.51 (23) | 10.07 (4) | 1.34 | 48.7 | 51.2 | |||
| 1947 South Australian state election, 1947 State elections were held in Australia on 8 March 1947. All 39 seats in the South Australian House of Assembly were up for election. The incumbent Liberal and Country League government led by Premier of South Australia Thomas Playford IV defeated the opposition Australian Labor Party led by Leader... |
48.64 (13) | 40.38 (23) | 6.20 (3) | 4.77 | |||||
| 1944 South Australian state election, 1944 State elections were held in Australia on 29 April 1944. All 39 seats in the South Australian House of Assembly were up for election. The incumbent Liberal and Country League government led by Premier of South Australia Thomas Playford IV defeated the opposition Australian Labor Party led by Leader... |
42.52 (16) | 45.84 (20) | 6.64 (3) | 5.00 | |||||
| 1941 South Australian state election, 1941 State elections were held in Australia on 29 March 1941. All 39 seats in the South Australian House of Assembly were up for election. The incumbent Liberal and Country League government led by Premier of South Australia Thomas Playford IV defeated the opposition Australian Labor Party led by Leader... |
36.27 (13) | 39.13 (21) | 24.60 (5) | 0.00 | |||||
| 1938 South Australian state election, 1938 State elections were held in Australia on 19 March 1938. All 39 seats in the South Australian House of Assembly were up for election. The incumbent Liberal and Country League government led by Premier of South Australia Richard L. Butler defeated the opposition Australian Labor Party led by Leader... |
26.16 (9) | 33.44 (15) | 34.08 (12) | 6.21 (3) | |||||
| Source: Australian Government and Politics Database and ABC for 2PP |
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