At this election we should be erecting a statue of Herbert Payne
out of gratitude for his single great contribution to Australia
– but very few of us know who he was, or what he did.
Ninety two years ago Herbert Payne was a little known
conservative grazier and Nationalist Party Senator from Tasmania.
He was a quiet man, but without him a large proportion of
Australian society wouldn't have a voice in the nation.
Until 1924 people didn't have to vote. Australia had already
pioneered several aspects of democracy including compulsory
enrolment for voting in 1912, universal adult suffrage, the secret
ballot and popularly elected upper houses.
Payne was shocked at the low voter turnout in the 1922 election
of just 59 per cent. He thought parliament had to represent all the
people, not just those who bothered to vote.
