Preferences

=Preference Process=

Pirate Party Australia, in keeping with being transparent and participatory will be making out Senate preference deals as open and as democratic as the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) allows. The policy and pre-selection meeting held on the weekend of April 6-7 2013 voted to task the NC to clarify and accept the following process which is to be discussed, amended and confirmed at the National Council meeting on April 10.

The preference template will be determined by ballot of the members.
 * Preferences will be determined using the alternative vote system
 * Any addition to the AEC register of parties will automatically trigger a reballot for the preference template

Preference deals must be ratified by the majority of the membership.
 * Preference deals are not mathematical, just political

A committee made up of the Election Committee and interested and available Full Members will oversee the 48 hour preference submission period as mandated by the AEC.
 * Upon the beginning of the 24 hour preference submission period, the Committee will be tasked with researching the candidates missing from the original template.
 * During that period, the committee must convene to determine the final order based on the final senate candidate listing from the AEC
 * Any changes must be justified and announced to the party at the conclusion of the meeting
 * The committee must consider any grievances before the submission of the document

Responses from other parties:

 * Australian Democrats
 * Australian Fishing and Lifestyle Party
 * Australian Greens
 * Australian Independents
 * Australian Stable Population Party
 * Building Australia Party
 * Family First Party
 * Future Party
 * Help End Marijuana Prohibition (HEMP) Party
 * No Carbon Tax Climate Change Skeptics
 * One Nation
 * Secular Party
 * Senator Online

Other Information

 * Pirate Party Press Release on these preferencing plans: http://pirateparty.org.au/2013/07/18/pirate-party-leads-the-way-with-transparent-preferencing/
 * Video that explains how Senate votes are counted: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rTamidDoG6g
 * AEC Website with a Senate 'How to Vote' overview: http://www.aec.gov.au/voting/How_to_vote/Voting_Senate.htm
 * AEC website detailing how the Senate votes are counted: http://www.aec.gov.au/Voting/counting/senate_count.htm