There’s a creeping disparity in Australia’s democracy that gets surprisingly little attention
Population growth patterns mean votes cast in our biggest states are becoming less potent at the federal level compared to votes cast in smaller states.
Analysis by economist Terry Rawnsley of how many federal members of parliament there are per person in each state has underscored the discrepancy.
In Tasmania, the smallest state, there are just over 30,000 people for each federal seat (when senators and lower house members elected in the 2016 are combined).
That compares with 131,000 people per federal MP in NSW and 125,000 in Victoria.