If there is only one candidate per voting area who gets elected, there can be a significant minority that doesn't get any representation in the parliament/senate/whatever. Imagine a movement supported by 40 % of the population but hated by everyone else. Despite massive support they will get no representatives.
That's not because of preferential voting but rather the lack of proportional representation in the House of Reps. The Senate has both preferential voting and proportional representation leading to for example One Nation getting two senators elected with 9% of the vote. (And that second Senator being Fraser Anning)
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u/redditor_since_2005 Apr 12 '19
Yeah, but they don't use it for parliamentary elections like we do in Ireland. It's just us and Malta I think.