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You guys have elections? I thought you just drank a lot of Foster's then whoever was left standing won....
Things have been ugly for the past 3 years, ever since Abbott missed out on the Minority Government.
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You guys have elections? I thought you just drank a lot of Foster's then whoever was left standing won....
You know, I don't think I've ever seen anyone drink Fosters here. I can't even remember seeing it available in any of the pubs I occasionally go to. I'm pretty sure we just export it all since no one here is willing to drink that swill :P
Sadly, my job prevents me from discussing any of my actual views on the political situation here in Australia online. Private conversation is fine, but public posting is a huge no. And as a recent firing has shown, simply not identifying your place of employment while commentating online is no longer considered acceptable.
TG are you in the Public Service?
DC thats an out and out lie.... No Australian drinks Fosters. ;-)
Fosters used to be good in the 1970's, along with KB lager, and Tooths.
I prefer James Squire, Little Creatures, Crown or Boags.
TG are you in the Public Service?
DC thats an out and out lie.... No Australian drinks Fosters. ;-)
Fosters used to be good in the 1970's, along with KB lager, and Tooths.
I prefer James Squire, Little Creatures, Crown or Boags.
Got it in one. So while I've got strong views on the situation, you'll never see me posting them anywhere. Suffice to say, I'm very interested in seeing where we end up after tomorrow.
Hah, I didn't realise Fosters was ever good. To be fair, I wasn't born until 1989, so there's that. I'll agree with the James Squire and Little Creatures though. That said, my favourite type of beer is stout, specifically the Velvet Cream stout that The Wig & Pen brew. Dunno if you make it to Canberra often, but their range of microbrew beers are worth checking out (some of them at least, I strongly suggest avoiding the Bulldogs Best Bitter). They do some interesting seasonal beers as well, like the Venom Pale Ale (8% alcohol, and not very pale) and the Imperial Stout (they'll only sell it by the half-pint, and it has a consistency like crude oil).
While I'm in love with Australia (got family there and been there twice for extended stays) it still makes me glad I'm an American. To see two cultures so very close yet so very different in personal freedoms and governmental support for its citizens can be quite the shock. I have a greater respect for what Aussies have to deal with, and a clue as to just how nice we got it. If we've got anything wrong with our government, it really is our own fault.
Still no place I'd rather be than there though. Hope the elections clear up quickly.
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While I'm in love with Australia (got family there and been there twice for extended stays) it still makes me glad I'm an American. To see two cultures so very close yet so very different in personal freedoms and governmental support for its citizens can be quite the shock. I have a greater respect for what Aussies have to deal with, and a clue as to just how nice we got it. If we've got anything wrong with our government, it really is our own fault.
Still no place I'd rather be than there though. Hope the elections clear up quickly.
I have to disagree... We rode out the GFC very nicely and have a higher level of personal freedoms than the US as well as free health care.... We a Canada but with sun sand and surf.
While I'm in love with Australia (got family there and been there twice for extended stays) it still makes me glad I'm an American. To see two cultures so very close yet so very different in personal freedoms and governmental support for its citizens can be quite the shock. I have a greater respect for what Aussies have to deal with, and a clue as to just how nice we got it. If we've got anything wrong with our government, it really is our own fault.
Still no place I'd rather be than there though. Hope the elections clear up quickly.
For the reason I gave above, I'm not going to comment on actual government policies, but I will say that I find this amusing given that, as an Australian, I have the exact opposite viewpoint. I've visited the USA once before, and have friends there, and while I enjoyed my visit, I'm still glad to be an Australian, and think we enjoy a large amount of freedoms and government support for our population.
EDIT: Way to ninja me there 8th...
Yeah, one thing a lot of people even here fail to understand is that we handled the GFC extremely well. Our economy has been improving steadily, and though there were some job cuts etc., we still came out relatively unscathed. I'm also personally very thankful for universal healthcare, given that I have some health issues that require frequent consultation with my doctor and constant medication.
There's one personal freedom that we DON'T have that I'm very thankful for, that being gun ownership. The 1996 Port Arthur massacre provoked an incredibly swift implementation of gun control by the Fed Govt. Since then there have been zero mass shootings. While it doesn't mean there won't ever be again, it certainly makes it harder for people to get their hands on the weapons, and decreases the likelihood significantly.
I am going to get all boring and give a quick run-down on the history of and how the Federal Australian Political system works.
TG maybe you can correct me if I get anything wrong.
Australia is federal constitutional parliamentary democracy and constitutional monarchy.
The Governor General is the direct representative of Queen Elizabeth II. The GG has the potential to wield considerable power, much like the President of the US. With one major caveat the Governor-General exercises these powers only on the advice of the Prime-Minister. As such, the role of Governor-General is often described as a largely ceremonial position. They are the rubber stamp.
We elect parliamentarians to the federal Parliament of Australia. There are two houses, The House of Representatives which incorporate elements of the Westminster (British) system, and a strong federalist senate, adopted from the United States Congress.
The Australian House of Representatives has 150 members, elected for three years,to represent a single electorate (Seat).
The party or coalition of parties which the majority of members of the House of Representatives forms government.
The Prime Minister is the, leader of the Cabinet and head of government.
The Australian Senate has 76 members. The six states have 12 senators each, and the 2 territories 2 senators six years, with half of the senators contesting at each federal election. The Senate has more power than its equivalent in United Kingdom and Canada, can block legislation or supply or monetary bills. The Senate can bring down the government, see 1975 Australian constitutional crisis.
All our (australias) politics has become is promises and backstabbing. I don't want to vote, but apparently it is a "right" that we are forced to to do.
One mistake people make is that we are voting for a Prime Minister like Americans vote for a President.......
This is very wrong. We vote for the party we want to govern us and they choose their leader. What the Parties do do is choose their leader before the election so we know who it is.
Rightly or wrongly this allows for the removal of Prime Minister by the party while in power should that Prime Minister be infective incompetent or corrupt. This is called a spill.
Both major Parties have tried it at times.
and Labor has done it several times.
All our (australias) politics has become is promises and backstabbing. I don't want to vote, but apparently it is a "right" that we are forced to to do.
Yes its right that you vote - If you are disgusted with your choices then you can return an empty ballot or you can write all of these people are a~*#~~@s on the paper. Nobody can control what you put on that paper.
Voting is not a right it is a duty. It is your chance to actively participate in your democracy. Not voting is handing your rights to others to decide the future of our country and that way is the road to tyranny.
In Sweden, it's the other way around. When a party wins the election, the party leader gets the task of assembling a government, the executive branch. If this party leader loses a vote of no confidence, that government falls. The party can't really do this without such a vote, though.
and Labor has done it several times.
I am guessing you are in your 20's the Liberal party tried it several times as well.... Andrew Peacocks attempt being the first time I became aware of it and thats what sparked my interest in politics.
Just on the topic of Australian freedom - I've seen quite a lot about internet censorship in your country, as well as a number of video games being refused classification by the ratings board and thus, being denied sale down under. Is that an issue in your election? Is there a general public opinion, one way or the other, on such restrictions?
All our (australias) politics has become is promises and backstabbing. I don't want to vote, but apparently it is a "right" that we are forced to to do.Yes its right that you vote - If you are disgusted with your choices then you can return an empty ballot or you can write all of these people are a%$@&%+s on the paper. Nobody can control what you put on that paper.
Voting is not a right it is a duty. It is your chance to actively participate in your democracy. Not voting is handing your rights to others to decide the future of our country and that way is the road to tyranny.
You're spot on there 8th. Voting is an incredibly important aspect of our government. I encourage everyone to think long and hard about who they're voting for, and choose the party with the policies that best reflect what you want for Australia. Don't fall into the trap of voting for the candidates rather than their party.
As for your explanation of our political system, it seems pretty good to me. One thing I'll add about the Governor-General though. Their powers can actually be used without consulting the Prime Minister or Government, it's just very rare. The best known instance of this occurring, and by far the most controversial, was the 1975 dismissal of Gough Whitlam's Labor Government by Sir John Kerr, the Governor-General at the time. That said, the convention is most certainly that they will only use their powers on the advice of the Prime Minister, other ministers or the government as a whole.
I feel I should clarify though, my position as a public servant certainly isn't a particularly important one. I'm a member of an internal support team for one of the federal departments. I just understand that even as a low ranking public servant there are certain rules and expectations regarding my conduct when discussing politics and the like.
I'm certainly not an expert on politics or the like, and don't want to give that impression. My knowledge of it and interest in it comes from being raised by parents with a keen interest in politics and being an active part of our society, and the fact that my mother was my commerce and legal studies teacher (I bloody well paid attention in her classes, or I heard about it at home). I think it's important to take an interest in those who run our country, and I wish more people would take it seriously, even if they don't feel any of the parties are a good choice.
I am cribbing a lot of this from my head and "fact" checking it with Wiki... Please forgive me if I get this wrong.
Instant-runoff voting is used for House of Representatives, The Australian Senate uses a modified form, candidates are eliminated until the remaining parties can be said to have a sufficient proportion of the vote to earn a seat.
It works like this say we were going to vote what game we were going to play tonight.
The names are placed in random order on the ballot so for example.
1. GURPS
2. RoleMaster
3. WFRP
4. Pathfinder
5. D&D
I would number my preferences RoleMaster as 1, Pathfinder 2, GURPS 3, WFRP 4, and D&D as 5.
The votes are counted on each persons first choice. If a game in the example above secures more than half of the votes, that game wins.
If not, the game with the fewest votes is eliminated.
Votes assigned to the eliminated game are recounted and assigned to one of the remaining games based on the next preference.
So for example if RoleMaster was last and no game had more than 50% of the votes then my second preference Pathfinder would get my vote.
This process continues until one game wins by obtaining more than half the votes.
So while my first preference may not be chosen, there is a good chance I wont be stuck with D&D.
Just on the topic of Australian freedom - I've seen quite a lot about internet censorship in your country, as well as a number of video games being refused classification by the ratings board and thus, being denied sale down under. Is that an issue in your election? Is there a general public opinion, one way or the other, on such restrictions?
There are several issues...
No internet censorship didnt happen... the government finally grasped the scope of and money they needed and quietly gave it up.
Games classification was a thorny problem... It was a States rights fight. The South Australian Attorney-General (a conservative Christian) kept stymieing the R18 Classification system (that all the other States wanted)... Eventually a protest party ran against him in his seat and helped get a 15% swing against him. He stepped down.
On 1 January 2013, the R18+ rating for video games was implemented into the classification guidelines.
and Labor has done it several times.I am guessing you are in your 20's the Liberal party tried it several times as well.... Andrew Peacocks attempt being the first time I became aware of it and thats what sparked my interest in politics.
21. The Rudd to Gillard then back to Rudd thing is the first time I've been made aware of.
The whole thing to me has been quite droll, and I can't wait till tomorrow so it's over, someone gets in, we wait for changes to happen, no changes happen, then we get snippy and demand another election or change in party.
Atleast thats how I'm seeing it.
The right to vote is mine, but no party, (or candidate) has earned the right to mine.
I had heard that more recent games - such as Saints Row IV - had been denied classification due to (understandably) questionable content. Not that I necessarily think video games are a big election issue, but denial of classification seems like a sort of sneaky way to censor, doesn't it?
Just on the topic of Australian freedom - I've seen quite a lot about internet censorship in your country, as well as a number of video games being refused classification by the ratings board and thus, being denied sale down under. Is that an issue in your election? Is there a general public opinion, one way or the other, on such restrictions?
I write this in full knowledge that I'm probably going to get ninja'd by The 8th Dwarf...
EDIT: HAH! Called it. That said 8th, you got something I missed, the South Australian AG who was blocking it. Once he stepped down it was just the New South Wales AG that stood against it. Out of curiosity, did you not hear about the kerfuffle about the filter yesterday?
Internet Censorship has been a fairly hot topic for a while now. It's yet to come in, though the Opposition did make a mention of it yesterday I believe. I didn't catch the interview it was mentioned in, so I can't say exactly what they were talking about, but I believe it was going to be a default filter (whether or not there was an option to opt out, I'm not sure). However, after an outcry sprung up over it very quickly, there was a hasty retraction of the comments along with a statement saying that the announcement was an accident.
As for video game classification. This one's an interesting topic. We actually just recently got the R18+ classification for games, after years of lobbying. There was one Attorney-General that had been blocking it pretty successfully on their own, due to the way our classification system works. Any changes to the national classification scheme by the Australian Classification Board have to have the unanimous agreement of all Attorney-Generals (one per state and territory). Interesting though, it's possible for things to be classified differently in different states and territories. For example, X rated material (i.e. hardcore pornography) is illegal for sale in the states. However, it's completely legal in the territories (the ACT and the Northern Territory), and legal for import from these territories into the states, since the constitution bans restrictions on trade between the states and territories. Similar things can occur with other media. Take American Psycho for example (the book I mean). It's labelled as category 1 material (harmful to minors) and cannot legally be sold to anyone under 18 (it also has to be shrink wrapped). Theoretically this makes it illegal for sale in the state of Queensland. Again though, it can be ordered online and is easily available from public libraries.
Anyway, to get back on topic, When the NSW Attorney-General was the only dissenting voice about getting an R18+ rating for video games for Australia, the Minister in charge of the classification board announced that the Fed Govt. was going to use a rarely exercised power to overrule this and implement the rating anyway. A later meeting of the AGs resulted in a unanimous decision in favour of the rating, and the overrule was never required (I'm not sure if this right has ever actually been used or not).
As to what the effects of this on the release of games here? Surprisingly, the main effect was actually just a more accurate and useful ratings system. What a lot of people don't understand is that because our games could only be rated up to MA15+ (meaning you had to be 15 years of age or older to buy it, as opposed to M15+, which was simply recommended for an audience of 15 or older), many games got through with far more lenient ratings than they should have had. Fallout 3 is a good example. In many places, it's rated 18+, because hey, get a headshot in VATS mode and there's going to be blood and guts everywhere, not to mention the rampant drug use and so on. It's MA15+ here. The disc still has the little 18 symbol for other countries on it though. Sure, there was talk of refusing it classification (and thus stopping its sale), but not because of the violence, rather because at the time, MedX was called Morphine. Aliens vs. Predator was refused classification, and Sega offered the opportunity to have it toned down and resubmitted for classification. Their reaction to this was to say "Screw that, we're not changing a bloody thing" and resubmit it exactly as it was. Result? It got passed as MA15+, thus giving much easier access to younger audiences (especially given how many parents misunderstand what that rating means and buy the games for their kids) to a game where there was an actual mechanic that required you to remove the heads and spines of soldiers as trophies, and in some cases use the severed head as a way of tricking retinal scanners into letting you past.
As for the games that got refused classification and never made it here prior to the new rating. Off the top of my head I can think of two. Mortal Kombat and Syndicate. Manhunt made it here, then got retroactively refused classification and pulled from the shelves. Since the rating was introduced, Mortal Kombat has been reclassified and released here, and I've seen a handful of new R18+ games released. Again, I can only name two, Ninja Gaiden and Dead Island: Riptide. What it means is that when there are games that should be rated R18+, not MA15+, and really don't deserve being refused classification (pornographic video games are still illegal for example, as they would require an X rating), the classifications board has a legitimate rating to assign them rather than either a) refusing them classification and prompting hordes of gamers who don't like being told they're not allowed to play certain games to start importing it (from what I've heard, very few people have ever been caught doing this. Whether that's just luck, or there was an unofficial policy of turning a blind eye, I don't know and can't really speculate), or b) sneaking it in as a lower rating making it readily available to those who should not be playing it, and making it harder for parents to judge what to buy their kids.
Sorry for the wall of text, but I was fairly active in a few campaigns about changing the rating system, so once I get started it's hard to stop talking about it.
I had heard that more recent games - such as Saints Row IV - had been denied classification due to (understandably) questionable content. Not that I necessarily think video games are a big election issue, but denial of classification seems like a sort of sneaky way to censor, doesn't it?
It is a sneaky way, Saints Row 4 and State of Decay were the first 2 games to be denied classification since the Rating was given. Needless to say it pissed off alot of people, myself included.
Very interesting, Tinkergoth, thank you! And for your reply as well, 8th Dwarf!
The right to vote is mine, but no party, (or candidate) has earned the right to mine.
Perfect then register your protest by either defacing your ballot paper or leaving it blank.
If compulsory voting is taken away... It will only be grumpy old "white" dudes like me voting.
Do you want me determining what laws you are going to have to put up with.
I suggest looking at the minor parties maybe you will find a party that suits you.
The right to vote is mine, but no party, (or candidate) has earned the right to mine.Perfect then register your protest by either defacing your ballot paper or leaving it blank.
As sad as it is, that's the plan.
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Woohoo on to the Parties.
Disclaimer, I will do my best to remain impartial but I have burning dislike for homophobic, misogynistic, racist, silver-spoon, entitled wannabe aristocrats, (Oddly I have a lot of time for Malcolm Turnbull, Dr John Hewson, and Malcolm Fraser.)
I lean far to the Green/Left, not as far as Comrade Anklebiter but he and I share a lot of common ground.
That said I don't suffer self-serving narcissistic stupidity, either....
EDIT....
I have just discovered how hard it is to define the Parties....
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All our (australias) politics has become is promises and backstabbing. I don't want to vote, but apparently it is a "right" that we are forced to to do.Yes its right that you vote - If you are disgusted with your choices then you can return an empty ballot or you can write all of these people are a@%$$%*s on the paper. Nobody can control what you put on that paper.
Voting is not a right it is a duty. It is your chance to actively participate in your democracy. Not voting is handing your rights to others to decide the future of our country and that way is the road to tyranny.
And yet voting violates my right to represent myself...a right which no politician is prepared to recognize because they fear the majority.
TG: The Liberal internet filter thing.... I am guessing that some of the more conservative members of the Libs were taking a look at the UK proposal that Cameron and his gang of inbred loons are proposing and forgot to take it out.
Malcolm Turnbull was genuinely surprised that it was there, the Libs went into massive damage control and did so many back-flips that they got offered jobs at Cirque du Soleil.
And yet voting violates my right to represent myself...a right which no politician is prepared to recognize because they fear the majority.All our (australias) politics has become is promises and backstabbing. I don't want to vote, but apparently it is a "right" that we are forced to to do.Yes its right that you vote - If you are disgusted with your choices then you can return an empty ballot or you can write all of these people are a@%$$%*s on the paper. Nobody can control what you put on that paper.
Voting is not a right it is a duty. It is your chance to actively participate in your democracy. Not voting is handing your rights to others to decide the future of our country and that way is the road to tyranny.
I fear your majority Ding. Anyway you are from the Northern Territory and you guys are too busy getting wasted and avoiding Crocs, Sharks, Stingers and Snakes to become a proper State.
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As sad as it is, that's the plan.The right to vote is mine, but no party, (or candidate) has earned the right to mine.Perfect then register your protest by either defacing your ballot paper or leaving it blank.
That's exactly what the big parties want. If they can stop enough indecisive people voting, then their fanatics will push them over the line so much easier. The last thing they want is to be forced to negotiate with a smaller party that got lots of protest votes.
Very interesting, Tinkergoth, thank you! And for your reply as well, 8th Dwarf!
No worries, glad you found it interesting.
In regards to the "sneaky" censorship of some games recently - I was actually unaware of the refusal of classification for State of Decay and Saints Row IV (I've been incredibly busy with work lately, and haven't kept up with gaming news as much as I normally do)
On doing some quick research, here's the reasons those games were refused classification (and in the case of Saints Row IV, was then allowed back in with a minor modification). As I mentioned before, there are some things that are still considered unallowable in games even at R18+ classification, resulting in a refused classification status. Pornographic games are on the list, as are games containing "interactive, visual depictions of implied sexual violence which are not justified by context" (that's a direct quote from the Saints Row IV decision). Also disallowed are scenarios that reward/incentivize the taking of illicit or proscribed drugs. So, now that we've got that out of the way, let's look at each of the games:
Saints Row IV: Got caught on both drugs and the implied sexual violence issues. The optional mission Girls Night Out involves a character taking alien drugs to gain superpowers temporarily. The sexual violence aspect comes into it with the weapon called the "Rectifier", which I can only assume does unpleasant things involving the victims bowels. Upon appeal, the complaint about the rectifier was dropped, but it was still refused classification based on the Girls Night Out mission. Result? A single side mission was removed, and the game was given an MA15+ rating (whether it should have got that or R18+, I can't say, I haven't played it).
State of Decay: It fell victim to the rewarding/incentivizing drug use pitfall, same as Saints Row IV. In this instance, it was because there is an option as you go through the game to self administer drugs in order to heal yourself and boost stamina. At a guess, given the setting of the game I would say that the problem here is that the drugs were given the names of real drugs (morphine etc.) This is the same thing that nearly got Fallout 3 banned, which is why Morphine was turned into MedX in that game, and cutscenes of the player injecting themselves were removed. Now the developers are looking at changes to make in order to resubmit it. Most likely it will again be something as simple as changing the name of the drugs, so it's not really an issue.
Now do I agree with these things being refused classification for these reasons? No, I don't. But what I do believe is that, given the classification board has clear guidelines that are made available to developers, and they can plainly see from the history of other games (again, Fallout 3 when it comes to drug references), that the devs should know going in that there is a high chance of something not getting classified. If they really want it to make it into Australia, then they know what changes they have to make. In the case of Saints Row IV, it was removing a single side mission. For Fallout 3, they just had to change some names. It's not "sneaky", our guidelines are written in black and white and made available to all. I don't like that it happened, but it's the way the system works, and it's still a hell of an improvement on what we had just a short while ago.
TG: The Liberal internet filter thing.... I am guessing that some of the more conservative members of the Libs were taking a look at the UK proposal that Cameron and his gang of inbred loons are proposing and forgot to take it out.
Malcolm Turnbull was genuinely surprised that it was there, the Libs went into massive damage control and did so many back-flips that they got offered jobs at Cirque du Soleil.
Fair enough, like I said, I missed the actual interview the mentioned it. My housemate was saying something about an announcement that the filter was still on the cards, but heavily watered down, but I haven't seen anything about that. If you've got any further info, feel free to lay it on me.
As for the actual discussion of the parties, for obvious reasons I'll bow out of this one. It's a situation where I'm better off keeping my mouth shut and holding my own counsel. Anyway, I've already cast my vote. I'll be spending tomorrow taking the bike out for it's first proper run since the weather started turning nice again. Might take it for a spin down to Cooma, have a late breakfast at The Lott (fantastic little café, if you're ever in the area I recommend it) and then head back home in time for my regular Saturday Pathfinder game.
As sad as it is, that's the plan.The right to vote is mine, but no party, (or candidate) has earned the right to mine.Perfect then register your protest by either defacing your ballot paper or leaving it blank.
That's exactly what the big parties want. If they can stop enough indecisive people voting, then their fanatics will push them over the line so much easier. The last thing they want is to be forced to negotiate with a smaller party that got lots of protest votes.
Another thing that's worth pointing out here. You should always check where your preferences are going if you intend on voting above the line for the senate. You might be surprised at which party your vote ends up supporting if your preferred party doesn't get enough support. Personally I prefer to take a bit of extra time and make sure that my voting preferences go exactly where I want them to. But if you do intend to vote above the line and let the party preference arrangements handle the rest, please make sure you're informed about where they're going.
TG some of my inlaws live in Canberra, before they started managing a motel in Canberra they managed a motel in Cooma.
TG some of my inlaws live in Canberra, before they started managing a motel in Canberra they managed a motel in Cooma.
Cooma's a nice area. Little too cold for my taste most of the time, but that's mainly because I'm on the bike, so I feel it worse than most. I pass through there fairly regularly on my way to visit my parental units, and the rest of the family who still live in the Bega Valley (they're spread between Bega, Tathra, Merimbula and a few of the smaller townships and localities in between those three towns). That's right, I was raised in Bega, let the cheese jokes commence...
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Here's the thing about Australian Democracy, not only does everyone get a vote everyone has to vote. They can vote for nobody, by messing up the ballot paper. They can vote for a minor party such as the Pirate Party or the Sex Party (two legitimate parties that exist by the way).
In Australia your vote is worth $2.48 to whoever you preference first. So voting "below the line" for a minor party so the politicians need to deal with the single issue focused minor parties AND get less revenue for television advertising in the next election sounds like a good choice to me.
Australian Labor Party
The Australian Labor Party (ALP) began as a political wing of the trade union movement. The ALP is a social democrat, social justice party.
Originally the party was focused on workers rights but it has moved to centre and embraced more market-based principles.
In 1970s, the ALP started to pull in the middle-class. The left leaning middle class favour the government implementing social justice and welfare alongside economic prosperity as well workers' rights, women's issues, environmentalism, and international affairs.
Here's the thing about Australian Democracy, not only does everyone get a vote everyone has to vote. They can vote for nobody, by messing up the ballot paper. They can vote for a minor party such as the Pirate Party or the Sex Party (two legitimate parties that exist by the way).
In Australia your vote is worth $2.48 to whoever you preference first. So voting "below the line" for a minor party so the politicians need to deal with the single issue focused minor parties AND get less revenue for television advertising in the next election sounds like a good choice to me.
An excellent point that I'd forgotten to mention. Yes, the more first preferences each party gets, the more funding they get from the Australian Electoral Commission when the next election rolls around. So even if you feel that supporting a third party is a wasted vote, there are two reasons to do so:
- The party you support will get more funding next time, and thus have a better chance of having an effect; AND
- Even if your first preference doesn't get in, your other preferences will still be counted.
Honestly, it's a no lose situation in that regard.
Cooma's a nice area. Little too cold for my taste most of the time, but that's mainly because I'm on the bike, so I feel it worse than most. I pass through there fairly regularly on my way to visit my parental units, and the rest of the family who still live in the Bega Valley (they're spread between Bega, Tathra, Merimbula and a few of the smaller townships and localities in between those three towns). That's right, I was raised in Bega, let the cheese jokes commence...TG some of my inlaws live in Canberra, before they started managing a motel in Canberra they managed a motel in Cooma.
I was born in the Gong but grew up on the Far North Coast in Ballina near Byron Bay...
So I get the hippy, stoned surfer jokes.. Really Ballina is gods waiting room its where old people go to die... Like Florida.
Cooma's a nice area. Little too cold for my taste most of the time, but that's mainly because I'm on the bike, so I feel it worse than most. I pass through there fairly regularly on my way to visit my parental units, and the rest of the family who still live in the Bega Valley (they're spread between Bega, Tathra, Merimbula and a few of the smaller townships and localities in between those three towns). That's right, I was raised in Bega, let the cheese jokes commence...I was born in the Gong but grew up on the Far North Coast in Ballina near Byron Bay...
So I get the hippy, stoned surfer jokes.. Really Ballina is gods waiting room its where old people go to die... Like Florida.
I hear it's a really nice area around there. I've never visited, but my brother's band played the Byron Bay Blues Festival while they were touring this year (well, they were involved in the busking competition, and that got them a spot on one of the smaller stages). At least I think it was this year, could have been last year's one. Jammy sod's been touring Australia for the last year and a bit.
Here's the thing about Australian Democracy, not only does everyone get a vote everyone has to vote. They can vote for nobody, by messing up the ballot paper. They can vote for a minor party such as the Pirate Party or the Sex Party (two legitimate parties that exist by the way).
In Australia your vote is worth $2.48 to whoever you preference first. So voting "below the line" for a minor party so the politicians need to deal with the single issue focused minor parties AND get less revenue for television advertising in the next election sounds like a good choice to me.
That is why the Greens, the Socialist alliance and then Labor will get my preferences... and One Nation, Conservative Christans, Shooters, and other a@+***@s will get my last preferences.. I wont be putting the Libs last because as much as I disagree with them they are a lot better than One Nation.
I hear it's a really nice area around there. I've never visited, but my brother's band played the Byron Bay Blues Festival while they were touring this year (well, they were involved in the busking competition, and that got them a spot on one of the smaller stages). At least I think it was this year, could have been last year's one. Jammy sod's been touring Australia for the last year and a bit.Cooma's a nice area. Little too cold for my taste most of the time, but that's mainly because I'm on the bike, so I feel it worse than most. I pass through there fairly regularly on my way to visit my parental units, and the rest of the family who still live in the Bega Valley (they're spread between Bega, Tathra, Merimbula and a few of the smaller townships and localities in between those three towns). That's right, I was raised in Bega, let the cheese jokes commence...I was born in the Gong but grew up on the Far North Coast in Ballina near Byron Bay...
So I get the hippy, stoned surfer jokes.. Really Ballina is gods waiting room its where old people go to die... Like Florida.
Its too hot in summer, Christmas its so humid you can drink the air.
My family moved to Brissy after living in Indo, KL, Singapore and Manila.. they can handle the heat.
Me I would be happy back up in Armidale where I went to UNI.
I hear it's a really nice area around there. I've never visited, but my brother's band played the Byron Bay Blues Festival while they were touring this year (well, they were involved in the busking competition, and that got them a spot on one of the smaller stages). At least I think it was this year, could have been last year's one. Jammy sod's been touring Australia for the last year and a bit.Cooma's a nice area. Little too cold for my taste most of the time, but that's mainly because I'm on the bike, so I feel it worse than most. I pass through there fairly regularly on my way to visit my parental units, and the rest of the family who still live in the Bega Valley (they're spread between Bega, Tathra, Merimbula and a few of the smaller townships and localities in between those three towns). That's right, I was raised in Bega, let the cheese jokes commence...I was born in the Gong but grew up on the Far North Coast in Ballina near Byron Bay...
So I get the hippy, stoned surfer jokes.. Really Ballina is gods waiting room its where old people go to die... Like Florida.
Its too hot in summer, Christmas its so humid you can drink the air.
My family moved to Brissy after living in Indo, KL, Singapore and Manila.. they can handle the heat.
Me I would be happy back up in Armidale where I went to UNI.
Oh man, don't even get me started on humidity. I was in China a few months back for work, and the combination of high heat, humidity, pollution and exposure to stuff my immune system wasn't used to ended up nearly killing me (literally, I got a severe respiratory tract infection and was laid up there for a week longer than expected before I could fly back to Australia. Even after I got back I was still sick, had secondary chest and respiratory tract infections, and am still coughing and regularly short of breath even this far along). I got off the plane in Guangzhou, temp was around 35 Celsius, humidity at 88%. That was 10:00 PM. During the day was even worse.
The Liberal Party (very different to the US idea of what a Liberal is).
The Liberal Party is generally in support of free market economic policies and advocates the liberalisation of finance and business. The Liberal Party since the 1980s they have been the party of economic rationalism.
In terms of social policy, the Liberal Party is a conservative party. The Social policy of the Liberal Party is most similar to the US Republicans or The British Tories.
The are/were some small l liberals in the Liberal party like Malcolm Turnbull and Dr John Hewson and Malcolm Fraser. But they are few and far between.
The National Party
Is a conservative political party. It used to be called the Country Party, It represents graziers, farmers and rural voters. It is in a coalition with the Liberal Party. When the Liberal-National coalition is in power, the leader of the National Party is given the position of Deputy Prime Minister.
The Australian Greens
Other than environmentalism the party cites four core values: ecological sustainability, social justice, grassroots democracy and peace and non-violence.
Major policy initiatives of recent years have also included taxation reform, review of the American alliance, and a relaxation of drug laws and implementation of harm minimisation in relation to drug use.
Just for the record, nowhere does it say we have to actually vote in an election here. The only thing the law says is that we have to either attend at a polling station on election day and be signed off, or submit a postal voting form prior to the election.
We don't actually have to vote, per se.
Reggie. (Being a little OCD)