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)
Tim Evans, a Director of Elections Systems and Policy of the AEC, wrote in 2006 that "It is not the case, as some people have claimed, that it is only compulsory to attend the polling place and have your name marked off and this has been upheld by a number of legal decisions."
The opinion of Chief Justice Sir Garfield Barwick, who wrote that voters must actually mark the ballot paper and deposit that ballot into a ballot box.
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Australian Democrats (Centre small l liberals)
Formed in 1977 by a disaffected Liberal, Don Chipp, the Australian Democrats was once the most successful minor political party in Australian history. Whilst it never won a House of Representatives seat, since 1981 it held or shared the balance of power in the Senate for around twenty years. It is the only party to have elected not one, but five different women as leader. More recently, the party suffered a debilitating internal split, leadership instability and plummeting opinion poll ratings. Following the 2007 election, it lost all its representation in the Senate.
One Nation (racists, homophobes and d$+%*ead party)
Formed by a disendorsed Liberal Party candidate, Pauline Hanson, in 1996, One Nation rose to prominence in Queensland in the 1998 state election when it won 11 seats in parliament. It followed this by winning a Queensland Senate seat in 1998 and polling 8.43% of the primary vote in the House of Representatives, making it the third largest party in terms of voter support at that time. The party quickly went into decline amid internal bickering, lost its parliamentary representation in Queensland, and faced ongoing court battles over electoral funding. The party was routed in 2001, polling 4.35% of the primary vote, many of its supporters returning to the coalition parties.
From the BBC
There are a number of fringe parties, but a handful stand out because of their unusual names or policies.
Bullet Train for Australia Party is a one-policy party. It wants a high-speed train network and promises to be the least annoying party
WikiLeaks Party - formed to support the bid of Julian Assange for a Senate seat in Victoria state. He recorded this campaign video at his bolthole in the Ecuadorean Embassy in London
Pirate Party Australia has nothing to do with swashbuckling and the high seas, but intellectual property
Australian Sex Party - the Australian Electoral Commission actually had to decide whether its name was obscene. The civil libertarian party's risque campaign ad went viral
Also the BBC
Millions of people will cast their ballots across Australia on Saturday - a logistical nightmare in a continent-sized country.
The biggest parliamentary constituency is the Western Australian district of Durack, which is roughly three times the size of France. It covers 1.5 million square kilometres (580,000 sq miles).
By contrast, Wentworth in Sydney's eastern suburbs is the country's smallest and most densely populated electorate, covering just 30 sq km.
Australian Democrats (Centre small l liberals)
Also famous for having one of the better slogans Let's keep the bastards honest. At least until it was gutted by Kernot's defection and waned under Stott-Despoja.
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)
Tim Evans, a Director of Elections Systems and Policy of the AEC, wrote in 2006 that "It is not the case, as some people have claimed, that it is only compulsory to attend the polling place and have your name marked off and this has been upheld by a number of legal decisions."
The opinion of Chief Justice Sir Garfield Barwick, who wrote that voters must actually mark the ballot paper and deposit that ballot into a ballot box.
You don't have to make a formal vote though. You can just write "All Bastards" across the ballot and go home.
I think that was the point.
Australian Democrats (Centre small l liberals)Also famous for having one of the better slogans Let's keep the bastards honest. At least until it was gutted by Kernot's defection and waned under Stott-Despoja.
I was an Australian Democrats voter and I almost considered joining the party... Massive crush on Natasha Stott-Despoja, Intelligent powerful articulate women do it for me all the time.
It waned after Natasha - Natasha got knifed by some of the older Dems Senators who were jealous of her rise to power.
She resigned leadership then got very ill and retired.. The members of the Dems having been betrayed by the old school senators left the party for the Greens and Labor.
I do wish she would come back.
Well, I'm off to bed so I can get a nice early start on my ride tomorrow. I guess we'll see what the election has in store for us soon enough.
8th, it's been a pleasure to have a chance to have a ramble on about this whole thing with you. If you're ever in Canberra, feel free to send me a PM, first round at the Wig & Pen is on me.
Sounds good... I think the next trip down is Christmas.
Work (Evil Financial Institution) will keep me tied to the desk for a while.
Hmmm. Depending on when around Christmas it is, I may be in Bega. I usually leave town on Christmas morning, and come back sometime between then and New Years.
Still, let me know.
For old time's sake:
Voting is for ninnies!
For what it's worth, I hope your elections go well.
Election time is fun - Sausage sizzles, cake stalls, good coffee....
When the counting starts its drinking games....
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I think there's one more Senate party worth mentioning. The Senator Online Party.
They want to crowd source their vote for each issue that comes through the Senate.
Just finished voting... Helped set up the cake stand for my daughters school, and then got shake hands and have my picture taken with my local member of Parliament Anthony "Albo" Albenese.
I love democracy.
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)
Tim Evans, a Director of Elections Systems and Policy of the AEC, wrote in 2006 that "It is not the case, as some people have claimed, that it is only compulsory to attend the polling place and have your name marked off and this has been upheld by a number of legal decisions."
The opinion of Chief Justice Sir Garfield Barwick, who wrote that voters must actually mark the ballot paper and deposit that ballot into a ballot box.
I sit corrected - and bow to your clarification.
I should have included that you do actually have to place a piece of paper in the box - what you put on it (however) is entirely up to you. A good joke would probably go down well with the scrutineers...
Reggie
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)
Tim Evans, a Director of Elections Systems and Policy of the AEC, wrote in 2006 that "It is not the case, as some people have claimed, that it is only compulsory to attend the polling place and have your name marked off and this has been upheld by a number of legal decisions."
The opinion of Chief Justice Sir Garfield Barwick, who wrote that voters must actually mark the ballot paper and deposit that ballot into a ballot box.
You don't have to make a formal vote though. You can just write "All Bastards" across the ballot and go home.
I think that was the point.
Yup - I had aimed for that, but was terribly unclear. Too late at night!
Reggie.
Just finished voting... Helped set up the cake stand for my daughters school, and then got shake hands and have my picture taken with my local member of Parliament Anthony "Albo" Albenese.
I love democracy.
Snap - just spent from 8 - 10 doing the barbie at my daughter's school. No parliamentarians present, though.
Reggie.
Just finished voting... Helped set up the cake stand for my daughters school, and then got shake hands and have my picture taken with my local member of Parliament Anthony "Albo" Albenese.
I love democracy.
Snap - just spent from 8 - 10 doing the barbie at my daughter's school. No parliamentarians present, though.
Reggie.
I don't know why but I have a good time at Federal election time.. State elections on the otherhand are boring.
I don't know why but I have a good time at Federal election time.. State elections on the otherhand are boring.Just finished voting... Helped set up the cake stand for my daughters school, and then got shake hands and have my picture taken with my local member of Parliament Anthony "Albo" Albenese.
I love democracy.
Snap - just spent from 8 - 10 doing the barbie at my daughter's school. No parliamentarians present, though.
Reggie.
State elections only annoy a small part of the population.
Federal elections let us all share the pain!
Reggie.
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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.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@%$$%*s on the paper. Nobody can control what you put on that paper.
Voting is not a right it is a duty. It is your chance to actively participate in your democracy. Not voting is handing your rights to others to decide the future of our country and that way is the road to tyranny.
Traitors always fear any power larger than a minority. Fortunately for me I believe in Consensus - not Democracy. I Simply tell them I vote no to any State other than Australia. Division into smaller and smaller states is a threat to my (and everyone else's) interests. We saw what statehood got the rest- dispossession and solidification of tyranny.
Traitors always fear any power larger than a minority. Fortunately for me I believe in Consensus - not Democracy. I Simply tell them I vote no to any State other than Australia. Division into smaller and smaller states is a threat to my (and everyone else's) interests. We saw what statehood got the rest- dispossession and solidification of tyranny.I fear your majority Ding. Anyway you are from the Northern Territory and you guys are too busy getting wasted and avoiding Crocs, Sharks, Stingers and Snakes to become a proper State.And yet voting violates my right to represent myself...a right which no politician is prepared to recognize because they fear the majority.All our (australias) politics has become is promises and backstabbing. I don't want to vote, but apparently it is a "right" that we are forced to to do.Yes its right that you vote - If you are disgusted with your choices then you can return an empty ballot or you can write all of these people are a@%$$%*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.
Plus someone to play State of Origin against.
Reggie.
Well that went as badly as I expected.... Right wing, climate change denying, conservative Christian, who owes Rupert Murdoch is now running the country...
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I am amused.
And saddened.
2) I didn't find the Wig and Pen until a few weeks before I left Canberra.
1) that the new PM-elect has his (his? Oh yeah, they have a male leader) work cut out for him negotiating with an amusing number of minor parties in the senate, including the sporting party and what can best be described as the Revheads party (motoring enthusiasts).
I do not think there will be a rubber stamp from next July, if we make it that far without a double dissolution, as threatened by the new PM-elect.
Currently the senate is full of senators who are not in league with the party that just won. The new senators (a whacky bunch of misfits, it seems, including a party formed by a billionaire of curious character, who is building Titanic II and owns an ex Australian Open hosting golf course that no longer hosts that event after the billionaire filled the course with life size animatronic dinosaurs...) don't start their jobs until July 2014.
It's going to be quite interesting for the next few months and years.
Some states actually moved against both the incumbent parties and the eventual winner, voting en masse for the minor parties, hence we have some senators getting a seat with a tiny fraction of the 1st preferences.
Fun fun fun...
Well that went as badly as I expected.... Right wing, climate change denying, conservative Christian, who owes Rupert Murdoch is now running the country...
Ayup... At least the senate might block the carbon tax repeal for a little while.
Ugh novelty parties.... I understand being pissed off with the big two and voting for the minors.... Heck I Put the sex party before the liberals, one nation and the christian democrats, but I didn't put them high enough to get a seat.....
Now we will have to deal with a bunch of clowns.
As opposed to earlier, where only the big, corrupt parties needed to be dealt with? If they had done better, perhaps there wouldn't be clowns there now? For every action, and all that.
As opposed to earlier, where only the big, corrupt parties needed to be dealt with? If they had done better, perhaps there wouldn't be clowns there now? For every action, and all that.
There are other options other than parties owned by crazy millionaires, the motor enthusiasts, sports party and blokes in cowboy hats....
Like the Greens, the Australian Democrats and responsible independents like Nick Xenophon.
I am amused.
And saddened.
2) I didn't find the Wig and Pen until a few weeks before I left Canberra.
Just ducking in to see what the buzz is. Pleased to see that there's something I can actually comment on though :) It took me ages to find the Wig & Pen as well. Sadly I don't get out there as often as I used to, I don't drink very much these days. Still, when I want to go out for a pint or two, it's one of the top choices for me.
Dear Comrade Dwarf,
No worries about the Facebook thing. You may spam my account as much as you like as long as I can post commie propaganda on the Australian election here.
Massive crush on Natasha Stott-Despoja, Intelligent powerful articulate women do it for me all the time.
You too huh?
She certainly holds my attention, then again, so does Plibersek.
No need to worry about having a crush on any Liberal front-benchers...
Dear Comrade Dwarf,
No worries about the Facebook thing. You may spam my account as much as you like as long as I can post commie propaganda on the Australian election here.
Np problem... Waiting for our government to start refugee ping pong with Indonesia.