General Chat

It is Federal Election Time in OZ :-(

Due to time differences, WA seems to not really be a national decider in the polls, particularly for the Senate.

There are 16 Senate seats in WA, the majority held by the Liberals.

Polling booths are still open in WA whilst the Eastern States have already closed and the votes counted with some early results already in.

I don't know why we bother, with the poor performance of all Pollies no matter which party, except that voting is compulsory :-|

At least I got some exercise from walking to the voting station, which also gave me the opportunity to visit our new Aldi store.

Both wasted journeys :-)

One of my rellies was an Australian MP for a long while. He played Oz politics the Oz way which makes Oz Rules Football look like a nursery game.

The new system with neither the LIberals (Country?) Party or Labour having a majority both beholden to "independents" suggest you will be making the trip often.

Tip: sell any shares you have in Oz coal mining companies.

good luck

https://mainlynorfolk.info/lloyd/songs/southaustralia.html
Some of Rollo's rellies singing SA closest I could find to Perth ;-)

Ruined ballot papers and donkey votes may be the order of the day, Allan. :-0

Always an issue when faced with compulsory voting and no one candidate stands out.

I remember vividly when Bill Hayden stepped down in favour of Bob Hawke because he could see that Labor would romp home with Hawke leading.

I can't recall any other person putting the good of the party before himself .... Don't hesitate to correct me though. :-D

well put JL

Why thank you, Rollo. I stand uncorrected ...... so far. :-D

The last I heard, several hours ago, was that the result was still too close to call

Is it still the same??



Allan ........

........ BC in Canada feels exactly the same as WA. Elections have almost always been decided by the time voting closes here.

The Federal election last October was the first time that BC was allowed to hear the results from back east before the polls closed here. Before that, we had to wait until our polls closed until we could know what had happened in Newfoundland and Labrador 4½ hours earlier

It was thought that our votes might be swayed :-P


Social media of course was largely responsible for the change ......

....... the powers-that-be discovered in the election in 2011 that social media could not be controlled the way traditional media was. There is no way they could take everyone who shared information via the "new media" to court and jail them :-D

Still the same , Sylvia.

Counting does not resume until Tuesday with several seats still too close to call.

There is the possibility of a hung Parliament with cross-benchers holding the power.

As for the Senate, Malcolm Turnbull called a double dissolution of both houses with changes to the way Senators are elected. He did this to rid the Upper House of all the minor parties.

Unfortunately, his plan has failed spectacularly because as there was a double dissolution the quota of votes needed to gain a seat was reduced. Comparison to a Psychiatric Establishment t would be appropriate

http://www.news.com.au/national/federal-election/senate-will-be-real-headache-for-whoever-forms-government/news-story/d5ee759ee4e3dad0c9d6a6870fd95887

what a mess!!

Canada's Senate is still an appointed one ........ despite our previous PM's stated intention to make it an elected one.

No-one could agree on how to elect Senators ............ all the provinces have to approve the changes, and they all had different ideas. Plus Ontario and Quebec didn't want to lose their traditional much larger number of seats in Senate to level the playing field for other provinces that now have far too few (such as BC).

We were living in Australia in 1975/76 when there was a Federal Election. We had a visa good for 10½ months and had to be out of Australia no later than that date.

I was out one day when OH had a major dispute with someone who came checking whether we were on the Electoral Roll and to sign us up. The guy just would not believe that we had no right to vote, and had no intention on voting.

The story I got was that he carried on for about 15 minutes, telling OH we HAD to vote, or we'd go to jail, etc etc.

He eventually stormed off, shouting loudly that "on your own heads be it. I've done my best. If you go to jail, it's your own fault" :-D :-D :-D

I heard that last bit from several others in the block who heard the shouting, and enjoyed it ........... being unruly students!

:-D :-D :-D

Sylvia, if you don't vote the Electoral Commission will issue you with a $20.00 Infringement Notice.

If you don't pay then you are hauled up before the Magistrates Court where you can be fined up to $180.00 plus costs

I believe that you can also be sent to prison, but I've never heard of anyone who has been. I'm sure that if that had happened it would have made headlines :-D

:-D :-D :-D :-D :-D


can't you just see the headline in the paper, there and here ..............

along the lines of .......

University professor and wife sentenced to jail in Australia for refusing to vote. Toddler handed over to Social Services.

:-D :-D :-D


it would cause great hilarity over here .................. we're lucky if we get 30% vote. Although something along the lines of Australia's compulsory voting is often mooted.

And at the end of your jail time you would have been deported:-D :-D :-D

It remains to be seen what the percentage of spoilt votes there are.

Both Federal and State elections have compulsory voting but Local Government, at least in WA, is not. WA did try a few years ago to have compulsory voting for Local Government but soon changed back.

Due to low number turnouts a number of Councils now have postal voting so that there is no longer a need to visit a polling station.

The other thing about LG elections are that it is 'first past the post, for candidates. Even with postal votes a turnout of about 15% in local elections is considered reasonable :-S :-S

sounds about the same as here :-D


I maintain, if you don't vote you have no right to complain

we raised our daughter in that belief .............. her husband was 27 when they married, and had never voted before that. She dragged him to the next election in the town where they were living ..... at least, that is what he claims!

both of them now vote in every election :-D :-D

:-D :-D :-D

I have no idea how things have gone in Oz but I do think compulsory voting is a waste of people's time.

Why bother counting ruined ballot papers and why muddy the waters with donkey votes?

I love the piece about your OH, Sylvia.

One of my colleagues in Oz had jumped ship and declared himself when an amnesty was in effect. Surprisingly, before and after his declaration, he was working in enforcement and was a union rep, into the bargain. He was allowed to stay, of course, but I believe he voted before we all knew about him.

By and large countries have political systems which suit the nature of the country whether it be Australia, NZ, Russia or the UK. The only important exception I can think of is North Korea - the South has taken to democracy like a duck to water.

Australia is, to say the least, a country riven by disagreement and so for a long time now real power has been a very transient phenomenon. That whoever grabs it have as their first instinct to put the boot in on the other lot ( though only after doing a Gove on their mates ) and advance their pet causes and sycophants hardly helps.

So get used to it ... yet another Australian election stand off.
(yawns)

Meanwhile, the UK has.....?

By and large the Aussie system at least works.

And the Aussie Public, as with all other countries, just ignore it and continue with their everyday lives as best they can

did I say anything at all defending the UK make do and muddle system?
Just stuck to the subject, Oz.
It doesn't work by the way.

The Australian system does work ............ and I'm afraid much better than the UK system does.

And ours also works, despite the usual low voter turnout.

Bu then both Australia and Canada are Federations where the state or province has an incredible amount of power over many of their own laws. I'm sure that makes a difference.

In what way is the Oz electoral system successful?
Why in a democracy is it necessary to take the unusual step of forcing people to vote?

The fabulous quality of the Oz members of parliament and especially the PMs?
The enmity not far off hatred between some states and others?
The appalling state of the environment the greed and grab system has produced?
An economic system entirely dependent on the export of coal and minerals mainly to Chjina while domestic production eg cars has disappeared.
Most affordable housing in Sydney is so far out from the coast that a visit to Bondi beach involves and overnight stay.

An economy almost totally dependent on the the Chinese market and the USA to defend it from its main market might just be up the billabong without a paddle.

Maybe it is because many Ozzies have a dismal opinion of the politicians that they have to be forced to vote otherwise the v low turnout would show up the squalid mess for what it is.

"Up rode the squatter, mounted on his thoroughbred
Down came the troopers, one, two, three
Whose is that jumbuck you've got in your tucker bag?
You'll come a-waltzing, Matilda, with me.
Waltzing Matilda, Waltzing Matilda
Who'll come a-waltzing, Matilda, with me
And he sang as he watched and waited 'til his billy boiled
Who'll come a-waltzing, Matilda, with me?

Up jumped the swagman, leapt into the billabong,
You'll never catch me alive, said he
And his ghost may be heard as you pass by the billabong
Who'll come a-waltzing, Matilda, with me.
Waltzing Matilda, Waltzing Matilda
Who'll come a-waltzing, Matilda, with me
And he sang as he watched and waited 'til his billy boiled
Who'll come a-waltzing, Matilda, with me?"