Will the lessons of the 2024 US elections be applied to our 2025 elections?

[onetrack]

A huge factor in the coming Federal election will be a bunch of angry pensioners, pissed off at the miserable bi-annual increases in the pension.

 

The site below has calculated the coming March 20 pension increase, is estimated to be $3.41 for each pensioner. The comments reflect a lot of anti-Govt anger.

 

https://retirementessentials.com.au/news/centrelink-age-pension/age-pension-increases-on-20-march-2025/

[onetrack]

Labor has comfortably won the 2025 State Election in W.A., despite a swing to the Liberals of about 8-10%.

 

Of the 59 seats in the W.A. Parliament, Labor won 41 seats in their 2017 landslide victory, and then increased that to 53 seats in the 2021 State election, where the Liberals as a political force, were almost totally decimated.

 

It appears this time around, Labor has lost several seats, still ensuring a very comfortable majority for them, possibly in the high 30's for their seat numbers. The Liberals, either State or Federal, can take no comfort from this election outcome.

[onetrack]

W.A. Election update: With only 35% of the votes counted, Labor has already won 42 seats, more than at the last election in 2021. Premier Roger Cook has claimed election victory, and the Conservative parties have agreed there's little chance of them forming any kind of Govt.

 

The huge predicted swing towards the State Liberal Party did not occur, and only a handful of seats are now in doubt. This is a disastrous outcome for the Liberals in particular, and State Labor has now been given Govt for another 4 years, marking a historic 3rd term of continuous Govt.

 

Edited Saturday at 01:41 PM by onetrack

[Grumpy Old Nasho]

"Electors who fail to vote at a State election, and do not provide a valid and sufficient reason for such failure, will be fined.

The penalty for first time offenders is $50, and this increases to $75 if you have previously paid a penalty or been convicted of this offence. If you do not have a valid and sufficient reason for not voting, you can pay the penalty and that will end the matter.

Electors who do not respond to notices or do not pay the prescribed penalty may have the matter referred to the Fines Enforcement Registry and could have their driver's licence suspended."

https://www.elections.wa.gov.au/vote/failure-vote

Nice!

 

[onetrack]

Compulsory voting is the law in Australia, and it's been that way since 1915 in Qld, and from 1924 for all of the other states. The fines vary a little from State to State, but the law and the penalty apply all over Australia, there's no hiding from it. Would you prefer a country where voting is violently suppressed, to enable dictators to rule?

 

https://www.andrewbyrneslawgroup.com.au/can-you-go-to-jail-for-not-voting-in-australia

[Jerry_Atrick]

I normally follow federal and state elections, but this one for some reason went to the keeper. I didn't even see it on teh ABC News website.. so maybe it does need to rethink its revamp.

 

That is quite a rejection for the LNP. At time of writing, Labour have 42 seats, with 55.5% of the votes counted. Libs 5 and NP, 4. No others: https://www.abc.net.au/news/elections/wa/2025/results?filter=all&sort=all&party=all

 

The vote count will change obviously.

 

Very different to the QLD election, that was a convincing win to the LNP, but still Labor had a good look in.

 

I wonder if Chump had an bearing on the election. With the climate crap hitting Australia, and the abeyance of good government that comes with Chumopism, and further right parties these days, maybe it is sending a clear signal to the Libs and Nats - bit more towards the centre please, and policies for the good of all Aussies, not a select group?

 

[old man emu]

Politics in Australia has generally been a two-horse race, Conservatives -v- Labor. The minor parties are subsets of either one. So we expect the overall vote to be close to 50-50. When one of the horses in the race gets beaten by a furlong, you've got to wonder why. 

 

I would expect the Nationals to win seats in agricultural areas. The Libs have to battle it out with Labor in urban electorates. On that basis I suggest that the loss was the fault of the Libs. What have they done to make the electorate think they stink? Could Gina be a factor? From some of Onetrack's posts, I get the opinion that Labor has made an effort to return the wealth of the State to the people in ways that don't seem to be 'bread and circuses'.

[facthunter]

WA's economic circumstances are better than other states because of the mining aspect and they literally closed the Border during Covid..  Nev

[onetrack]

It simply comes back to the fact that Labor in W.A. are generally doing the right thing, helping with the cost of living by offering subsidies for power and water, concentrating on renewable energy projects and reducing our reliance on gas and coal, building and upgrading infrastructure such as railways and roads, and generally being a coherent and organised force with stated aims.

 

Meantime, the Liberal party slumped to a record low of just 2 seats in their 2021 election disaster, they have no coherent policies, they always produce candidates that are nearly always suss and substandard, and they suffer from infighting, and what is effectively, inbreeding in their ranks. They need a total root-and-branch pruning, and perhaps some policies that are sound, and not supportive of business mates and global corporations.

 

The voting swing that was supposed to be massive, and in favour of the Liberals, did not eventuate, and any swing went more to the Greens and the rural-orientated Nationals.

[facthunter]

The Live Sheep thing didn't amount to much in the end. That's what was the NP's main thrust.  Nev

[Grumpy Old Nasho]

On 09/03/2025 at 2:19 AM, onetrack said:

Would you prefer a country where voting is violently suppressed, to enable dictators to rule?

Compulsory voting is dictatorship, is it not?

[facthunter]

BS . Mate Do you know why it was INTRODUCED.? To prevent the bosses rostering workers so they couldn't get to vote.  Most People think it works well. Gets people of their @R$es  to do something which is critically Important to a functioning democracy. Would you prefer to be in the USA now?  Near Total Chaos with the ordinary JOE having no say at ALL.

Nothing anyone says is going to alter your attitude ONE Iota, so what's the Point?   Nev

[old man emu]

1 hour ago, Grumpy Old Nasho said:

Compulsory voting is dictatorship, is it not?

When will you get it through your bloody thick skull that the Law does not make it compulsory for a person to vote? It only compels a person to be enrolled for the electorate in which they live AND thereafter, it only compels a person to attend a polling booth on polling day and have their name marked off the roll; accept the ballot papers and return those ballot papers to the ballot box. 

 

NO PERSON IS COMPELLED BY THE LAW TO MARK ANY BALLOT PAPER  WHICH HAS BEEN ISSUED TO THEM. 

 

A person has freedom of choice whether to create a valid vote by marking the ballot paper in the way indicated for making a valid vote, or to return the ballot paper unmarked, ie to not vote.

[Grumpy Old Nasho]

So you're saying that compulsorily getting your name crossed of the roll, is not dictatorship?

[octave]

1 minute ago, Grumpy Old Nasho said:

So you're saying that compulsorily getting your name crossed of the roll, is not dictatorship?

Is being forced to drive on the left a dictatorship?   I really think you don't understand the definition of a dictatorship.  Here let me help you.

What is a dictatorship in simple terms?

 

 

A dictatorship is a government or a social situation where one person makes all the rules and decisions without input from anyone else. Dictatorship implies absolute power — one person who takes control — of a political situation, a family, a classroom or even a camping expedition.

[Grumpy Old Nasho]

Makes no difference to me, if something is compulsory, particularly and especially a demand by government decree, then it's dictatorship

[octave]

Well, that is purely your incorrect interpretation of the word.  

 

 

[Marty_d]

2 hours ago, Grumpy Old Nasho said:

Makes no difference to me, if something is compulsory, particularly and especially a demand by government decree, then it's dictatorship

As Octave said, do you drive? If so, do you follow the road rules? Do you refrain from pissing in public streets or against shop windows? Do you pay your rates / land tax / rent? When you leave Colesworth with a trolley of groceries, do you pay first?

If you follow the rules in all those cases, why do you have a problem with one more?

 

[Grumpy Old Nasho]

Because "one more", compulsory voting, was brought in by the major parties, it's not a requirement of the Universe or the Crown, and it can be changed back to voluntary voting, so it's not a permanent fixture with all the BS myths associated with it. It's only the dictatorial major parties and their followers that want it, and they've decreed it a duty of citizens to comply. Who are they to tell to do anything? Before it became compulsory, it was voluntary, for what selfish reason did the major parties change it? Did they hold a referendum? And what about public funding? Where are they going with that? To continually stay in power and rule, that's where.

 

Besides, I'm not making a 74k round trip to the nearest polling booth, or PO mailing box, until I'm promised remuneration for fuel and wear and tear and lunch money.

[Marty_d]

Go to America. You can wear a silly red cap, kiss Trump's arse, be all "sovereign citizen" and not participate in democracy at all.

Sounds like it'd suit you down to the ground.

[old man emu]

9 hours ago, Grumpy Old Nasho said:

I'm not making a 74k round trip to the nearest polling booth, or PO mailing box, until I'm promised remuneration for fuel and wear and tear and lunch money.

So. Your vote can be bought.

[octave]

10 hours ago, Grumpy Old Nasho said:

Besides, I'm not making a 74k round trip to the nearest polling booth, or PO mailing box, until I'm promised remuneration for fuel and wear and tear and lunch money.

Why not vote by mail? I haven't voted in person for many years.

[facthunter]

He's already explained  that. Get a life Grumpy. You're not the ONLY one who's had $#!t HAPPEN. Nev

[old man emu]

GON objects to a 74 kilometre round trip to attend a polling booth. His grocery store must be next-door to his house. 

[facthunter]

You can't have the advantages of Isolation without the obvious access disadvantages.   Nev