Old Koreelah Posted May 2, 2018 Posted May 2, 2018 Just watched this new series on ABC TV, (about 2130 Wed). This young bloke gives a refreshing and positive analysis of the state of politics, and compares our crappy system with Switzerland, where people have a high opinion of their government- because they have a direct influence on their politicians.
facthunter Posted May 2, 2018 Posted May 2, 2018 Would you want to live in Switzerland? It might be clean and look pretty but I wouldn't want to live there. Nev
Old Koreelah Posted May 3, 2018 Author Posted May 3, 2018 Who's said anything about living there? The topic was how much influence people have over the direction of government in their country. Australians: bugger all. Swiss: lots.
facthunter Posted May 3, 2018 Posted May 3, 2018 Yes, they have a referendum every year or so if you think that's an index of efficiency. Do you own a Dog to bark your self? Australians don't take enough interest in Politics for that to work, and you would need Newspapers that actually INFORM you to get a good outcome.. You would also need to know that the government will act on what the people want. I good government would take the people with them. not just respond to a survey that is called for. Bad ones get in and use their power for themselves, and their financial backers. NOT the PEOPLE.. The real problem seems to be the way the Parties preselect their candidates. That's the point at where talent could be brought to the fore, bit so often isn't .Nev
Old Koreelah Posted May 4, 2018 Author Posted May 4, 2018 ...Bad ones get in and use their power for themselves, and their financial backers. NOT the PEOPLE.. The real problem seems to be the way the Parties preselect their candidates. That's the point at where talent could be brought to the fore, bit so often isn't .Nev So true, Nev. A classic example near me was Tony Windsor being overwhelmingly endorsed by local National Party members, only to have another candidate parachuted in by the state HQ. We may never know what agenda was behind that, but the locals rose up against the machine and convinced Tony to stand as an independent. The rest is history.
facthunter Posted May 4, 2018 Posted May 4, 2018 And don't the Nationals treat anyone who goes Independent terribly? That's the Cardinal SIN. The PARTY is boss. Tony was well respected in that area of the world. nev
Old Koreelah Posted May 4, 2018 Author Posted May 4, 2018 Some despicable treatment gets handed out to anyone who beats the establishment. Cuba was a pariah state for half a century, yet better governed than many American allies.
facthunter Posted May 5, 2018 Posted May 5, 2018 Crime was low,. people had food and shelter and education and the arts were going strong.. Melbourne probably has more BEGGARS in the street..Nev
Yenn Posted May 12, 2018 Posted May 12, 2018 The problem with our government is that their aim is to be re elected. they openly state that, whereas they should be doing what is best for our country.. That of course is compounded by the compulsory voting. I saw only yesterday that someone was proposing an end to compulsory voting, because we have to vote, even if the candidates are no good. What that person failed to realise is that we don't have to vote, we only have to turn up, get our names crossed off and put the voting paper in the ballot box. We are not forced to mark the paper.
spacesailor Posted May 12, 2018 Posted May 12, 2018 " compulsory voting." Is in name only !. Go in, have your name ticked off, & throw your vote paper's into the garbage bin. That must equal a NO VOTE. Or write "crap" across them, The vote seems pointless if your "elected" member is tossed aside by "party room" politics. Count the number of NONE elected members in the last ten years. OR how many WERE elected. spacesailor
Marty_d Posted May 12, 2018 Posted May 12, 2018 Donkey votes are for donkeys. You only get one chance every 3 years to exercise your democratic power. If you don't like anyone on the ballot, start with the ones you really despise and rate them last. Work your way backwards and before you know it, you'll be marking "1" next to the least offensive option. Your only other alternative is to either join one of these dodgy parties then abandon ship once elected and stand as an independent (think Jacquie Lambie or that bloke from One Nation - I was going to say "that idiot" from One Nation, but realised they all fall under that title). Otherwise, become obscenely rich and you will be able to buy as much influence as you like.
spacesailor Posted May 13, 2018 Posted May 13, 2018 "you'll be marking "1" next to the least offensive option." Pointless, marking anyone, that we all know will be dumped by their Party when convenient to THEIR needs at a later date. And funny how those same pollies get all upset when you tell them this. spacesailor
facthunter Posted May 13, 2018 Posted May 13, 2018 IF you don't bother to even vote, don't whinge later. If you never do anything for your organisation you are relying on others always. Everyone ideally should contribute or be prepared to in some way.. Again if you leave it entirely to others, you take what comes.. Nev
spacesailor Posted May 14, 2018 Posted May 14, 2018 WE have to take it no-mater what. How many VOTES did M Turnbull get to be ELECTED. spacesailor
willedoo Posted May 14, 2018 Posted May 14, 2018 WE have to take it no-mater what.How many VOTES did M Turnbull get to be ELECTED. spacesailor 52,353 out of a total of 88,641 votes cast. 62% of the vote.
spacesailor Posted May 14, 2018 Posted May 14, 2018 "T Abbott went on to lead the Coalition to victory in the 2013 election and was sworn in as the 28th Prime Minister of Australia on 18 September 2013. On 14 September 2015, Abbott was defeated in a vote for the liberals leadership (54 votes to 44) by Malcolm Turnbull, who replaced Abbott as Prime Minister the following day" Is my history wrong.? spacesailor
willedoo Posted May 14, 2018 Posted May 14, 2018 Ok, spacesailor, I see what you are on about now; by how many votes did he win the party room ballot for the position as the Liberal party's parliamentary leader. I thought you were referencing his being elected to parliament.
willedoo Posted May 14, 2018 Posted May 14, 2018 "you'll be marking "1" next to the least offensive option."Pointless, marking anyone, that we all know will be dumped by their Party when convenient to THEIR needs at a later date. And funny how those same pollies get all upset when you tell them this. spacesailor It's not entirely pointless. If you vote in your local member and later on their party dumps them, he or she is still your local representative. They still represent your electorate in parliament.
Old Koreelah Posted May 14, 2018 Author Posted May 14, 2018 It's not entirely pointless. If you vote in your local member and later on their party dumps them, he or she is still your local representative. They still represent your electorate in parliament. This is not America. We don't elect our leaders. Australia's Constitution doesn't mention political parties or Prime Ministers.
willedoo Posted May 14, 2018 Posted May 14, 2018 This is not America. We don't elect our leaders. Australia's Constitution doesn't mention political parties or Prime Ministers. Thanks, O.K., exactly the point I was trying to make. It never ceases to amaze me how many people think the Queen's ministers are elected by the public.
Marty_d Posted May 14, 2018 Posted May 14, 2018 "T Abbott went on to lead the Coalition to victory in the 2013 election and was sworn in as the 28th Prime Minister of Australia on 18 September 2013. On 14 September 2015, Abbott was defeated in a vote for the liberals leadership (54 votes to 44) by Malcolm Turnbull, who replaced Abbott as Prime Minister the following day"Is my history wrong.? spacesailor May as well ask how any leader gets to be leader. You're voting for the party, not the leader. Obviously we have the cult of personality so you have your unpopular despots, like the aforementioned Abbott, or your popular but ineffectual wet blankets, like Turnbull. But as Turnbull proved when he suddenly lost any personal principles he may have held, it's the party that drives policy, not the leader.
willedoo Posted May 14, 2018 Posted May 14, 2018 More correctly Marty, you're voting for an individual to become your local representative. If that candidate belongs to, and runs under the banner of a party, then by default you are voting for that party. If you vote for an independent you are not casting a defacto vote for a party. The original intent of our system might have been good, but the constitution is thin on detail and a lot of our politics operate on convention. Unfortunately, the convention now is that party politics have hi-jacked the original show. Democracy as we know it, is failing us. That shows up in opinion polls of the younger generations who don't rate democracy as high as my generation does. Every three years, us plebs get to vote for hopefully the best of a bad bunch of local candidates. And then that's it for another three years. During that three years, a bunch of overpaid dead heads run amok with our country, and at the end of it we get to vote in another bunch of inept clowns. It's pathetic really. If that's democracy, it could sure do with a bit of tweaking.
coljones Posted May 15, 2018 Posted May 15, 2018 More correctly Marty, you're voting for an individual to become your local representative. If that candidate belongs to, and runs under the banner of a party, then by default you are voting for that party. If you vote for an independent you are not casting a defacto vote for a party. The original intent of our system might have been good, but the constitution is thin on detail and a lot of our politics operate on convention. Unfortunately, the convention now is that party politics have hi-jacked the original show. Democracy as we know it, is failing us. That shows up in opinion polls of the younger generations who don't rate democracy as high as my generation does. Every three years, us plebs get to vote for hopefully the best of a bad bunch of local candidates. And then that's it for another three years. During that three years, a bunch of overpaid dead heads run amok with our country, and at the end of it we get to vote in another bunch of inept clowns. It's pathetic really. If that's democracy, it could sure do with a bit of tweaking. We originally had the "Protectionists" vs "The Free Traders". Politics is a fair representation of our population - full of well meaning idiots, fair minded people, scum, scoundrels, self serving demigods and absolute turds. And they come on all shapes and sizes, all political hues and all sexes. WA Liberals seem to have covered all bases despite their size.
Yenn Posted May 15, 2018 Posted May 15, 2018 If you don't vote because there are no candidates that you consider worth voting for, maybe it is time you stood for election.
Marty_d Posted May 15, 2018 Posted May 15, 2018 ...self serving demigods... I hope you meant "demagogues"... I can't think of anyone in parliament who deserves demigod status.
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