Yeah that's all a fair point.No, I agree more minor parties the better. I wouldn't want a coalition senate majority, but come on how is somebody getting elected with such a small vote a good thing?
The current system does not ensure the will of the people is reflected. Those elected are determined by back room preference deals and minor parties gaming the system.
The only way a voter can control their preferences is to number 110 boxes which is frankly ridiculous. The system does need reforming to make it easier for voters to allocate their own preferences and I think the NSW LC system is a pretty good model to do this.
see Rupert Murdoch still wont let off and make his reporters just shut the fuck up... I can name a list of LNP senators and MP's that are just as stupid...http://media.smh.com.au/news/national-times/poo-thrower-a-senate-chance-4732754.html
Yes, we the Australian people are excellent at choosing suitable senators...
errr, what? the LDP are liberal stooges and will go along with any and all of the LNP's economic reforms (workplace relations, spending cuts, privatisation, foreign aid cuts, repealing the carbon and mining tax) and will have no opportunity to pursue their decentralisation and civil libertarian agenda (maybe in regards to same-sex marriage but the senate isn't the roadblock to that).Man, its going to be interesting seeing the LDP vs LNP... and DLP vs LDP... probably more the latter... I reckon its going to end in a fist fight
The point being is that the LDP will be a party to most of the LNP's bills on the economy, they probably won't need all that much convincing (unless Leyonhjelm plays his politics well) and therefore won't really be able to address any civil liberties issues. With the situations you've highlighted, the LDP will just vote 'no' but the LNP can just as easily go to other minor parties, who are much less principled, and sell the idea very cheaply. The LDP will probably have very little to no effect from July next year, as unfortunate as that is.LNP v LDP; LNP have a more authoritarian perspective, eg: Tough on crime, enforcing rules banning same-sex marriage, creating harsh anti-terror laws, gun control, pro life, censorship of information relating to assisted suicide, prohibition of assisted suicide, disapproval of illicit drug decriminalisation, etc... LDP are polar opposites...
DLP v LDP; DLP are distributionalists (Pussy capitalists), they believe in a neo-liberal agenda, however, they have more of a Keynesian theory on economics and business, eg: subsidies for struggling businesses (such as the manufacturing and automotive sector), fair trade not free trade, and spending in general... LDP wont have a bar of that and would take an a more Milton Friedman approach to those situations...
far out, do people even know who they are voting for!
But yes, I do see the greens also being cained in the senate by almost everyone there... but they're the type that would just sit there and take it...
WhyI joined the ALP today
Why not? It was $15, and I may get the chance to elect the opposition leader
My understanding is that it would be a rank and file vote.How does that work?
I am also a member although I thought the voting thing wasn't for everyone, only for a few higher ranked people?
Who would you vote for?