"It was, however, an election in which citizens formed opinions about candidates and voted according to how they believed those candidates would behave."

I wonder if this is true. I seriously believe that a large proportion of the electorate are just uninformed judging by the "vox pop." carried out by the media in the streets of Australia.

It seems that many have no idea of their party's manifesto and vote purely on whether they like the personality of the candidate not their policies. Some didn't even know the name of their candidate and one I heard didn't know who John Howard was.

Yes, there was a protest vote and many voted for the Greens, but I am sure they had no idea what other policies they held and only saw them with conservation and "feel good" credentials.

I think it was George Bernard Shaw that once said that "Universal suffrage is government of the people by its children"

I used to think that compulsory preferential voting was a good idea. now I am not so sure.

There is something decided wonky about the need for the independents to support either major party for the purposes of forming a government.

While they will maintain their independence, the very act of aligning themselves with a party flies in the face of the concept of independence!

And….if they are going to remain independent, then isn’t this alignment a bit meaningless and false?

Wouldn’t it be much better for the independents to just give a guarantee that they will not block supply bills and leave it at that, without requiring their support for either the Libs or Labs?

This should apply to the Greens MP as well.

It would then a be simple matter of whichever party wins the most seats getting to form government, with there only being a problem if they are tied.

The independents will immediately peeve a considerable portion of their support base if they are required back one major party of the other. So surely it is in their best interests to just not do it, if they can possibly remain neutral without us having to go to another election.

I like your comment on the supposed equity of regional communications. During the time in the shift from analogue to digital mobile service,I lived in windsors electorate of new England in NSW. What a circus that event turned into. With the flick of a switch, off went huge chunks of vital country mobile service, sacrificed to the god of advanced technology.

“But there is more”! Also during my long and at times not so illustrious sojourn in the NE/NSW I vividly remember attending a union protest meeting on the street in front of windsors office. He refused to speak to our delegation on the subject of workers rights and made it clear of his support for Howards work choices. He is Abbott to the core, make no mistake. Further, he, as an ex-member of the hill-billy and red neck band of the National party, and will, I am sure, go to his grave with that particular “mark of the beast” indellably attached

Snake,
May be the electors are awake at last and don't like being taken for mugs. Nasty old red George, wasn't he the one that came up with the National Socialists race purification solution. In life I have found very few truly clueless people, just masks for self preservation.
Children know that their parents know nothing But by the time they reach 40 it is marvelous how much their oldies have learned. Older people must all go back to school because they know so much more now.
The school of Hard Knocks.

Oh and in the coming months after Labor has disintergrated I can see the campaign slogans in Lynne, and New England A vote for Windsor/Oakeshott is a vote for Labor debacles, Labor waste and Labor debt.
Katter wouldn't risk the slogan in Mount Isa ... a vote for Katter is a vote for the Mining Tax.

While these three are trying to portray themselves as the saviours of the Australian Political system, they are still politicians, and if you don't think re-election is uppermost in their minds you are a crank.

In 1933 Von Papen thought he could control Hitler who had 37% of the popular vote, if he let him form a government. Just a casual observation. Please hide the matches LOL.