The political class certainly don’t seem to think that they need policies to get elected these days. However, the belief that Australians are ‘hungry’ for debate has to be regarded with scepticism.

The lack of policy is probably a result of the apathy of Australian voters. The political class is so out of touch with the people and the realities of life that they have turned off the voters. Compulsory voting ensures that voting is a chore for the apathetic, who will vote only because the have to turn up at a polling booth to be on safe side – in case they really are fined.

Voting should be left to those who are interested, because they are the only people who can make a difference. Swapping one lot of no-hopers for another lot of no-hopers derives from forced, undemocratic compulsory voting.

If voting was voluntary, we would have politicians who did have policies, and who HAD to sell them to us.

The old saying that we get the governments we deserve has some truth to it. But, Australian need to ask themselves if we really deserve the self-serving characters Labor and the Coalition keep throwing up, or the extremism of the Greens, to whom democracy and the voice of the people means even less than it does to Liberal and Labor.

You simply cannot be disinterested in politics if you wish to retain democracy. Our current political class is finding it harder and harder to operate in a democracy.

What drugs are you taking "nevertrustyourself" are you saying noncompulsory voting in the US has fixed the problems you see in Australian compulsory voting?

"Australians hungry for detailed debate and policy"

Hahaha! Australian are only hungry for farmer wants a wife or dancing with the retards and whether Coles or Woolies are pumping their mutton, err lamb full of water and chemicals, just ask A Current Advertisement or BS Tonight.

Perhaps if the media were to engage in the truth and covering important issues, things would be different. But then pigs might also fly!

Very hungry for policy costings and benefits, lets start with biggest NBN? Surely Rudd still has a copy.

Kathryn:

Agree with much that this article has to say. It seems to me that one of the basic problematic issues is the role of the expert within democratic societies. There is a real tension here, and it is important to get the balance right. Yes, there are areas where we do need to rely on experts, and yet nevertheless it is still important to encourage ordinary citizens to take an interest in policy issues.

Jim