Harry, as someone who lives in Tasmania I can tell you that having greens in parliament does nothing to eradicate "the often childish slanging matches between the Government and the Opposition". Slanging is alive and well here between the Liberals, Labor, and, wait for it, The Greens.

Sure, with the demise of the Democrats the 'green' vote has picked up from a low base and they sometimes get to double figures but that doesn't mean the system should be changed to ensure that a party with less than 20% of the vote should get the balance of power and dictate policies. That's just way too Joh-ish.

Welcome to Queensland, the deep north.

There is no perfect system of representative democracy in theory. In practice, the "first past the post" system we have in most jurisdictions is probably as good as it gets.

We only need to look at the Senate to see the injury done to good governance when governments have to "buy" the votes of a minor party or parties. The Greens and Democrats individually represent very few people. They predominantly get elected in the small States where they only need to fool around 25,000 people as opposed to the 320,000 people they'd need to con in a major State. There is nothing they can say to explain their inability to get seats in large States. So, Bob Brown represents around 2% of the population. On what basis should Mr Brown and his whacky ideas be forced onto the 98% of the population he doesn't represent. Even if we accepted his argument that he represents 10% of the total population, why should 90% of the population who wouldn't vote for him in a pink fit have to watch him force his ideas on us so legislation can get passed.

No thanks. Keep the system the way it is and I'll be a much happier bunny. Having to watch governments beg or bribe votes from whacky minor parties is the real affront to real democracy.

Team Beattie is not doing its job. They have Sun Water working day & night 24/7 to pipe water from the Burdekin to the numerous Bowen Basin Mines, to wash coal. As for the residents of Moranbah, west of Mackay, message to new developments in the town, find your own! This includes a proposed, 2000 mine worker persons camp.

Number one, Mr Beattie himself, does not see fit to visit the townships serving the Central Queensland Coal Fields to help sort thing out, he sends in the Public Servants.

The CQ News at http://www.cqnews.com.au/ does not see fit to publish this information on line, but in Friday’s print issue 13/10/06 page one headlines & continued on page three. What can you do?

Thank heaven we have enough sense to not let a minor mob of radical rat bag rabble get control of the balance of power, in Queensland.
Rule by minority has no attraction for me.

Hasbeen, the majority of green preference votes went to Team Beattie.
Like the religious groups that are conscious objectors they don't vote for them, but they are neither against them. More so when the preferences go to Team Beattie.