With voters like Chris Lewis, both the parties can rest assured that the situation will remain unaltered and they can continue to grab for power, financed by the big end of town without actually doing anything to improve the environment or quality of life.
It does not matter which of the Big Two are in at the moment it is SNAFU.
The economy will continue to be run by the big banks to their profit, the environment will continue to be ruined by Big coal, big forestry and oil for their profit and we will continue to support two illegal invasions of countries that had not harmed Australia.
It is very hard to understand how anyone can be so blinkered or perhaps naïve.
The so called Democracy we have will never be anything other than an organization for Big Business to run the country until we manage to introduce citizen initiated referendums and can check the wild excesses we have to endure now.
Them maybe Labor will really be a party for the workers and not a thinly veiled party of sycophants lying in bed with big business.

Sarnian,

I'm in agreement with the majority of what you have posted, but I can't understand this bit:

" until we manage to introduce citizen initiated referendums and can check the wild excesses we have to endure now"

Referendums are not that easy to hold, the logistics involved is huge, the cost is astronomical and can the result be decided by a slim majority in the smallest States vetoing the proposal.

How do 'citzens' initiate the referendum in the first place?

Would voting be compulsory?

Could the Christian Light Society initiate a referendum to ban Noddy and Big Ears as blasphemers, and those that don't vote would they be fined?

I think, like it or not governments are there to govern for the elected period.

Sarnian, thanks for the feedback. I obviously need to re-evaluate my thinking. I did not realise I was merely a status quo person.

Paul,

A good intro to referendums
http://direct-democracy.geschichte-schweiz.ch/switzerlands-system-ref here .
The Swiss model has been working successfully for years and would be a good model to base an Australian system on.
They are quite easy to hold, not astronomically expensive and the result is no different to any other election. In Switzerland Citizen's initiatives at the federal level need to collect 100,000 valid signatures within 18 months, and must not contradict international laws or treaties.
I do not know if voting is compulsory in them but I do know that the only two countries in the World where voting in an election is compulsory are Russia and Australia.
“Could the Christian Light Society initiate a referendum to ban Noddy and Big Ears as blasphemers, and those that don't vote would they be fined?”
Not if the vote went against it.
Would the population in Australia have voted to invade Iraq and Afghanistan?
I believe not.
But if it did at least we would all be tarred with the same brush and equally responsible.
“Like it or not governments are there to govern for the elected period.”
Yes but it could not commit an act that went against a referendum result that went against such an act.
Then we would be on the right track towards democracy.

Chris Lewis, I was not being offensive in my answer but rather pointing out that you were readily accepting the integrity of elected politicians and as we have seen in the last day even Mr. Abbot t has admitted that he does not always tell the truth

Sarnian, it is always good to be reminded about how one's message comes across to different people.

I would agree that I do not really promote a great contrast to existing views. My perspective is limited from analysis that (wrongly or rightly) looks at factors obstructing policy change.

However, I too am looking for a policy mix that is vastly different from what is being offered. I hope to offer some ideas, based on two different scenarios, in the near future.

Sarnian,

I'm not convinced referendums are the way to go. Would people vote to invade given 18 months and 100,000 sigs. I think it would be more a case by then of voting to withdraw. I see the Swiss voted to ban minarets in a referendum brought on by a small right wing political party. That's one of my big concerns referendums to 'ban things' brought on by well organized vested interest groups, political parties large and small, religious nuts, media, unions, big business and alike, the use of front groups. Who checks the 100,000 I might sign 10 times and add 10 false names and 10 names of people I know.