Do Australians really take pride in our democratic system? The 1.4 million not on the electoral roll certainly do not; and with what the Australian electorate tolerates from our third rate politicians, it appears that not many of the rest of us value democracy either.

According to George Williams, only HALF of Australia’s 18 year olds are on the roll. So much for all the indignation when we old farts rightly criticise the young. Older people complain about injustices to the young in the fields of employment, wages, education and so on, but it is clear that it is the young themselves who couldn’t give a damn, and it is they who are responsible for the growth in casual, part-time work with zero benefits and general lack of opportunity in Australia now. They don’t care, and they don’t listen.

Why does George care about this? Because his side of politics is missing out on votes because the young have very recently been – or are still being, in tertiary education – brainwashed by members of the extreme Left education unions. He also knows that, without compulsory voting (another non-democratic archaism) Labor would suffer the most.

We shouldn’t be concerned about people not wanting to vote. If they are that stupid, they don’t deserve a say. Leave it to those who do value our democracy, and see it slipping away from us thanks to the lack of interest in voting, even from those who do vote, but vote the way someone else tells them to via a party card.

Instead of worrying about dead heads who don’t want to vote, and couldn’t care less about keeping control of our politicians, we should abolish compulsory voting and compulsory preferencing, encouraging those who can and want to think for themselves to do so

For once I agree with George- whose only point he has been trying to convey is that we lack easy and effective methods to enrol to vote- nothing more, nothing less.
And until the government agree to provide a channel of their own to do what GetUp are currently doing, I am perfectly content that GetUp is handling this matter itself.

This topic has NOTHING to do with compulsory voting at all.

Invalid Election if it takes place on the allocated date given the legislation regarding compulsory voting.

Australians do have the right to refuse to vote and may strike; a labor ploy!

...until the situation, which lies with government and private enterprise, is rectified.

Start striking Australians!

Of course it is a serious problem that a large percentage of eligible voters are not on the roll and many of these are probably young people who have recently attained adulthood or will do so before the election.

It points to a common enough problem which is that many young people attaining adulthood may not know what new responsibilities and accountabilities they have acquired. This is often apparent where young people undertake financial contracts for instance and where they might come into conflict with the law.

It is unfortunate that some young people do not have adults in their lives who are concerned enough about them to given them advice and show leadership. It seems a simple enough thing to do to download an electoral enrolment form, assist the teen to complete it and send the reply paid envelope on its way. Probably some parents don't bother to have discussions with their young adults either and show them the comparative details of political candidates in newspapers.

It is through civics education and the encouragement of their parents that young people gain civic knowledge and skills that will allow them to form the right attitudes and properly engage in the democratic process. That is their right and it is rather poor that somehow the youth of Australia being let down, again. Australia, the home of the self-raising, minimum-care child.

That's not the way I read it, King Hazza.

>>This topic has NOTHING to do with compulsory voting at all<<

If this were the case, why would the author introduce the issue himself, in the second paragraph of his piece?

"One in 10 eligible Australians not even being enrolled makes a mockery of the idea of compulsory attendance at the ballot box."

In fact, given that it is the very first concern that he raises, having introduced the item with some facts... "We are heading to a federal election... 1.4 million Australians are missing from the roll and will be unable to vote", the impression is given that the dichotomy "compulsory vote/but 1.4 million missing", is key to his argument.

Seems pretty straightforward to me.

More interesting, could be why you consider that it is not relevant. Care to enlighten?

My advice to those not on the electoral roll is to STAY OFF. Enrolling is a complete waste of time: your vote will make absolutely no difference to whoever gets elected, you will not be offered the chance to vote for the things that are important to you, but only for someone who purports to "represent" you, and who then goes on to do whatever his/her party wants once elected.

This is especially important for the young, who are fresh from the government's schools indoctrination of how wonderful democracy is, and how it theoretically works. Without years of experience of how the real world works, observing the lies, half-truths, opportunism, hiding of facts, and whipping up of unimportant issues that is presented as politics by our politicians and media, the young perhaps don't yet realize that neither of Australia's major parties are worth voting for.

These are my conclusions after nearly 40 years of voting, after I foolishly enrolled when young. Can anyone tell me how I can cancel my enrollment so the government's bureaucrats will not hassle me with fines for failing to attend one of their polling places?