It's interesting to see that some people will not vote for Labor after Gillard's tactics. I cannot say that, as I wouldn't vote for Labor in a fit, anyway. I will vote Liberal, only because I consider it to be the lesser of two evils.

I am not, JIMOTEC, rusted on to the Liberal Party or the Coalition, as you seem to be suggesting; I hold no torch for them, and I would prefer to have a real Conservative party to vote for. And, I think that Tony Abbott will blow it al la John Hewson. Labor deserves to be kicked out - even Labor supporters are very uneasy about Gillard and her coup, no matter that they, too, new that Rudd was a total dud.

Vintage-wise, I found out what politics is really like when Bob Menzies was PM. My concern is not about Labor or Liberal (the Greens are simply maniacs) but about my fellow Australians being so apathetic and smug that the dirty tricks we are not allowed to know about are OK just because the Holy Westminster system allows them.

I've never been a fan of republicanism, but we have to find some way to make Australian politicians accountable to us, the people who employ them. We shouldn't have to merely copy some other country, either.

<< If the ALP wins government, Australians will have endorsed the right of non-elected interests and party factions to decide who will be PM. >>

Oh phoowey, Jennifer!

The Australian people will not have endorsed ANYTHING! Not any policies nor actions nor philosophies nor ways of doing things. NOTHING. NIL. Sweet Fanny Adams!

Very few people will be voting for either large party because they fully support them and endorse all that they stand for.

Few people will even really endorse ANY key policy of the party that they vote for.

Most people will vote on the basis of whichever party they feel is the slightly less undesirable government of two highly undesirable options.

Most of us feel as though we are compelled to vote for someone even if there is no one, or on one with a chance of winning, that deserves their vote. They don’t realise that we don’t have to vote for anyone.

And…. lots of people will specifically be voting against both major parties, but their vote will end up counting for whichever one they put higher on their ballot paper, as they are compelled to mark every square and their vote will very likely filter down and count where they specifically don’t want it to….such is the disgusting and totally antidemocratic nature of our compulsory preferential system! Few people understand the voting system or the way in which your vote can get STOLEN and made to count where you don't want it to!

So all of this means that for whichever party wins, a very large portion, in fact the overwhelming majority, of votes that put them there are basically undeserved votes, and votes that certainly do NOT indicated an endorsement for anything, other than possibly an endorsement of them being ever so slightly less irksome than the major party that loses!

Jennifer is going to vote for the Libs, There I said for Jennifer, can I have the 5 minutes of my life back that I spent reading your article?

So Briar Rose,

What are you going to do? Vote Liberal?

If you vote Green, the preference bounces straight back to Labor. The Labor party is effectively giving you the one finger salute.

The Greens survive on moping up the protest vote for Labor, and in return are given cushy 6yr senate seats.

This article provides a convincing case for all students to have an education in civics so they can understand how government works and properly engage with it.

Having read your piece indicates your ability to creatively write, Dr Wilson.Perhaps Kevin Rudd himself bound those at the meeting to secrecy and why wouldn't he?
All his good and bad points have been picked over and the fact remains he had lost the support of the mass of people(the polls) for what ever reason(inability to communicate,failed ETS etc)and remember we are talking about politics, where the game is winning and holding power-whatever it takes.
So all of you stop whingeing and start stirring the politicians to be positive, non-obstructive and consider the good of the people of Australia, remembering that they are all servants of we the people.
To call Rudd's dumping un-Australian is nonsense and I'll bet any money Abbott and his mob of carping obstructionists would now give anything to have dumped Howard when they should have and he just would not go.At least Rudd behaved in the interests of us all.