Ludwig: << can you suggest why no one in the Greens has really cried foul about compulsory preferential voting >>

Hi Ludwig, and thanks for the welcome :) The simple answer to your question is that preferential voting benefits the smaller parties - certainly in the Senate and increasingly in the lower house. Also, under our 'winner takes all' version of democracy, compulsory preferential voting results in the electorate being represented by the 'least worst' candidate when no individual candidate attracts a majority of the votes, which is more democratic than 'first past the post' systems - including optional preferential voting.

Yesterday's result was great in that it gives the big Parties something to think about. The last election campaign was uninspiring to say the least. It seemed to be a campaign trying to find out which Party was most adept at undermining the other with negative attacks on personalities. The Greens did well, their advertising was positive.

I can't say I like the idea of just folding up the ballot paper of the Senate, there is a bit of pleasure in giving some politicians your last vote!

ant,

Wanna bet that the message will be thought of seriously, much less result in any real changes?

In the world of Party Politics "the win is everything" their view will be "if a week is a long time in (party) politics next month is an eternity and next election is inconceivable"

Power is ubiquitous and what people will do for it is beyond normal comprehension.
The parties have to be near annihilated to change.

i.e. what did the Libs learn from 07? their policies suck? they're back. They are like the rapist who thinks that all he has to do it better, that'll satisfy the victim "...forgetting about the other issues and the crime.
Both parties will return to form by next election violating the sensibilities of the public. Sure that's a bit extreme but you get the point.

Angry Oak,

Love your You-tube vid. Howard Beale is my hero.

Candide,

Yes, you're right about Julia. There is something very phoney or not real about her. I've nicknamed her Kath Thunderbird - because she sounds like Kath and looks like one of the thunderbirds. It's just the way she seems to move. And oh dear, that voice.