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The Forum > Article Comments > Voters rule. OK? > Comments

Voters rule. OK? : Comments

By Jennifer Wilson, published 25/8/2010

Senior complainers from both parties seem to think that millions of us conspired to achieve a hung parliament.

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Hmmmm, the voters rule eh?

Most voters felt compelled to vote for a party/candidate that they didn’t really support but felt was the least bad.

Voters couldn’t lodge a formal vote for no candidate, despite this being a fundamental right within a democracy and within the principle of voting. They could lodge a blank or null vote, upon Latham’s suggestion, but only if they dared to buck the system and the technical legality therein.

Many voters would have had their vote effectively stolen and placed where they really didn’t want it to count by the despicable compulsory preferential voting system.

So, in the end, the winning party (and the loser) would have gained a very large portion of their votes from people that didn’t actually support them and a small portion from people who specifically didn’t want to vote for them!

So does the voter really rule?

Nope, not by a long way.

When we have the optional preferential system at federal level and we have a box on the ballot paper for no candidate, then a true representation of voters’ wishes will be gained. Only then could we possibly say that democracy is alive and well and that the voters rule.
Posted by Ludwig, Wednesday, 25 August 2010 8:38:49 AM
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Jennifer's premise, just like Mark B's, is that Australian voters went to the booths with a clear idea in their collective minds: that of deliberately creating a hung Parliament to show the major parties what's what.

What nonsense! Many Australians, prior to Saturday, wouldn't have known what a hung parliament was.

Now we have various pseudo-intellectuals trying to make sense out of the bizarre result, kind of like trying to read patterns in the tea leaves.

Most Australians, other than those unfortunates who are rusted on Labor and Coalition fanatics, vote on the basis of 'what's in it for me?' Which party is offering me the most in the vote-buying auction? This time around, the bribes were smaller and those people were lost.

Then we had those who, in 2007, thought they'd voted in Kevin Rudd rather than elect the Labor Party which in turn decides on the Prime Minister.

Then we had those who, forced to vote, left forms blank or drew silly pictures on their ballot forms proving how moronic they are. Then we had those who are religious who wouldn't vote for Julia Gillard because, sensibly, she doesn't believe in God. Then there were those who wouldn't vote for Gillard because she wasn't married and had no children...there are thousands of examples, all equally ridiculous.

And so the farce of Australian democracy goes on and on and changes that would make it more effective are never made.

http://www.dangerouscreation.com
Posted by David G, Wednesday, 25 August 2010 9:48:32 AM
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My thoughts are that the politicans, will not or are unable to take responsibility for the message that the australian public is sending them.

Typically it will everyone else's fault. Everyone's except their own that is.

Even if our politicans do understand the message of the masses, they are like chameleons and any changes will be of short term, a bit like an alcoholics promise to give up drinking. Well meaning at the time, but of no long term substance.
Posted by JamesH, Wednesday, 25 August 2010 9:48:41 AM
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Speaking of faceless men and women, this syndrome was illustrated during the Howard years when hardly any voices contrary to the official party line were ever heard, or allowed.

For instance not one of them ever raised a voice criticizing our involvement in the American war against the people of Iraq.
Posted by Ho Hum, Wednesday, 25 August 2010 10:27:01 AM
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We have always heard from the right wing of politics objecting about the "power" exerted by the unions. If this "power" is exerted for the workers - whether they are in manufacturing workshops, Clothing factories, Hospital staff or the hundred of other wage or salary earners, to try to ensure that they are treated with due respect and in the accordance of fair living conditions, that is the right attitude and should be applauded. Unfortunately, since 1970, a group or groups ( Both Liberal/national and Labor), have got into power who have neither intelligence or integrity. The top tax of 66.6% found in the 1950 to 1970, to fix up the main problem of the depression caused by excessively high incomes with the high costs of goods and services that was caused. Unfortunately, since then People have got into power who don't know and don't care that they have driven our country back into a recession (three times since 1980), and the past treasurers don't give a damn. Yet the latest one was not thrown out like those families - who don't get enough with the 2 or 3 days pay a week work - as he should have been. Unfortunately, the people of a district usually protect the member if he/she is a minister in the government, and it is rare for the district. We can only hope that a government will fix things up so we can get and keep good government, and throw out any who are incompetent or corrupt before they cause trouble.
Posted by merv09, Wednesday, 25 August 2010 10:33:21 AM
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Your article doesn't make sense.

First you say...

'Senior complainers from both parties have already had the arrogance to accuse voters of some kind of collective idiocy for bringing about this current situation. As if millions of us somehow conspired to achieve a hung parliament. '

Then you say....

'We voters have claimed our authority in this election. We’ve declined to furnish either major party with a mandate to govern'

You sound confused to me.
Posted by Houellebecq, Wednesday, 25 August 2010 10:48:32 AM
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I think I'll join the new Western Australian Revolutionary Party (WARP) - it certainly makes as much sense as the current lot! Their first act will be to dig a deep trench aling the WA border and then install Wilson Tuckey as president. The full manifesto can be found at

www.georgefripley.wordpress.com
Posted by Phil Matimein, Wednesday, 25 August 2010 11:27:21 AM
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Speaking of faceless men again.

What about the behind the scenes faceless men who orchestrated the Liberal election propaganda campaign?

And the Liberal machine altogether.

Everybody knows who they are--right?
Posted by Ho Hum, Wednesday, 25 August 2010 3:50:36 PM
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In pointing out that deal-making, fund-raising and polling have now become the raison d’être of the ALP, Jennifer reminds me of a government department I once worked for where the management division was given the task of drafting the new departmental mission statement. The result was a statement saying that the department's sole purpose was to manage itself well.

I think Jennifer is distinguishing between the outcome of our collective vote last Saturday and any collective purpose within the electorate. I wonder if social networking would ever allow such a fine-tuned result to be achieved deliberately?

I love the hung parliament - every election I fret over whether to put Labor or Liberal last, and now we've achieved a perfect result where they are both squirming like worms on a pin.
Posted by Candide, Wednesday, 25 August 2010 4:10:44 PM
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Sweet article full of nice thoughts but not all that realistic. If we went to the polls again next week you can bet someone would get a majority one way or the other. I agree about the possibilities of a hung lower house but don't see anything except both main parties doing whatever deal they can to get power. From there they will be hanging out to when they can pull an election so things can go back to the status quo.

both parties are run by the faceless men(and women) so let's not get all moralistic about it. The chance that either side will make any long term or meaningful reforms to the system is fairy tale stuff. They know that if they can make the current situation work acceptably then they will probably walk the next election in and the independents will again be sidelined.

I have no faith in our political system but am able to accept that nothing short of a revolution will change that and we are not that desperate, yet.

Phil Matimein, more separatist dribble from WA, well you can have Wison Tuckey. His lose is one of the positives to come out of the election. No more of his irrelevant dribble. I lived in his electorate for 8 years and never saw him nor noted any good to come from him and he was in power that whole time. The electorate will do much better with an independent National in place. The WA Nationals should stand as an example to the National party in the rest of the country.
Posted by nairbe, Wednesday, 25 August 2010 4:58:30 PM
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[The major parties had absolutely no moral authority left]

I really hate the way the Liberals, since Howard, now rely almost totally on the ultra-negative Republican style advertising and sloganism, to attract/retain voters.

Really all they appeal to is the most crassest of human emotions -greed and vengence, and the human weakness for the comofrt of traditional memes (such as the Libs are better at managing economies - not so. Labor govs spend, which induces follow on growth, that the Libs take ownership of. Libs are conservative, which means Do nothing at all Radical, except if it is somelthing like a GST to tax the masses). Libs thinks view this as being "Moral Authority"
Posted by jimhaz, Wednesday, 25 August 2010 5:06:32 PM
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Hi, David G and Houellebecq

I don't believe for a moment that there could possibly have been some gigantic conspiracy between Australian voters to bring about a hung parliament. That is the kind of conspiracy theory that gives conspiracy theories a bad name, and I certainly didn't suggest such a thing.

The majority of voters have, quite by coincidence, declined to give either party a mandate.

The nation now seems to be dividing itself into glass half empty and glass half full - give the politicians a shot at it, and see what happens.

Thank you for reading and repsonding. Jennifer.

PS: I don't think I'm a pseudo intellectual -I think I'm a real one, but what makes an intellectual pseudo, is it the same thing that makes a prime minister real or not real?
Posted by briar rose, Wednesday, 25 August 2010 5:53:12 PM
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I won't be so conceited as to assert my view why I believe Australian Voters voted as they did. I can only tell my own story of an 78 year old who has never voted conservative in my life. My lifetime experiences preclude that I could ever betray my fellow wage earners by installing a Government that pretends to serve for all Australians but inevitably, time after time been obsessed with maintaining surpluses at the expense of services and infrastructure and favour Big Business and Privatisation.
My vote has always been for whom I consider as the best candidate to serve the people and has always trickled down to Labor.
I would prefer an optional preferential system but have to work with what we've got.
This time, I canvassed my Labor representatives on four issues requesting their policy before the election.
1. On having the courage to act humanely on Asylum Seekers and to stop using them as a political football
2. The Withdrawal of Australian Troops from Afghanistan and the development of an independent Australian Foreign Policy instead of being drawn into American Military Adventures.
3.The restoration of the Racial Discrimination Act and the abandonment of the Intervention unless Aboriginal Communities were involved and properly consulted at all times.
4.Withdrawal of all support for the Zionist Apartheid Regime in Israel and call for support for the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions policy in response to the genocide being practiced in Gaza & the West Bank.
I got no response to any of the questions.so I voted Green
Posted by maracas1, Wednesday, 25 August 2010 6:03:46 PM
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Hear Ye, hear ye all of little faith. Once upon a Dream time, in the legendary Land of Oz - down under, amongst the heathens and fairy penguins, there liveth an unruly mob who cast spells, spruik profanities and worship pagan idols. Amongst them, rose a mighty David, who spoke an Asian tongue, and slew the Liberal Goliath Howard, with a slingshot named MacKew. Verily, I say to thee; " What goes round, comes round ".

Lo, and behold, in their midst, those among the fawning Gentiles, young David became besotted with drunken power - feeding the hoi polloi with fists-full of worthless shekels, and kow-towing to fallen angles of Union thuggery. In his awesome journey's abroad, he trampled on all beneath him; walking on water; and sowing seeds of discontent among the faithful. Out of the doom & gloom,his holy anointed cast lots to removeth him. Thence, the day drawth close, they stabbed him, Brutus like. The Messiah; who walkth on water; prayed in the Temple daily; fed the masses; and healed the poor and disadvantaged, was cast asunder, unto the naked wilderness !

The Day soon cometh, when for 30 pieces of silver brought forth a Judas in red hair, called Gillard, who trumpeth and sang praises of Glory & Hosannas unto all who would listen. There cometh thence, a Day of atonement and resurrection, whence the masses cast their votes, unto the Sabbath, to whom it will reignth in the Land of Oz, unto a double dissolution.

Verily, for the good and for the sake of Wisdom, and sound judgement, whom-so-ever presides in the Holy Temple, and partakes of the Tabernacle, on the banks of Lake Burley Griffith's, far from the sea, shall have their fill.

Behold thence, all who liveth in this fair Land of Oz, join with me, to sing Hosannas, and be blessed forever - as is written in the sands of time, then so be it.

Amen.
Posted by dalma, Thursday, 26 August 2010 9:08:39 AM
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No, Houellebecq.
It is you who are confused. The points you discuss are not mutually exclusive.
I think Dr Wilson's general argument, that voters do not collectively confer in order to achieve an election result (a conjecture made in media) is sound. That '[a] hung parliament is an opportunity for Australia to break free of the domination of the two major parties' is also true, if they have the wisdom, which I doubt.
However, there is no guarantee that the leaks Dr Wilson mentions reflected any 'truth' and they can tell us nothing about Gillard, although we may form an opinion about the leaker/s.
My other quibble with Dr Wilson's piece is that she appears to have fallen for yet another of Abbott's red herrings, that is the 'spectre' of the Better Education Revolution and 'the pink batts'. Both these schemes did a great deal of good. In only a very small minority of cases were there problems (albeit quite disastrous in at least one case). While shonky fly-by-nighters took advantage of both schemes, thereby depriving more of their benefits, the schemes themselves were worthy and timely.
Despite these minor points, I agree with Wilson.
Posted by Hecate, Thursday, 26 August 2010 4:21:12 PM
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Dear Hecate
Thank you for your thoughtful reading of the article.

I agree with your observation on the positive aspects of the BER, pink batts etc. I listed those issues as examples of public grievances(albeit unjust) against the government that contributed to its downfall.

But there is no doubt that the initiatives did a great deal for the economy, and as you point out, the positive aspect was over-shadowed by Abbott's negative campaign against them.
Jennifer.
Posted by briar rose, Friday, 27 August 2010 6:55:19 AM
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I amazes me that with my crummy English as a CONSTITUTIONALIST I seem to be the only person who really understand/comprehend what is constitutionally appropriate, see my blog at http://www.scribd.com/InspectorRikati for a set out of the relevant constitutional matters regarding this issue of commissioning a person to form a government. Who will form the next government has nothing to do with the majority in the Parliament as it is a prerogative power exercised by the Governor-General and so WITHOUT the advise of the Prime Minister!
Neither Julia Gillard, Tony Abbott or for that anyone else elected for the House of Representatives are Members of Parliament until after the return of the writs when they take up a seat! There is no hung Parliament because the only members are the Senators at this time. And, back in 1901 E. Barton was commissioned to form a government without any Parliament existing and was subsequently elected. Don’t confuse the role of a government with that of the Parliament, and I for one having campaigned for long for electors to vote for INDEPENDENTS to bring about a lesson to the major political parties am satisfied they are getting their message.
On 19 July 2006 I defeated comprehensively the Commonwealth that compulsory voting is unconstitutional and while I do not oppose voting I oppose any form of compulsory voting and the Court upheld my cases! This my blog also displays. Voting is our constitutional rights but in the way we desire and not hijacked by politicians dictating how we should vote! See also my website http://www.schorel-hlavka.com
Posted by Mr Gerrit H Schorel-Hlavka, Monday, 30 August 2010 6:47:26 PM
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