Has anybody passed their past English exam?

The two-party system should never have been deposited on us, it has been a system for corruption and greed, and has been used to win the workers and small business into a cesspool for the use of corrupt or bad politicans and big business. If the original intent was kept, that the members of parliament where "representitives" of the electorates, it might have been OK. Unfortunately the system has been hijacked by Lawyers and their ilk, and they either have no knowledge of keeping out of trouble ie a recession, they don't care or they have some other objective - it certainly does not include prosperity for Australia. I believe that a common committee with genuine representitives and a good MC would be a vast improvement.

Lots of sweeping statements there that are quite impossible to prove but ultimately your point appears to be that somehow we need a more engaged, a more "independent" thinking parliamentary system.

I suggest you look to that barely read, let alone understood bedrock document called the Australian Constitution. Nowhere does it mention a two-party system of Government - I promise Merv09 - check it out.

Proportional representation would most likely be the final dagger in the forehead for the two-party myth but I don't expect that will happen anytime soon. Still, as Ian himself admits: "But you would never know if you only listened to what the politicians say - and ignored what they actually do.", a lot of what happens is consensus based anyway.

Ultimately, if you want to "change" the mechanics by which political parties manipulate public affairs (and you'd have to include every party in existence, as well as their aligned lobby groups etc.) you'd need either (i) constitutional reform or (ii) electoral reform. That is, if you are serious and not just having an "academic wank".

The entire Australian political system needs re-jigging.

I was once a rusted-on Labor person and even at one time, a member of the Labor Party, but they lost me over issues such GM cropping and their constant and apparent pandering to big business interests whilst totally ignoring the needs and desires of the voting public.

Howard's 'jack-boot' ways were no more palatable as he attempted to destroy Australian workers rights. I laughed like hell when the poor little sook lost his bid to represent that cricket mob. Tony Abbott, an ardent Howard supporter will give us more of the same. No wonder so many people turned to the Greens. They had nowhere else to go!

How to fix the system? A couple of thoughts on the matter......

1) Educate people to vote BELOW the line. And it's not always a matter of people being lazy either, more a case of too many boxes, too little space in those tiny booths and too little time.

2) Introduce an Internet voting system. People can do their tax securely over the Internet, so why not cast a vote the same way? This would also go a long way towards eradicating problem no.1 and get more young people involved.

3) Limit extreme political bias amongst newspapers, the likes of which the Murdock press spews out ad nauseum during elections.

4) Expose sources of political donations well before the elections. Australians have the right to know which organisations are vying to alter the course of Australian politics by effectively buying the future they want to see.

I could go on but perhaps the most important thing I'd like to see happen is for politicians to re-connect with the voting public. Let their constituents have a say which is genuinely taken into account by our elected "leaders." I've lived out in the bush for around 14 years and haven't seen a single pollie knocking on doors out here. If we can't be seen from their cars, then apparently we don't exist! They've simply got to better than this before I give them my vote!

AIME... your concerns are correct I feel, (about labor and big business) but there is a bigger danger still.

That is..if folks like you... gravitate to the communist Greens! as the only other alternative.

Please have a look at this.

http://www.canadafreepress.com/index.php/article/13959

enlarge the image of the window.. SEE the shield between founders (bloke on right is George Bernard Shaw).. and see what animal is there and how it's dressed.

RECognize puh-lease that there are forces at work which are more diabolical than politeness would allow me to express here.

You might have a valuable perspective for this thread.
http://forum.onlineopinion.com.au/thread.asp?discussion=4024

Yes Al. A wolf in sheep's clothing. Took me awhile to get it with my aging eyes, but tell me exactly how that relates to the Greens please?

Are you sure you're not simply cranky with the Greens because their leader is gay and if they ever get the chance, they'll see gay marriage get through the parliamentary process?

The Fabian society? Really! Al, you must realise that I'm my own person. I believe the Roman Catholic hierarchy is as evil a creation that was ever devised by man. Not it's followers since they've been terribly brainwashed and know no better. I also believe that when the last particle of being drains from the human body at death, then there is no more. You don't wake up in some new form, you don't get to see your God, in fact you don't get to see ever again. We're simply over-thinking animals and like all animals, when we're dead, well, that's it baby and there ain't no more!

But this is about politics and how to make them more attractive to the common voter. Lets try and stay on track here.

Anyway Al, just for arguments sake, lets say I'm wrong and there really IS a God. What do you think will happen to me when I die?

I was dragged up kicking and screaming from the torture inflicted by nuns and "holy people." It took me decades to finally cast the superstition from my mind and the blindfold from my eyes. Oh if only I could devise a way to open the minds of religious people, but for now you'll have to excuse me. The moon is out and I'm starting to grow those funny claws again!

Darn it. Strayed off topic again!