Control of the Senate is one of the more interesting aspects of any federal election. If you’re not a fan of Labor or Liberal (and that is a fair chunk of the Australian population,) then it is the only thing that might get you motivated in turning up at all (other than avoiding the fine for not voting.)

Control of the Senate is one of the more democratic aspects of Australian politics. It’s one of the few times the little guy gets to have a say.

Dear Dan,

I agree with you. In England the House of Lords is to a degree representative of the aristocracy. In Australia the Senate gives those who do not support the major parties a voice.

I don't disagree with the principle, Dan S de Merengue. Just the outcome.

>>If you’re not a fan of Labor or Liberal (and that is a fair chunk of the Australian population,) then it is the only thing that might get you motivated in turning up at all... Control of the Senate is one of the more democratic aspects of Australian politics. It’s one of the few times the little guy gets to have a say.<<

The result, of course, being that the "little guy" vote turns into a controlling vote. In other words, the will of the vast majority is ignored, in favour of a random individual or party that has managed to manipulate (read: rort) the system to their own advantage.

How, in anyone's lexicon, does rule by a tiny minority constitute "one of the more democratic aspects of Australian politics"? In my view, that definition is identical to that which can be applied to a military dictatorship. Ergo, it can only be viewed as one of the least democratic aspects of our political process.

Pericles,

The minor parties and independents can do nothing, even if they all vote in the same way, unless one of the major parties is prepared to vote with them. Why do you criticise the minor parties and not the major parties that, in your view, must be ignoring the wider public interest to differentiate their product? Is this good evidence of their superiority?

Dear Pericles,

Do you wish to rob the poor man's lamb?

The two dinosaur parties already enjoy the most unfair electoral system which eternalise their unjust power over ordinary people.

Having only minute and insignificant differences between them, they play the adversarial game in parliament, receiving fat salary-packages to verbally abuse each other during the day in public, then at night, in private, they drink together at the bar, laughing their guts out how they, playing the good-cop and the bad-cop have tricked us once again and squeezed the life out of us.

With no hope to ever change things in the lower house, we, ordinary people can at least have a small chance to be able to defend ourselves through the upper house by blocking legislation that would otherwise chip away our individual freedoms even further.

And you want to take that away too?

Divergence,
Thanks for attempting to explain the maths to Pericles. 

Pericles, the 'tiny minority' never gets a law passed in parliament. Laws are always passed by a majority vote.

A substantial chunk, something approaching 20% (I don't have the exact current figure in front of me) of Australians are inclined to vote for someone other than those of the two major parties. This percentage has a more reasonable representation in the Senate than in the lower house.