You are advocating parties without members. Would members (of parliament) without parties not be a better bet. The clear corruption of both major parties is one of the major reasons for the strife we are all in today.

Why do voters ignore independent candidates so much ?

RichardP, that was the original intention at Federation.
There is no mention of parties in the constitution.

In the beginning:

- Bomber Abbott and

- Pacific Island Life Saver Dutton (OberFuhrer Border Force Black Shirts)

produced a whole new paramilitary force.

Here is an excellent cartoon on what Force Dutton almost inflicted on Melbourne: http://www.kudelka.com.au/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/me150829.jpg

Hopefully uniform designers for the Border Force Black Shirts are designing a uniform colour more in keeping with Australia's democratic traditions and public expectations.

The public vote Tony...

Tony Abbott leaves Canberra after taking selfies with diners at Ottoman Cuisine in CanberraAFTER losing the prime ministership, Tony Abbott has left Canberra after he was asked to pose for selfies with diners including a former Big Brother star.

The former prime minister left this afternoon on an RAAF plane, and
Mr Abbott was seen dining at Ottoman Cuisine, a Turkish restaurant in Canberra’s suburb of Barton with his daughter Louise and her boyfriend.
But their meal was intermittently interrupted by diners who asked Mr Abbott for a selfie — one of them being former Big Brother contestant Jason Roses.

Mr Roses, 27, who works as a real estate agent in Canberra, told News Corp Australia that he went up to Mr Abbott and asked him “Do you mind if I take a photo with you?”

hat Mr Abbott looked “very tired” but was “very polite” to diners who came up throughout the evening to ask for a photograph with him.

“About 10 people went up throughout the night and asked him for a selfie, he was very obliging,” Mr Roses said.

Mr Roses was in the restaurant before Mr Abbott arrived, where he was celebrating a friend’s birthday.

He said they observed Mr Abbott, his daughter and her boyfriend share their Turkish meal over some glasses of red wine.

Mr Roses was one of the last housemates to be evicted from the Big Brother house on last year’s season of the show.

Mr Abbott’s wife Margie has also recently been spotted taking suitcases and packed-up boxes from Kirribilli House to their home in Sydney’s northern suburb of Forestville.