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The Forum > Article Comments > The fix is in on fixed four-term terms > Comments

The fix is in on fixed four-term terms : Comments

By Joe Branigan, published 18/3/2016

The political class is asking us for a 33.3% extension of their contracts (from 3 to 4 years) regardless of their performance.

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Three years is three years too long for a bad government or even just a lame duck Hung government!

And ripe for (blackmailing) little control freaks to walk and take their vote with them, to make the country or the state ungovernable!

Conversely three years is not enough time for good government to do what we gave them a mandate to do, and as is the custom, generally are returned for a second term? Thereby granting six years not four, to implement their policies.

Queensland shouldn't give any government/autocratic Premier another year, if that year is used to defy the unambiguous will of the people.

And a dangerous move when there is no upper house to apply some of the customary checks and balances of the other states.

Moreover, if the term is fixed, how can a premier decide the government's position is untenable and needs to dissolve parliament to get a new mandate and bonafide members not given to changing horses in midstream, (to serve pure self interest) if he/she is stuck with a fixed term?

And given the subsequent gridlock, the Premier has no other choice than to dissolve parliament and go to the people for a fresh mandate?

And allow the party to disendorse disingenuous members who've been conservatives hiding in Labor clothing, or visa versa , if the shoe is on the other foot.

I hope we Queenslanders have the good common sense to say no!
Rhrosty.
Posted by Rhrosty, Saturday, 19 March 2016 5:13:37 PM
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I say we reward them for their audacity by instead giving them a 33% reduction in current terms, just for asking.
Posted by Armchair Critic, Sunday, 20 March 2016 3:05:35 PM
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The Chartists were an eighteenth century British electoral reform group that advocated six important reforms to voting. They were quite prescient in that five of the six were later adopted my most democracies. The sixth, annual electoral terms, was closest to being adopted in the United States where Members of the House serve two year terms.

Four years is definitely too long and I believe one or two years would be best.
Posted by Edward Carson, Sunday, 20 March 2016 5:18:44 PM
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I went to vote the other day for the first time in a long time, and was taken aback how much of a joke it was.

Some people here will know that I'm opinionated in my own way, and I may seem harsh at times but I don't have any ill will towards people or peoples, just an opinion, that's all I offer.

Some may have heard me say previously that I think democracy is a load of bs, and mainly because of the principle that there needs to be a balance of power between 'us' and 'them' that if they make the laws for us then we should make the laws for them, the political class.

It is not democracy when them make their own rules. Simple.
[cont]
Posted by Armchair Critic, Monday, 21 March 2016 7:01:57 PM
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[cont]
So I went to vote.
They hand out all these 'How to vote cards', and when you actually get to the polling booth and ask 'How do I vote for 'none of the above'? nobody's able to give me an answer...
Kind of funny since everybody seems to be giving instructions on how to vote.

I ask one group 'what are you going to do for me?'
'Our delegete will fix the roads.'
I ask another 'What are you gonna do for me?'
'We're going to fix the roads too.'
I think to myself 'That's helpful since I don't have a car atm'.

So I get to the polling booth and say I have ID if you need it, and they are like 'Hell No! You don't need that.'
And I say 'So I could just say I'm my friend who's sitting in the car if I wanted' and they look at me with a look that says 'I guess if you want, nothing to stop you'.
So I take my ballot and go to fill it in...
And I decide I don't know much about the candidates and aren't going to support any of them.
So I put an x next to every candidate.
None of them can claim to have my support when I didn't actually give it, and damn you all if I'm getting another fine.

Then I notice I'm using a pencil and I think to myself 'So they could just use an eraser and rub this stuff out and write whatever they want'...

Finally I take my ballot back and the girl makes me fill out a form/envelope to put my vote in - with my name on it, and I say 'I though a persons vote was anonymous'?
'Oh no, they won't read it, Trust us.'

Yeah right....
What a joke.. No wonder I don't vote..
I'm just not copping fines anymore though.
Posted by Armchair Critic, Monday, 21 March 2016 7:02:45 PM
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the question

Members of Parliament's terms to be:

(a) 2 years [ ]
(b) 3 years [ ]
(c) 4 years [ ]

Voters decide using simple preferential count ?

.
Posted by polpak, Thursday, 31 March 2016 11:21:38 PM
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