The ruling, leftist elites ALWAYS cheat at playing political chess. Usually by rewriting the rules & exploiting every loophole.

They also however will break the rules too. I have met ALP supporters who boasted about travelling around electorates all day in minibuses multiple voting. Have seen the same person "on the rolls" three times at different addresses owned by that person.

The LNP have ONLY one chance at next year's state elections.

ALP last & Greens 2nd last on all HTVs & "preference deals" with PHON, KAP, etc.

"Disunity is Death" Bob Menzies & the QLD LNP seem to be incapable of working with, instead of against other non left wing political parties.

The federal Liberal-National coalition however seem to be suicidal. Pursuing policies blind freddy KNOWS are poison with swinging voters. If they keep this up QLD voters may take the opportunity to punish them at next year's local & state elections.

BTW:- Why is the LNP throwing taxpayers money at a headquarters building for EVERY ratbag left wing think tank, lobby group & political party right next door to Peter Dutton's electorate office? Marxist Monoversities are the home of radical leftism.

For mine, there has to be a cap and the same for all. Funding has to be both transparent and by rules that apply equally, donations need to be capped to say $1,000 per individual and should come with name and occupation etc, supplied! And ASAP! Same day if poss? Can't see why this data cannot be posted as soon as it is known!

Other than that the electoral commission should fund our elections to prevent government and "Democracy being bought and sold! I would prefer if all-union and any other organisation pushing various agendas are left out of the system and only individual funding via crowdfunding be permitted!

And we need a return to optional preferencing ASAP. As that would seem to be both fairer and less opportunistic for Labor! Given the green influence, etc would be lessened!
Alan B.

As a swinging voter (sadly not in the sexual sense) Queensland donors need only send the money to me.

After charging a small fee, and with Buddha-like integrity, I would send the money to Queensland politicians of my choice.

It would be fair, as I don't even live in Queensland.

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Dear Graham,

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You wrote :

« When caps on political spending are in place – parties work out how to get around them … and politics gets dirtier and murkier … It's amazing how the sniff of ministerial leather masks the stench of electoral deceit … »
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It’s not surprising that the “2018 Trust and Democracy in Australia survey” found that only 41% of voters were satisfied with democracy. Trust in federal, state and local governments rated at slightly more than 30%. Ministers and MPs (whether federal or state) rated at 21 per cent. Worst of all, political parties were trusted by only 16% of respondents – which really is poor to say the least !

Our electoral system is in dire need of reform.

Let’s face it, we do not have democracy in Australia. What we have is so-called “representative democracy” which, of course, is a misnomer – the correct appellation being “oligarchy”: rule by the cliques that influence and control the principal political parties (ALP and LNP) and their elected representatives.

As somebody woefully and frustratedly observed :

« If only this was just a Shakespearean farce and we could snigger at the gross stupidity of the characters portrayed and their ridiculous masquerades, but shamefully it is real and we are obliged to see it through to the end »

(Perhaps it was me)

Unfortunately, that’s the harsh reality : the current electoral system is simply a cash cow for the political parties. It has nothing to do with democracy (“rule by the people, for the people”). Once we have voted, we are totally ignored until the next time we are obliged to vote (under threat of a fine).

When you think of it, it’s amazing that even as many as 16% of Australians continue to place their trust in the political parties. I didn’t realise we had that many halfwits eligible to vote – but that probably also includes the one or two percent of elite oligarchs who call the shots and run (ruin?) the country.

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