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The Forum > Article Comments > Diminished democracy > Comments

Diminished democracy : Comments

By George Williams, published 6/7/2006

Reform rolling in the wrong direction - a new electoral law will diminish our democracy.

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Johnj. I take your point about libraries being open 7 days a week and also police, ambulance and train drivers, etc provide services at all hours 7days a week.

I still think that more resourses do not need to be given to AEC so just a few people would find it more convienient to enroll after the writs have been issued for and election. I think there is plenty of time for people to enroll. 12 months or so should be ample time to get around to enrolling.

After all many people who work strange hours, such as truck drivers,airline staff, and so on, seem to be able to arrange their car rego, rates payments, tax and bill payments, etc without much complaining. I think this matters importance is blown out of proportion.
Posted by Banjo, Sunday, 9 July 2006 10:29:42 AM
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This is a disgrace. It is obviously going to reduce the number of young voters. Now why would you want to do that? Could it be because the <a href="http://www.pm.gov.au">lying rodent</a> wants to minimise the number of people who do not share his right wing tendencies?
Posted by Xeno, Sunday, 9 July 2006 6:54:40 PM
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Surely we would be a lot better off banning electoral advertising and each candidate providing a 100 word promo to be given to the Electoral Commisioner for printing and distribution with ballot papers on the day. No $2 per vote to the PARTY, but, these "candidate biographies" being part of the overall normal election budget.

what is a valid enrolment?

The Federal & State Commissioners consider anyone being on the roll (once), irrespective of their residential address, as validly enrolled. Their measure of electoral perfection is that everyone entitled to be on the roll is given the opportunity in as easy as fashion as possible. Multiple enrolments by the same person (or cat!)? - picked up by their computers or so they say. Dead voters, multiple voting? - statistically small as to be irrelevant.

Recent Administrative Tribunal reviews in NSW have seen several (expensive) by-elections brought on due to candidates re-enrolling at addresses of convenience at the close of rolls (so they cannot be challenged or even publicly know of) and thereby only dismissed from office when challenged through ADT action, often taking a year or two.

Faced with the inconsistencies of 'residence' between the three tiers of government, Electoral Commissioners just try to ignore the issue of residency as a means of verification as it is specifically a Local Government peculiarity. (Fancy wanting a local to represent you!)

That the Commissioners are happy to endorse this fraud by retaining administrative ease - how difficult would it be to verify candidates enrolments and investigate last minute changes I ask? - over real local candidates and residents' needs is just another part of the Electoral Puzzle.

Given that few incidents are properly investigated and no one gets charged, let alone, penalised for false declarations, the integrity of the roll can only remain questionable.

Unfortunately, as the majority of the electorate are happy to accept party hacks from the 2 majors who don't reside in the electorate (or who move into the area via a rental flat!) the electoral system fails us as 'representative.
Posted by Reality Check, Monday, 10 July 2006 12:57:34 PM
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Thankyou for bringing this issue somewhat into the realm of public debate George. One recent advantage for the Libs in Industrial Relations becoming such a big issue is that they are able to shuffle everything else through relatively unnoticed.

Whilst I have seen some predictable defence in this discussion about 'personal responsibility', i note no-one has argued WHY the time actually had to be reduced. Not one justification from the Libs either, a simple 'well... young people and prisoners are less liklely to vote for us, so we a trying to cut them out' would have sufficed.

In the age where, despite low crime rates, our prison populations are at soaring highs, the ability to vote for those incarcerated has increased importance. The fact that someone who is due for release in a matter of months gets no say in who they will be governed by is anti-democratic and an absolute disgrace
Posted by jkenno, Monday, 10 July 2006 7:47:44 PM
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In developing countries political donations are known as bribes and the rest of the world frown on them.
Why don't we call political donations by their proper name and get rid of them instead of hiding them?
Posted by Peace, Tuesday, 11 July 2006 7:17:50 PM
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Brilliant work Peace!

I can see PBL and Meriton spinning...
Posted by Reality Check, Wednesday, 12 July 2006 2:32:38 PM
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