Chris C, I hope you do "have an opportunity to discuss the likely Senate results based on the figures then available" - not just before the election, but after as well.

Thanks for your analysis guys.

Well, Chis C, you and I obviously have a different notion of what is democratic and what isn't. Forcing people to vote. Is that democratic? Then skewing the way they vote by making it extremely easy to vote above the line but a pain in the arse to vote below it. Is that democratic? Reading newspapers and listening to the TV or radio will not alert anyone to the myriad deals that drive preference distribution in Senate ballots (each Party gets up to 3 bites at the cherry) and you (no doubt) know it. It is quite simply an appallingly shabby way to treat voters, the ultimate dumbing down of an electorate's one opportunity to express itself. And don't even bother to ask AEC staff at the polling station to actually show you the list of preference deals - unless you enjoy blank stares.

I don't like the Senate ticket either,

It gives more power to the Parties than needs be, they have already subverted our democracy. We should have preferential voting above the line, so we can choose our own preferences. At least the Senate has proportional representation, if we have to vote for a Party, at least give us some choice!

I have always voted below the line, a bit of election day fun about where to put Family First in comparison to HEMP. But I stopped last time, as I didn't want to risk doing an informal. I know this disenfranchises independents, but this goes to my vision of how our system should be. I would prefer our Lower House to be all Independents, really representing their electorates. Then quarantine the Parties to the Upper House. Introduce two-way legislation (both houses can draft bills), as in some of our State parliaments. One House represents the People, the other the entrenched powers. The Government is crafted from a joint sitting, and we could even have non-partisan Ministries by the best people for the job.

Oh well, time to wake up now.