In this article (Spectator 24/5/25) Dimitri Burshtein and Peter Swan suggest that Australians “have an unusual habit of celebrating public policies that the rest of the world politely declines to imitate”.

First up is compulsory superannuation, which we are told is the envy of the world, but “ no other country seems eager to replicate this innovation”. (In other countries, super is voluntary, and withdrawals are easier).

Next, we have compulsory, preferential voting. There is nothing democratic about being forced to vote - or lining up just to have your name marked off so as not to be fined.

As the authors say, compulsory voting does not encourage “democratic enthusiasm”, just bureaucratic obedience confusing activity with engagement. And, if voters don't number ALL of the people they don't want and have never heard of, their votes are informal.

The defenders of this undemocratic nonsense have never produced evidence that it is desirable or worth the trouble. It's just a Ponzi scheme for the uniparty, both members lucky to get a third of the primary vote these days.

The authors clearly state that the system is part of a “growing anti-democratic framework constructed and maintained by Labor and the Coalition (soon to team up again) for their mutual benefit”. And, they opine that duopolies in politics breed the same stagnation (now obvious in Australia) as they do in private business.

We, the electorate, are just sheep, forced to vote and pretend that “increasingly indistinguishable options” amounts to democratic freedom.

Burshtein and Swan also believe that recent hints by Albanese for four year terms is another attempt to reduce political competition. The requirement for a referendum is the only thing stopping it. In 1998, two thirds of Australians said no.

Without compulsory voting as per most other democratic countries, the parties would have to sharpen up their policy differences to attract thinking, aware Australians, who don't have to be forced to vote. Preferential voting should be scrapped or made voluntary.

Dear Ttbn,

I agree with your post, but that is only tinkering around the edges:

The undemocratic elephant in the room is the division of Australia into "electorates", practically ensuring that the voters can only choose between Tweedledum and Tweedledee to represent them. This also gives significant more power (and bribes) to residents of marginal electorates whereas their neighbours across that invisible line, sometimes even on the other side of the same street, have practically no voting power.

Now your moving ahead, congratulations.

As Ttbn highlighted above; Democracy as dished up slop it is in Australia, is a Ponzi Scheme geared against the Democratic rights of its citizens, and steered entirely towards cementing in the two party system, which from the view at the bottom of the stinking heap, is a total rip-off of Democracy proper. Democracy as a word should be eliminated; the most ill-used word in history. A word that fits between Dictatorship and Autocracy is sorely needed. ( What would it be)?

And a very valid point you make Yuyutsu. I’m not interested enough to think of an alternative; maybe you can come up with one, which leads to the question; how do we invent a truly Democratic alternative?

#… A word that fits between Dictatorship and Autocracy is sorely needed. ( What would it be)?…#

The epiphany! There is a beautifully fitting phrase that fits; “Deep State”. Which is of course the burial ground of Democracy!

And much to his credit, Trump is in the process of blowing up: Or is he just repainting the old room for summer. Time will tell!

It wasnt compulsory or preferential voting that beat the lieberals.
It was their complete incompetence and idiocy.
Their denial of climate change and a nuclear fantasy.
Their admiration for trump and their parroting of right wing culture wars from the US.
Their friendliness with the likes of fat clive, giant gina and the red headed racist put people off as well.

Stop your whiney snowflake whingeing about how the voters got it wrong and how wonderful potato head was and how faulty our democracy is and just get on with your sad little life watching the sky night time murduppets for the next three years.