One would have to say, after thinking about the state of Australian politics I can only conclude that we do not have democracy at all.
What do we have? Dictatorship? Think about it.

How many times has a political party imposed somebody onto an electorate to run as a candidate for that election?

With the current amount of known branch stacking (corruption), there really is no democratic involvement except for those who have selected the candidate.
Thus given the lack of involvement in pre selection other than by key party members it cannot be said that such a process is democratic at all.

Have you ever seen or heard from your local member except at election time?

People at election time vote normally for the party as they have no idea about candidates, and it seems that’s the message that is always pushed is that one political party is better than the other, usually based on the national leader's image rather than the local candidate and local policies.

So what? It seems that political parties place people into these areas or electorates that do not have a sitting member or candidate or change the electorate boundaries to maximise advantage or minimise damage. This is not for the benefit of the people in the electorate, but to advantage that political party.

Question time in parliament demonstrates the lack of accountability as no questions are ever answered with those forced to reply using each supposed answer to gabble party lines for no reason other than arrogance or their own entertainment.

With this also, when there is a vote it is plain to see that party dictatorship in action as one side will mostly vote for and the other against no matter whether it is good or bad country. This is amply demonstrated by John Howard's repetitive statements that MP's loyalty belongs to the party room first and foremost.

Therefore, what we have here is ingrained dictatorship of the parties, which shows that democracy is dead by any measure, but something new is coming and will replace this dictatorship once and for all.

Hi tapp,

But we live in a democratic dictatorship, we are allowed to vote for the dictator we want :-)

Most of ours lives are controlled in one way or another if we allow them to be .. tv, radio, advertising, politicians etc.,

We live in an interesting 'Matrix' type world, where we actually believe that we have freedom but our freedoms are controlled by the powers that be.

There’s nothing like pouring out the soul tapp.

I think you’ve done it tremendously well. And I agree that there is some kind of looming replacement for what we presently thing we imagine is a democracy.

So, if we went and asked the people’s action party of Labor, just which road they are going to take us on, once past the fork, we might get an answer. But I doubt it. Perhaps therein lies the answer. The answer we had to have, but which they couldn’t tell us peasants.

And your point about politicians –the elected ones anyway- being visible, or out there in the community, is another indicator of the tools in the authoritarian closet. In my area, some do appear, even in schools. Now, they avoid the big kids schools and playgrounds like the plague – accountability is not the hallmark of an authoritarian. But they are willing and able, after quite some secret preparation and clearing of the decks, to turn up at kiddys kinder, boys schools and generally hang around the children of the realm. They even have the brassery to appear in glossy brochures and photos with said kiddies. Ordinarily, this kind of behaviour would be condemned. But because it is a political fiddle, not an apparent physical one, nothing is done to redirect the power thrust.

Mao introduced Middle Schools, the street activists of his era were from these.

One would have noticed that what i have written hasnt been fully understood, but then you get those who just wish to bypass what was written and say something else.

Our candidates are there to represent their electorates and thus vote independatly when this is not right.

If candidates are there only to boost numbers and to give the boss the party the power then we really have nothing but a dictatorship in government.

What you will find a change is coming for the people to be represented for the people by the people and candidates who live in those comunities not just shifted in with the right to stand and be heard without being blind obedient to a party policy.

Actually the internet can be the source of a true democracy,however without perfect knowledge of how both the economy and Govt works,the results for us nationally,could be devestating.

If the masses have the power to implement policies without professional skills and knowledge,then we will be in a worse predicament then we now face.

The reality is that we have to vote in people who have the knowledge and skills to represent us.To make them more accountable,job security should equal that of private enterprise.If we make the rewards comeasurate with their failures,then we will all get better results.

No Not necesarily

Those that stand for the comunity only need to be honest i know one of those words which brings distrust but there are advise which even those in government use.

It is CDF which brings to find solutions and not political gain.

People are suposadly there to represent each and every person in the electorates but this they do not
They are shackled by their own political party to do as you are told whether you like it or not.

Government should not have to have a conscience vote for the members to disagree or agree.

If its wrong stand against if its good and right stand for .

Not this party dictatorship that is there.