Nicely put Forrest.

I left a message on Wyatt’s website notifying him of this OLO discussion a couple of days ago. I also sent him a personal email.

But alas, neither he nor anyone on his behalf has responded.

Good to see you effecting a connection between the OLOverse of opinion and the real world of domestic politics, Ludwig. Election campaigns can tend to become pretty hectic for candidates with only voluntary helpers. I'm sure nevertheless that your message and email will have been noted, and will be acknowledged in due course.




Now, Wyatt, about that target you will, as from 12 noon next Thursday until Saturday 21 August, be figuratively wearing, courtesy of that Great Champion of the People, the Central Office of the Australian Electoral Commission, and the dullards of the previous Parliament who failed to take any corrective action in amending Section 154 of the Commonwealth Electoral Act.

What you could do, Wyatt, is wear one literally for that interval. Yours you could quietly wear with pride, like a red badge of courage, for there are, even if not terrorists, definitely wingnuts (THAT word again. Gotta keep doing my bit, ain't I!) out there. But in saying 'yours' you could rightly infer that I see more of these targets, these red badges of courage, being made available to be worn by other candidates (if they have the courage, that is) for this interval of time.

For those candidates who were members of the last Parliament, they could be worn, if they have the courage, with shame, for they could so easily have fixed this disgraceful legislative blunder to no one's political advantage or disadvantage.

Wyatt, I reckon you should put 'em all on the spot, and make one available to every candidate, Australia-wide, at these elections. You could call them Section 154 targets (a la the army range targets, Figure 13 - outline of man lying down facing shooter, or Figure 11 - outline of man standing). You could design them to be concentrically circular, black in the centre, red to the outside, about the size of a Flanders poppy, on a white background on which could be printed, at the bottom, simply the words 'Section 154'.

A talking point.

You could bring focus upon the real issue at these elections, Wyatt, electoral mechanics.

Ludwig, I've got it! A plan that is absolutely brilliant, even if I do say so myself. One that is fiendishly clever! The people of Australia will love it.



Providentially, with Wyatt Roy's candidacy, the Coalition may well have stumbled upon the very means of its return to government at the upcoming elections. Up until now, the Coalition would have stumbled upon just about anything, but now there is a new bright light on the scene, and the end of the tunnel in sight.

All it would take (provided it, as a collective of sitting members and aspirant candidates, has got what it takes) is a deliberate and unanimous decision to go to the elections leaderless!

Stunningly unorthodox!

Paralysingly confusing to its political opponents and the commentariat alike!

Killing many birds, as well as an electoral Goliath, with just one well-slung stone!

But how could a major political party go to the people without a leader? Well, there is such a thing as a chain of command. The Coalition still has its same old same old deputy-leader of the Opposition able to act in a co-ordinative role for this likely (and hopefully) brief interregnum. As to not being able to speak as to policy during that time, well, the Coalition was already going to the people without much in the way of policy being known with any certainty, so what's to lose?

The people of Australia would have a right to know who they should expect might become their alternative PM before they vote though, wouldn't they? And here is where the fiendish cleverness strikes home.



The Coalition sitting members and aspirant candidates formally make a commitment that, if the Coalition wins enough seats to form a government at the elections, it will be Wyatt Roy, if elected as the member for Longman, that will be calling upon the Governor-General on Monday 23 August 2010.




That should stand the system on its head!

http://www.freedomtodiffer.com/freedom_to_differ/2010/07/q-weekend-article-on-wyatt-roy-the-coalition-kid.html

As in every thread where attention to detail is important, we must make a small, but relevant, detour to correct a slight (entirely understandable) mis-statement.

OLO userID 'Severin' posted earlier, on Sunday, 18 July 2010 at 5:42:58 PM, that:

"... As a matter of fact I'd happily vote
for a particularly capable 12 year old
[Audrey Ahmer] we all met on this forum
a few days ago."

Not quite so, Severin.

What Audrey originally posted (on the 'help out a school kid? easy 1-2 minute questionnaire' topic) http://forum.onlineopinion.com.au/thread.asp?discussion=3791 , was:

"I'm a year 12 student [-] politics."

That would in all likelihood place her in the 16, 17, or 18-year-old cohort of the population, Severin. As such, that would entitle her to be upon, even though unlikely yet, perhaps, to be able to vote, the electoral roll for her Division, as a provisional enrollee.

It would be particularly interesting to know how many of us in the OLOverse of opinionation were/are aware of the fact that 16-year-olds are now lawfully able to be upon the electoral rolls as provisional electors. It seems to me that this change to electoral law has been kept relatively quiet. See: http://www.comlaw.gov.au/ComLaw/legislation/act1.nsf/framelodgmentattachments/71640FB013A9A734CA25776200169BCA

http://www.onlineopinion.com.au/view.asp?article=9605

http://forum.onlineopinion.com.au/thread.asp?article=9605#154715

The Electoral and Referendum Amendment (Modernisation and Other Measures) Act 2010, Act No. 110 of 2010, received the Royal assent on 14 July 2010. Bastille Day. Vive la France! Vive la Linux! Morte a les chevaux Trojans!

Act No. 110 of 2010 permitted 16-year-olds to be, as provisional electors, upon the electoral rolls!

Now the question is, Wyatt, when the AEC publishes the number of electors enrolled in Longman as an opening entry upon the VTR for 'Election 2010', will it, or will it not (as the law requires), include those who are provisional electors? Undoubtedly the 'certified lists' (the rolls on the table in polling places) won't, but that's not my question.

I'll be the first to admit to there being a certain madness to my method, Wyatt, but don't let that put you off. I reckon your candidacy is the best thing to have happened in Rortsville, er, I mean Longman, sinced sliced bread.

It is fortuitous for the party that has endorsed you that the public can read about your friendship with Patrick Hall, and your taking upon yourself many of the responsibilities of a carer for someone suffering a disability from the age of 13. That speaks as to the character aspect of fitness for the task of being member for Longman.

It is fortuitous because of the impact that recent, but not yet widely known, legislation imposing foreshadowed income quarantining, from 2011, upon many in situations of the like that Patrick appears to be in, will have upon potentially millions of less well off Australians. It is reassuring to know someone with first-hand experience of such situations may be in the Parliament. The problem being that Tony Abbott has said that he would impose such a regime straight away, was the Coalition to be returned to government under his leadership. That could well be electoral poison for the Coalition.

Superimposed upon this proposal is the discovery of a defective alteration to the Constitution, that of the insertion of placitum (xxiiiA) in 1946, that seemingly none on either side of Parliament has noticed for 64 years, a defect that doubtless Big Pharma of the US will now exploit mercilessly under the terms of the US/Australia Free Trade Agreement to the detriment of millions of Australians presently assisted by the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme.

So continue campaigning, Wyatt, to the best of your ability. You could do no worse in Parliament than many who have gone before you, while there is every prospect you would do much better. Meantime lets see if Julie Bishop is prepared to do 'whatever it takes' to co-ordinate my fiendishly clever, stunningly unorthodox, paralysingly confusing plan, as seemingly it is the fashion for Deputy leaders these days to do.

To Yarralumla!

By golly, Wyatt, Professor Flint is talking about your electorate here: http://australianconservative.com/2010/08/fraud-and-the-election-high-court-challenge/

The second paragraph reads:

"Legislation in the eighties allowed for a generous
seven day period, ostensibly to make voting easier.
But critics said this latitude opened the door to more
fraud. Some even alleged that this was its very purpose.
They said the Electoral Commission was inundated in the
seven days with an unmanageable flood of registrations,
many of which would be removed well after they had cast
their secret ballots when it was found they were unknown
at the place registered. In one celebrated Queensland
instance registrations were found to have been made for
electors residing on both sides of a very long road one
side of which was a waterfront without dwellings."

The Queensland instance referred to was on Bribie Island, if I'm not mistaken. You ought to talk to former investigative journalist Bob Bottom about that one, I think he now resides in your part of the world.

You might also ponder the potential significance in Longman of the observations made in this OLO post: http://forum.onlineopinion.com.au/thread.asp?discussion=3840#94748 , and the post following.