My son votes Green. He's concerned about the future of his children. I voted Labor, I was concerned about the future of my retirement. My parents voted Liberal because they were told that the communists were coming. I don't know what party in the future my grandson will support. It could be something new.

I watch Parliament in 'Question Time,' and we hear 'those on the other side.' Now if someone asked us for directions would we say,
'those on the other side, do not read maps, have no idea where they are going and have been lost since they started.' or would we be polite and tell them, 'this is the direction the sign is above your head.'

Don't forget that sooner or later they too will be on the 'other side,' and will not appreciate being there.

In Australia elections have too many candidates resulting in a split between left and right. Unfortunately, there is only one right wing party favoured by voters whereas those of the left persuasion are split between a number of candidates resulting with the right-wing usually winning. I live in an electorate where that is happening continuously. I believe that preferences are an attempt to equalise the voters choice and this can't be all that bad.

RObert you tickle me,yes you are a conservative, with a good sense of humor too.
My very point is, BECAUSE WE HAVE PREFERENTIAL VOTING.
My preference counts, how often would you put Labor second?
Knowing it becomes your only counting vote if they finish in front of your vote.
Mt rudeness, inability to reason, a host of wrongs, grows as my ideas seem, rightly so, to target the greens/family first Wilkie.
See I know my ideas threaten Greens, but still, rudely dumbly say that is my wish.
I want majority views via majority rule.
Party's, ALP and Conservative, in their own interests, tell voters how to preference,I never follow it.
I never want one more lost sole to enter any part of Parliament on preferences those giving them, DID NOT UNDERSTAND gave a seat to a fool.
Bob Brown openly says he does not want preference deals, lets help him for fairness and equity vote once only and rid our selves of a senate that forces 88% to run deal with 12% or fail .

http://blogs.theaustralian.news.com.au/mumble/index.php/theaustralian/comments/on_putting_the_greens_last/
Posting a link from a paper I have no respect for is probably a weak thing for me to do.
Given however two people I actually like, make it 3, are questioning my balance shown in expressing my belief.
Given Morgan linked me with Shadow Minister,I confess I share his concerns, for different reasons about the greens.
Let this link if nothing else,prove I am not the inventor of these thoughts and,,, hard as it is,more share them than not.

hope im not on of the '3'

anyhow belly said...""I wanted to UNDERLINE my thoughts
preferential voting,..not even understood by far too many,
put people in the house..and senate
that...Australian voters did not intend to put into power""

so lets backtrack

*PREFERential voting*
means you the voter CAN vote twice
first vote is counted first...and the L0WEST vote number

drops out of the vote
and its preferance vote then gets taken over
according to the order number we chose

these votes get added to the other's
if again no one has the numbers
the last place looses their vote...

their preferences are given to the others..
again and again..till one has over half the votes

[if they voted for a number 2...
[or voted for the pary lines number two]
or anyother...not put last..others get your vote 'preferances'

its able to be exploited
like many dummies run..to get a protest vote
putting their preferance as number two...

so when they come last
the vote still goes to their cronies

anyhow thats sort of how it goes
you make a deal...SELL YOUR VOTE*
with preferances..the one you put last...wont get your vote

in the present time..both parties prefer giving their last vote to each other...[and the greens got in]...next time they both will be putting the greens last

and thats the end of the greens
[thats why you hate preferential voting belly]
you hate the greens..MORE than you hate tony*

preferntial voting is important
how the other way [one vote one value]..cheats
is the most votes wins...[ie if three candidates...ie lab/lib/green]

then the greens can get in with 34%..of the vote
if 6 candidates...22%..would do it
if 20..then as little as 5% could rule it over you

beware listening to the bell ring his warning
we got the best voting system...[once we outlaw the parties]

Yes it is as you say One Under God.
But I think you know, many do not understand the system.
I have gone back to the page I linked to, and read every post in reply.
About 3 supported greens, 4 maybe 5 thought the conservatives should use the system, for that matter they, and The ALP do.
In NSW the lower chamber, we can just vote one, or give our preferences.
For just this debate, think with me on this, you and I are in the seat Andrew Wilkie won.
I am a sports man type,play poker machines so am unlikely to vote for him and vote surprise! ALP.
You swallow your dislike of party's and vote conservative.
Both your vote, and mine, HAD TO FILL IN ALL THE BOXES OR NOT BE COUNTED.
We both backed party's with more primary [first choice] votes than Wilkie.
Yet he won?
Can we agree many,maybe a lot, did not understand, their first choice vote was not the vote that counted, it became,via a system I dislike, the second choice that put someone in a seat over the one we both voted for.
Democracy?

Belly I do agree the preferences should be optional.

Which ever way you come at it though, preferences or not in a seat where no one person get's more than 50% of the primary vote the majority will have a rep who was not their first choice. At least with prefererences the rep is someone the majority chose over the other alternatives.

3 people like Jane, detest Bill and Peta and don't mind Sam.
3 people like Bill, detest Jane and Peta but don't mind Sam.
2 people like Sam, detest Jane and Bill and don't mind Peta
1 person likes Peta, does not mind Bill and detests Sam and Jane

3 people are Ok or happy if Jane is elected
4 people are Ok or happy if Bill is elected
8 people are Ok or happy if Sam is elected
3 people are Ok ir happy if Peta is elected

Who should win? Take your preference out if you like but leave me mine thanks. BTW I voted for Jane with my 2nd preference going to Sam.
I've not tried to work through 3rd and 4th preferences, just complicates things.

R0bert