Dear Bonmot,

Certainly, it is not feasible for most ordinary people to start their own party, so if one can give/take a little that's OK - but not when one needs to give/take too much. If you find a party that you can identify with at least 75-80% of their principles and policies, then better stick with it, which is what I do.

Yep, with you ... but there's the rub, and the conundrum we have here in Australia.

That 75-80% is nice Yuyu and that is what I do, too. However, the principles and policies (from all sides) is spun to a self-centered and selfish electorate, imho.

Who really is at fault ... the spin-ees (in their ignorance) or the spin-ers (in their self interest)?
Moreover, are the spin-ers deliberately 'dumbing down' the voters?

Perhaps that is why the electorate is becoming more and more angry - individually and collectively.

Yeah, who would want to be a politician anyway?

What bothers me the most about politicians' salaries is that they earn them regardless of:

1) Experience
2) Qualification
3) Performance

Realistically, they aren't even selected based on merit - particularly those propped up in 'safe' seats. Keeping a low profile can be the way to go when your sole selection criterion is that you haven't stuck your neck out an irritated the rusted-on party faithfuls in your electorate.

That said, it's a free country. If I'm willing to sell my soul and my integrity, I could probably join a party and eventually run as a candidate. Alas, I don't have the capital to put myself up as an independent.

Individual,
I have been that way for years now and particularly cynical about the major parties.

My usual voting pattern is to vote for an independant so as not to give the $2+ to a major. Usually toss a coin as to the major I put second last and last.

However not this time. AS I consider this to be the worst government since Federation I will do all I can to be rid of them. It is not just Gillard or Rudd, it is the whole lot of Labor politicians. Collectively they could not run a bath.

This time my vote will go to the Liberals. No matter what, they could not be worse than the current mob.

When a minister gets shifted to another portfolio is what gets me. They know zilch about it yet they become the head honcho ??
I really think it's high time the crowd (us voters) send a direct message to these maggots.
ALP is a proven failure, no point giving them any more votes, The Coalition should be given the benefit of the doubt but absolutely no leeway. Let's push for them to denounce this pay rise or they too need to be finished off. Bob Katter's crowd may prove to be still somewhat sensible, at least more than the Greens.
I'd like people to call on Katter to denounce this pay rise. Would they do it in return for votes ? I wonder if they read OLO and take note of the many sensible comments made here.
Why not ask them to donate the pay rise for a more worthy cause than themselves ?
Perhaps use the money to provide housing for the needy ? The party which denounces this pay rise will earn substantial respect from the electorate.

Sadly, it seems that we have now achieved REALITY in our political structure, and it is now glaringly apparent that this country is now being totally manipulated by a greedy bunch of thieving, spineless, two-faced rats, who are intent on milking the system until it runs dry!

In comparison to the obscenity of the latest Parliamentary hand-outs, I myself being an ex-serviceman, received my 6 monthly DFR&DB pension
increase, calculated by the ABS and equating to a CPI increase of .01%, awarding a princely sum of 74 CENTS! I am not complaining mind you, as there are a lot of folk out there losing their jobs and their futures, thanks to the greed of our (LOL) leaders!

I myself do NOT know what the answer to our problem is, short of a complete change of the system. Political Partys` have outworn their welcome, as have the Independents, which has been proved by the absolute mess they have helped to create in our current Parliament.
The Greens should all get back up in their trees where they all belong, hugging each other and doing the usual despicable things to each other that they are noted for!

I fear for the future of this country, our children, our grandchildren and their children, and I believe that we cannot survive much longer without suffering an internal economic and political collapse, which historically occurs in similar situations across the globe, and I cannot see that we are much different, apart from being relatively slow to become enraged and to react!