Dear Paul,

«turnout was less than 30%»

Even fewer played golf and turnout for Australian football must have been even less - how shameful that so many show disinterest and refuse to play the Australian game: let them be dragged out there along with their babies, all nursing-home residents and the ill out of hospitals, nay even the corpses of the dead must be brought out of the ground in order to demonstrate their solidarity with the election of Australia's Big Brother - lest people discover the tyrant he really is and how many people this naked emperor truly represents.

«streamline the system to include on line voting»

This would be great in a voluntary setting, but with compulsory voting it might force people to act against their conscience as the computer would not allow them to complete the vote unless they preferenced one particular evil over another, which they find morally repugnant.

Paul,

I fail to see a problem. If only 30% vote, it means that there is a 70% donkey vote otherwise.

Shadow, a little education for you, a "donkey vote" is a valid vote where the voter, starting at the top, numbers the ballot paper downwards 1,2,3,4,5 etc in order. Liberal Party candidates crave the top position on the ballot paper as the majority of their supporters are donkeys and vote accordingly.
No 70% just didn't bother to turn up and vote at all.

Paul,

A little education for you is that everyone including the greens prefers the top spot on the ballot precisely because the huge number of donkey votes, which wouldn't be an issue without the idiotic compulsory voting.

I am aware of the correct definition of donkey vote, but it is also used colloquially as a vote made carelessly without regard to the issues, which would accurately describe the 70% who typically wouldn't bother to turn up.

There are 196 countries in the world. Only 22 of those countries have compulsory voting. So, we are in the minority. Compulsory voting is, in my view, is undemocratic. Having said that, I can't find any excuse not to vote, but people should have the right to abstain, and they have to put are with what voters decide.

Rubbish Shadow, your like Rudd and his "fair shake of the sauce bottle" you got it wrong! Now compounding your ignorance with nonsense, obviously a political newbie, with no experience at all. A donkey vote is exactly as I have said. Nothing to do with not fronting up to vote.
Now if you don'turn up in the first place then pray tell how do you "vote made carelessly without regard to the issues, which would accurately describe the 70% who typically wouldn't bother to turn up." THEY NEVER VOTED AT ALL, CARELESSLY OR OTHERWISE!

Shadow, what political experience do you actually have, other than once attending a Liberal Party meeting, and having tea and scones with the old ladies of the 'blue rinse' set?