Preferential voting is a fraud. The only way to change the system is to refuse to vote for any candidate. If enough people did that, something would be done. Writing 'none of these' on the ballot paper is not going to bring the country to a screeching halt, and it could do a lot of good. Other countries survive a single tick or cross against the name of one candidate; so can Australia.

ttbn,
yes but the average consumers will not want to step out of their comfort zone to make things better for all.

Prof. David Flint writes that “Turnbull’s time is up”, following the “ appalling Liberal Party performance in the five Super Saturday by-elections…”. If Turnbull remains the leader of the Liberal Party, Bill Shorten will be our next PM, no matter how bad for Australia that will be. Turnbull’s rabbiting on about the ‘history’ of by-elections tonight shows how stupid and unaware of reality he is - a “self-indulgent and ineffective campaigner”, whose policies are little different from Labor’s. So, why wouldn’t voters give Labor a go?

The only way for the Liberal party to survive (not just get re-elected) is to bring back Abbott and clean out the cabinet swamp.

individual,

You are right. Australian voters are not brave people.

Australian voters voted unanimously in these by-elections
for the strong locally based people that they felt will address
the problems in their areas. I don't think the
voters were concerned about party loyalties so much
as their local issues being addressed - mainly economic.

ttbn,
If the Libs will sink without Tony Abbott as leader, they definitely won't survive with him in charge. Shuffling deck chairs on the Titanic springs to mind - but as the coal bunker's on fire, that's just the tip of the iceberg!

Fortunately we have preferential voting: a genuinely democratic system where standing for parliament won't reduce your supporters' chance of deciding the winner. So even if the Libs become a minor party, you don't have to give your first preference to Labor to keep the Greens out!

This post will be a little off topic but I will return to subject soon, writing none of the above just see,s that not be counted,yes in my view one vote one value is the best system, however it would take many elections for voters to understand by voting small party their vote would, true, not count, unless the very rare election of such a lower house single person or party took place.my recipe for increasing the big two primary is within our current system, be honest, how many voters think 70 million in tax cuts right now is the wanted out come? how many thought the very deliberate death roll the ALP in Tasmania took, in trying to ban poker machines, yes yes know it for the most part is a good idea, BUT KNEW the instant it was tabled good intentions and bad policy had just handed the election to the other side,, some policy shed voters