Nathsan,

If the only way to vote - even during a pandemic - was in-person At voting stations, yes, I would full agree with the initiative of this thread. People should exercise their precious democratic right to vote.

But if it's possible to vote by post, with all of the common safeguards, then I don't see why in-person voting is even necessary at all, except to demonstrate to the world that people patently participate, they get out there and make it clear that they are using one of their democratic rights, for all the world to witness.

Voting by post is surely no more likely to be fraudulent than voting 'in person' ?

And of course, in a pandemic, anybody who doesn't wish to catch, or spread the virus, should be able to vote by post from home.

None of this is rocket science.

Joe

ttbn,

"Only Australia, Fiji and Papu New Guinea have preferential voting. That says a lot."

Yes, it does, some countries are even more democratic in their voting and have Proportional Representation. What's your idea of a better system?

Is Mise,

First past the post, and the ability to elect our own leader, not leave it to politicians. I am embarrassed by the similarity (preferential voting) with two Third World countries, one rotten with corruption, and the other given to military coups. On second thoughts, maybe a coup is what's needed here to break the Coalition/Labor grip on power :).

Most of us don't know anything about the political representative we vote for. He or she is rarely heard of, in the electorate or in parliament, after an election. We know the Prime Minister better, via the media. The local party representatives (they represent the party, not you, except for the rare independent) are like elves are to Father Christmas. We are supposed to have "cabinet government" - Malcolm Turnbull ignored that - but, in reality, the PM is the boss or, at least, he gets the biggest say, and he is recognised globally as our leader; yet, we do not get to say who he or she will be - the position is decided by party colleagues.

I wonder how many voters, Coalition and Labor, would have chosen the PMs that we have had over the last 20 years if they were given the choice.

One last thing. A leader elected directly by us should be able to override tin pot state premiers. That the present mate-elected pansy doesn't have the power to open state borders for the good of the country is a bloody disgrace.

Ttbn,

That's the Constitution, mate :)

Yes, obviously, there should be nation-wide co-ordinating bodies for emergencies like the bushfires and the virus.

NZ has it lucky, with not only one single government, but only one single house of parliament. But then it gets complicated.
Joe