"Not only do we need voter ID, we need a test for people's ability to cast an intelligent vote before they are allowed to do so."

You are on dangerous ground when you start demanding a test to be eligible to vote. What kind of test, who would conduct that test etc. This might suit someone with a totalitarian agenda, but its hardly democracy. Under the ttbn plan, lefties would be denied a vote, as would trade unionists, academics, all undesirables, right ttbn.

Democracy is only served when moderates are the only real choice. In Australia's case the two major parties disagree, but only on emphases and not on political direction. If Labor should win the election, and that's still only a possibility, then you will see no real change in direction, but they will tinker around the edges in some areas but leave the mechanism of power alone.

I'm not saying our system is a bad thing, in fact the benefits of stability outweigh the horrors of the alternative. What I want is as a nation, Australia to go further with reform than the two major parties are presently willing to contemplate. I want to see major reforms in education, health, housing, employment, taxation, external affairs etc. Australia can be a much fairer and egalitarian society without the necessity of overthrowing the present political system, but working within the boundaries of our liberal democracy to achieve better outcomes.

rache,

Yes. If they can't make a decision based on the past 9 years, they are voting only because it is compulsory to do so; they are not interested.

I love our tiered system of government and I firmly believe
that the voters do get it right in the end. BTW - I've
already voted!

"Not only do we need voter ID, we need a test for people's ability to cast an intelligent vote before they are allowed to do so."

Yeah that wipes out about 95% of voters
Hardly anyone even knows how to vote properly

So who's voting for Gollum?

What do you think is going to happen when AI starts making the decisions for our society based on sustainability?
People will get rated on their value to societ and then the AI will decides who gets what, and who lives and who dies.

A few points more indicative than anything coming from a debate:

.Andrew Bolt speaks of "the smell of death about the Liberals"
.Greg Sheridan says the Liberals have "given up"
.Compass polling finds that 55% of voters think that a hung parliament would be a good thing
.the same number of voters think that Australia’s C02 emissions are 10 times higher than they actually are

Ignorant and uncaring people should not be forced to vote. Most other countries are no off worse for having voluntary voting.

And, it is time for the Liberals to bend over and kiss their arses goodbye. Labor will not win: Liberals will lose, as they deserve to, thanks to Morrison and his mangey moderates. All we can hope now for is three years of horror from with Labor and the hope of a refurbished Coalition after even the dumbest of voters get the message.