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[tanuja]

This is the first time I can vote in Australia, however I am in a dilemma. I don't like either of the 2 major political party's leaders, neither have announced any real policies (2 weeks to the election and I still don't know what the parties stand for

Comments

[pigsnout000]

It's worth noting that in the House of Representatives election you do not have to number the box of your last preference.

In the Senate, you only have to number 90% of boxes if you vote below the line. In Victoria, you have 60 declared Senate candidates. Thus, you only have to number 54 boxes to make your vote formal. Unfortunately, there are 7 candidates from Family First and One Nation so you would have to give a preference to a least one of them. Hope that helps.

[tanuja]

You hero - I was planning on voting below the line, and no one has told me that I only have to vote for 90% of the candidates. You're right, I do have to vote for one of Family First, One Nation and/or The Climate Sceptics (another party I can't find anything in common with. Thank you :)

[pipibluestockin]

Easy, you give a reasonable minority party the first vote.

The whole point is to give the 2 major parties a kick in the ribs. All the statistics coming out of this will be over analysed and it is a way of smacking both noses.

Then you start choosing the from the 2 major parties unless one has really pissed you off, then put it last.

Occasionally you need to keep the last slot for a party that is dangerously nutbar/religious or both.

Finally, never vote for the 2 major parties in the senate. Why give them an easy ride to muck around with the system? We used to have Democrats (until they imploded a few years back). They were too small to do good in the lower house but they rocked in the senate. Their slogan was "Keep the bastards honest". The Greens appear to be filling that vacuum.

[tanuja]

I like that idea as well, thank you.

Are the Democrats the same as the Democratic Labour Party?

[pipibluestockin]

You want the Australian Democrats http://www.democrats.org.au/

The Democratic Labour Party appear to be in the nutbar category. http://www.dlp.org.au/index.php?page=judeo-christian-principles
http://www.dlp.org.au/index.php?page=distributism
Anti-abortion... etc
It's an entertaining read for the wrong reasons.

Another alternative is The Greens http://greens.org.au/
Last time they ended up as the main wedge between the two major parties in the Senate.

[momsalive1]

***points up***

Clearly, this is way more complicated than our system! I wonder if we could handle it....

Whatever you decide to do, give yourself a gold star for caring enough to think it through.

[tanuja]

Thank you - I work on the "if I don't vote, I really can't complain about the government", plus it's compulsory in Australia, so I'd get fined if I didn't!

[weekendwench]

Wow you ahve been there long enough to vote now? Scarey.

[tanuja]

Yes, we've been here for nearly 4 years, we became Australians last June. Still can't support them in rugby or cricket though ;)

[pipibluestockin]

I forgot to add the Australian Electoral Commission
http://www.aec.gov.au/

It's chock full of impartial information and how/where to vote stuff.

[tanuja]

Thank goodness, I didn't realise how much the Australian Labour Party swung towards the "mad as mackerels" end of politics. We were thinking about voting early tomorrow, but it may take too long.

Have you seen the below the line website? A friend forwarded it to me...

https://www.belowtheline.org.au/

It's one of the reasons why I'd like to vote below the line.

[pipibluestockin]

For myself, I voted yesterday and put me out of my misery.

I don't bother with below the line. I don't know how many boxes have to be filled in Vic, but there is 87 in NSW and I'm lazy.

As for Australian Labour Party, Australian Democrats, Liberal Democrats, and Labour Democrats... read carefully and carry a sharp pencil.

[pipibluestockin]

That was me above.