on 09-09-2013 07:27 AM
That is how many votes one party apparently got to win a Senate seat and possibly be able to decide on yours and my future.
29% of the votes is all one sitting mp got yet he will now win his seat....
Now I really do not mind anyone winning a seat... congratulations... BUT I feel there is a major flaw in the system when not only does 1900 votes gets you a seat at the major decision making table and just over 1/4 of the votes wins you a seat when the other person gets over 40% of the votes.
Is it time we change to first past the post or is this preferential system a good thing and allows micro parties to have a say?
on 09-09-2013 07:38 AM
When I saw the subject, I immediately thought that the PM elect had decreed that we should all put our minds back to that era for his new government to operate effectively.
on 09-09-2013 07:41 AM
nah he's a groover and shaker - its 1950's we're headed for.
on 09-09-2013 07:48 AM
Palmer???
oh well, you can't win them all
on 09-09-2013 07:55 AM
on 09-09-2013 07:56 AM
Hi Em
on 09-09-2013 07:56 AM
Interesting point the first past the post, I'm sure the ALP would've loved that at the 2001 Election, they got the majority of the primary votes att, the Coalition gained government via the preference system.
on 09-09-2013 07:59 AM
Full electoral reform was discussed before the election by BOTH parties. Also the computerisation of voting is being looked at to stop the labor practice of multiple voting.
Labor won't like this because the preference deals got many of their failed MP's over the line at the expense of the voters wishes. They won't like it because of the back room deals with the toxic Greens who saved many of them.
We will be bombarded with one eyed divisive comment on here because the left are bitter in defeat & have no grace in their remarks. One only has to look to the quite churlish remark Rudd made in his concession speech.
Liberal/National party has been given a stonking mandate to govern by the majority of the voters but the bitter lemons of Labor served up is what will happen.
They will get apoplectic before they can see the light on the hill again, if ever.
We will be witness to the writhing torturous bloodletting or will we? will they hide it just like they hid the chaos & dysfunction of KRudd until they could take no more? no? because they rewarded him AGAIN with a 2nd prime ministership, they foisted him on Australia AGAIN.
One wonders just what kind of moral failure, loss of ethical core beliefs drove them to do this again knowing how much they loathed him & how poisonous he was to the public the 1st time round.
on 09-09-2013 08:02 AM
I think I agree with you cat. I can't see how these micro and special interest parties can vote in the senate on issues they did not go to the electorate with. Not sure what the answer is though.
When and why did all these special interest groups suddenly sprout, does anyone have any theories? I don't recall there being this many before (except for the first ACT election after self government came in, when we had, among others, the No Self Government Party, there to elect themselves out of a job, the Sun Ripened Warm Tomato Party, and the Party, Party, Party Party)
on 09-09-2013 08:05 AM