Accrington Web - View Single Post - Parliament needs to reflect the people it represents.

dotti34 · 13-04-2015, 09:28

I know this has nothing to do with your Parliament but thought it might be of interest. It’s on the subject of protest votes and how you have to be careful what you are aiming to prove. It can turn out worse than before.

This is what has happened here. At the last election for our Senate – which in Australia is the place where policies formed by the government are given the final yea or nay – people were feeling so let down by previous parties that some made their vote a protest one and voted for members of a newly-formed alternative party, probably thinking they would be the only ones voting for them. Made them feel good themselves but wouldn’t do any harm generally, just might send a message to the major parties. The ones they voted for couldn’t possibly get in. Right? WRONG!

We have a voting system which is based on preferential votes – and don’t ask me to explain the way it works as I wouldn’t have a clue. I’ve lived here 57 years and I still don’t fully understand it. We are told it’s the fairest voting system but I have serious doubts about that.

Because of the way this preferential voting works the protest vote backfired somewhat and six members of the new party with only a very small percentage of votes were elected to the Senate. I know, it’s crazy. These included a man who represented the Australian Motoring Enthusiasts Party, a woman who during a radio interview said her preference in a man is that he is rich and has a package between his legs, then asked a 22-year-old caller if he was well hung (a real class act!) – also warned our Prime Minister that she was after his job, told him he should eat cement and toughen up and called him a psychopath. Four other misfits (to my way of thinking) whose platform only represented a small number of people were also voted in.

What a shambles. If it weren’t so serious it would be hilarious. Five of the six have since left the Party they belonged to but are still in the Senate as Independents, and of course continue to get their huge salaries and all the perks that go with the job.

13-04-2015, 09:28	#49
dotti34 Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 1,189 Blog Entries: 80 Liked: 1480 times Rep Power: 833512	Re: Parliament needs to reflect the people it represents. I know this has nothing to do with your Parliament but thought it might be of interest. It’s on the subject of protest votes and how you have to be careful what you are aiming to prove. It can turn out worse than before. This is what has happened here. At the last election for our Senate – which in Australia is the place where policies formed by the government are given the final yea or nay – people were feeling so let down by previous parties that some made their vote a protest one and voted for members of a newly-formed alternative party, probably thinking they would be the only ones voting for them. Made them feel good themselves but wouldn’t do any harm generally, just might send a message to the major parties. The ones they voted for couldn’t possibly get in. Right? WRONG! We have a voting system which is based on preferential votes – and don’t ask me to explain the way it works as I wouldn’t have a clue. I’ve lived here 57 years and I still don’t fully understand it. We are told it’s the fairest voting system but I have serious doubts about that. Because of the way this preferential voting works the protest vote backfired somewhat and six members of the new party with only a very small percentage of votes were elected to the Senate. I know, it’s crazy. These included a man who represented the Australian Motoring Enthusiasts Party, a woman who during a radio interview said her preference in a man is that he is rich and has a package between his legs, then asked a 22-year-old caller if he was well hung (a real class act!) – also warned our Prime Minister that she was after his job, told him he should eat cement and toughen up and called him a psychopath. Four other misfits (to my way of thinking) whose platform only represented a small number of people were also voted in. What a shambles. If it weren’t so serious it would be hilarious. Five of the six have since left the Party they belonged to but are still in the Senate as Independents, and of course continue to get their huge salaries and all the perks that go with the job. Last edited by dotti34; 13-04-2015 at 09:35.