Micro party coalition to control the Senate

[Bushman]

Xenaphon is on board. He is looking to introduce a bill into parliament about the Senate

'Senator Xenophon believes it is time to do away with above the line voting which led to ridiculously complicated preference deals.

Similarly, below the line voting, requiring voters to number every box on the ballot paper, should also end.

"A better system would be to have only the below the line set-up, but not force voters to number every box," he said.

"Instead, they would be required to list their first six preferences and as many as they wanted after that."'

Sounds like a sensible plan to me ...

 

[Whiskers]

Xenaphon is on board. He is looking to introduce a bill into parliament about the Senate

'Senator Xenophon believes it is time to do away with above the line voting which led to ridiculously complicated preference deals.

Similarly, below the line voting, requiring voters to number every box on the ballot paper, should also end.

"A better system would be to have only the below the line set-up, but not force voters to number every box," he said.

"Instead, they would be required to list their first six preferences and as many as they wanted after that."'

Sounds like a sensible plan to me ...

Sounds a good and easy resolution of the problem to me.

 

[pixel]

Sounds a good and easy resolution of the problem to me.

In Canberra, that's reason enough that it'll never happen

 

[Smurf1976]

Sounds like a reasonable solution to me.

Having to number all the boxes I can live with, but "above the line" voting ought to be banned in my opinion.

 

[So_Cynical]

We need electronic voting terminals, at least a few in each polling place...i had to fill out 115 boxes so as to avoid my preference going to Hanson or some other right wing nutter.

-----------

The vast majority of the PUP and informal vote was a protest vote, Liberals that couldn't vote for Tony or Labor and Labor voters that couldn't vote for Labor or Tony...the Liberal Democrats was right wing nutters thinking they were voting Liberal.

The protest vote was more than twice the size of the primary swing against Labor and the Primary Swing to the LNP combined...so much for a mandate.

 

[drsmith]

The Senate count is still jumping around a bit.

The Sex Party is into the sixth spot in Tasmania with 91.46% of the vote counted.

 

[Whiskers]

The Senate count is still jumping around a bit.

The Sex Party is into the sixth spot in Tasmania with 91.46% of the vote counted.

What an indictment on our electoral system that we can have three senators taking away around $200,000 per year, whose main claim to office is Sex, Sport and Motoring Enthusiasts respectively!!!

I'm starting to wonder about Abbott and this Sports and Motoring Enthusiasts Party senators with the elevation of sport to the front bench of cabinet. :

Are we going to end up with a ministry of Sex on the front bench as well!!?

 

[drsmith]

Are we going to end up with a ministry of Sex on the front bench as well!!?

If we had that along with Labor's Ministry of Cities, we could have our own version of Sex In The City.

I wouldn't want to watch it though.

 

[Julia]

What an indictment on our electoral system that we can have three senators taking away around $200,000 per year, whose main claim to office is Sex, Sport and Motoring Enthusiasts respectively!!!

I'm starting to wonder about Abbott and this Sports and Motoring Enthusiasts Party senators with the elevation of sport to the front bench of cabinet. :

Are we going to end up with a ministry of Sex on the front bench as well!!?

.

However, I'm going to stick up for the Sports Senator. When I heard him discussing what he stands for, it's not sport as in elevating the importance of football eg (god knows, we don't need that!), but rather the promotion of physical exercise and healthy eating in an effort to counter the growing obesity problem.

He also made the point that they see organised exercise as helping to promote healthy, active, co-operative communities.
Sounds OK to me.

 

[Knobby22]

Hear, hear.
I like all the senators except the Victorian one who really is a typical 4WD meathead. I voted him near the bottom of the paper. I dislike the sex party who if you read their policies are really closer in allegiance to communists than the greens. I hope they don't get up in Tassie. You would think a party called the Sex Party would be all freedom and rights, not controllers and freedom takers.

 

[Calliope]

A KEY cross-bench senator has pleaded with Australian Motoring Enthusiast Party senator-elect Ricky Muir not to sell out the people who voted for him.

Democratic Labour Party senator John Madigan has also defended the rise of micro parties in the upper house, saying they played by the rules and deserved to be in parliament.

- See more at: http://www.theaustralian.com.au/new...y-fn3dxiwe-1226743278211#sthash.u9jmOeDJ.dpuf

Yes it would be a shame if the 4WD crazy 0.52% who gave him their first preference were let down.

WHO ELECTED RICKY MUIR TO THE SENATE?

You did, if you voted above the line for:

Palmer United Party
Sex Party
Family First
WikiLeaks
Rise Up Australia
Shooters and Fishers
DLP
Animal Justice
Help End Marijuana Prohibition
Aust Motoring Enthusiast Party
Aust Fishing and Lifestyle Party
Katter's Australian Party
Aust Independents
Senator on Line
No Carbon Tax Climate Sceptics
Bullet Train for Australia
Drug Law Reform
Stable Population Party
Building Australia Party
Australian Voice
Bank Reform Party
Citizen's Electoral Council
Stop CSG

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/federal-polit...senate-spot-20130909-2tfc4.html#ixzz2iDeboz5B

 

[sydboy007]

If they pushed for a Housing Policy along the lines to what Family First had then I can see this being good for the country.

When the current Dream team believe rising housing prices is good for us, well I shake my head in sorrow.

 

[drsmith]

WA Senate recount results announced and it's off to court it goes.

Australian Sports Party candidate Wayne Dropulich claimed the fifth spot, while Mr Ludlam claimed the final seat.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-11-02/aec-announces-wa-senate-results-amid-missing-ballots/5065974

 

[drsmith]

The Australian Electoral Commission is poised to join several political parties in asking the High Court to order an unprecedented re-run of the WA Senate election.The Australian Electoral Commission is poised to join several political parties in asking the High Court to order an unprecedented re-run of the WA Senate election.

http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/a/-/newshome/19678211/wa-set-for-senate-vote-re-run/

Not only that, a new election would see the electoral roll updated and the AEC call for fresh candidates according to the above article.

 

[drsmith]

The fate of the WA senate (re-election or not) will be known at high noon (EST) today.

 

[drsmith]

From earlier in the week,

Justice Kenneth Hayne found "the only relief appropriate is for the election to be declared void" because the loss of the ballot papers had prevented electors from voting.

The High Court has today ruled WA goes back to the polls for a new Senate election.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-02-20/high-court-decision-on-wa-senate-election/5272068

 

[drsmith]

http://media.smh.com.au/news/national-news/missing-wa-senate-ballots-found-5312090.html

It is April Fools Day.

 

[drsmith]

Another clanger by the AEC.

http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/wa/a/22346999/residents-to-vote-for-a-third-time/