Thanks Eddy and David. Appreciated your insights over the campaign. Your commentary is fair.
While I don’t dispute the result under the current system, I do not agree that the House of Representatives represents the diversity of opinion in Australia.
The results show that with 65% of the population voting for someone else other than the Governing Party, you can win over 60% of the seats. The ALP is laughing all the way to the bank with this one. We know the minimum (for now) you need is 32.6% for a majority and now with 34.75% you can crush the Parliamentary opposition.
The obvious negatives will be zero oversight in the Lower House parliamentary committees. Considerable Dorothy Dixers will come thick and fast too. Thank goodness for a proportionally representative (better) Senate.
I think this result shows the voting system is broken. It is hardly better than First Past the Post. It was naive of me to think we could reach minority government because in the end the duopoly will protect each other.
After the electoral ‘reforms’ come into effect next election, expect it even harder to mount a challenge as the independents and minor parties are squeezed out.
Will some good legislation be passed? Perhaps. The PMs obvious disdain for the Greens and personal attacks on former Greens MPs do not give me confidence the Government will seek to legislate alongside them.
Hi John. Those figures are problematic as you state. I’m organising an interview which might go further into these ideas. In any case the fact that 2/3rds of the population hasn’t voted for a major party is indicative of a major decline in party affiliation. DL
Thanks Eddy and David. Appreciated your insights over the campaign. Your commentary is fair.
While I don’t dispute the result under the current system, I do not agree that the House of Representatives represents the diversity of opinion in Australia.
The results show that with 65% of the population voting for someone else other than the Governing Party, you can win over 60% of the seats. The ALP is laughing all the way to the bank with this one. We know the minimum (for now) you need is 32.6% for a majority and now with 34.75% you can crush the Parliamentary opposition.
The obvious negatives will be zero oversight in the Lower House parliamentary committees. Considerable Dorothy Dixers will come thick and fast too. Thank goodness for a proportionally representative (better) Senate.
I think this result shows the voting system is broken. It is hardly better than First Past the Post. It was naive of me to think we could reach minority government because in the end the duopoly will protect each other.
After the electoral ‘reforms’ come into effect next election, expect it even harder to mount a challenge as the independents and minor parties are squeezed out.
Will some good legislation be passed? Perhaps. The PMs obvious disdain for the Greens and personal attacks on former Greens MPs do not give me confidence the Government will seek to legislate alongside them.
Hi John. Those figures are problematic as you state. I’m organising an interview which might go further into these ideas. In any case the fact that 2/3rds of the population hasn’t voted for a major party is indicative of a major decline in party affiliation. DL