We are forced to vote for fear of cancelled licence and $500 fine, but apparently it doesn't really matter, as the Polititians themselves vote what person runs Australia as Prime Minister. Its all too common now. I think this act is WRONG, if not ILLEGAL. Where do we draw the line? Before we know it, Labor only serves half a term, before the Liberals move in. I'm sick of being forced to mandatorily vote and all for nothing. So what if Rudd sucks (they all do?), he was the Public choice (no I didn't vote for him) and he should suffer the full term along with the party who put him there for the original contention. This is bordering upon 'mental abuse'.
Anyone else open for this discussion? This 'Mutiny on the Bounty' style of Politics has got to stop (the rot)!

This is the point of our system - we can get rid of the PM without an election. Putting too much power in the hands of one person is dangerous. Sooner or later you will elect a lunatic and want to get rid of him.

It is a good thing.

"We" as in the Public or "We" as in the Polititians themselves ??

Agree. Nothing against Gillard, but "we - the Public" did not put her there and if the 'Media' deems that they know how we feel then why should we all vote if the Media knows what we are thinking?
USA Polititians have to practically buy votes to give them the Right and Freedom to do what they like.
If we, the Public, are made/forced to vote, then our Political Industry must adhere to our (the Public) desires via Vote/Referendum
...this is where the RePublic debate comes into it.

a lot of the journos are leftist in this country. The Australian media is a political player with a two way relationship with the community. On one hand they go with what they perceive is the populist thing to say, and at the same time try to reinforce it and generate it in mirror-image so they get greater audience and establish themselves as an "authority" in the community.
I don't read, watch or listen to the Australian news media if I can help it. In respect of global matters there is much better information out there on the net. In respect of local matters, I can make up my own mind.
Good on you.

So FreeDiver (Yes I love to Dive too), you are saying a 'majority' of the Australian Population ...the voting population, rocked up to their local MP's and said "Drop Rudd, put in Gillard" and so the MPs, the Labor MP's (for starters) did the dirty upon a Political Leader who was strong upon an International Front and a United Nations, rather than United States one at that. A Political Leader who was a promotion of the Linguistics rather than the Spin Doctoring or Salesmanship of Politics that we have seen for many, many decades. A Political Leader who was hard upon his Staff (especially if they 'stuffed up') but soft upon us the Public. Like I said: I didn't vote Rudd in, but I can't help but think Australians are being shafted by a very rotten Political Industry that has just gone completely overboard.

Well I think Rudd and Murdoch exhibited obvious distaste for one another as Murdoch found that Rudd would rather serve the United Nations rather than Murdochs 'precious' United States. Murdoch has obviously helped put Rudd out of the picture.

rudd was put up as a vehicle to knock over Howard. Wasn't meant to be there at the end (although he thought he would be). They're doing it again, Gillard is being put up as a vehicle to knock over Abbott.
It worked before, they're going to do it again. I wonder what their plan for Gillard is into the first term. They've got huge deficits, they're going to have to blame someone.