Pauline should cosy up to some rich Chinese like the other parties do.

Brian Ross wrote on Feb 7^th, 2018 at 9:34pm:



All funding should be cut from all parties and independents. Nothing more than political grubs ripping off the taxpayer.

I do my bit to prevent this scam, what do you do>?

Brian Ross wrote on Feb 8^th, 2018 at 2:27pm:


Yeah we are so democratic that we are the ONLY first world democracy that forces people to vote with the threat of criminal punishment.

We are so democratic that we are one of the very few first world democracies that deny our citizens codified human rights.

You are a fkken idiot if you think being forced to vote is a valid democratic process.

BigOl64 wrote on Feb 8^th, 2018 at 2:32pm:


Well, include me in your denunciation, then, old bean.

It's called compulsory voting but it is only compulsory turning up.  I think it's a very, very good idea for the simple reason of legitimacy.

If you look at countries with voluntary voting, there is increasing discontent about legitimacy because the voter turnout is too low,  and diminishing every year, to truly say that the elected person is a real representative of the majority will in society.

The legitimacy of laws made in Australia are not disputed because Parliaments and their members are legitimate, having been elected by universal, compulsory suffrage. Constitutional amendments likewise.

Australian citizenship confers many rights and privileges. To have a few duties or obligation in exchange, like participating in the national decision making (and thereby taking at least some responsibility for the way things are) is a very small price.


Australian citizens have an obligation to:
• obey the law;
• defend Australia should the need arise; and
• vote in federal and state or territory elections, and in referenda
http://www.homeaffairs.gov.au/Citizenship/Documents/your-right-your-responsibili...


Notice the nexus between the first and third point.  But if it's too much, you can always renounce your citizenship.

Frank wrote on Feb 8^th, 2018 at 5:12pm:


"Under the Electoral Act, the actual duty of the elector is to attend a polling place, have their name marked off the certified list, receive a ballot paper and take it to an individual voting booth, mark it, fold the ballot paper and place it in the ballot box.

"It is not the case, as some people have claimed, that it is only compulsory to attend the polling place and have your name marked off, and this has been upheld by a number of legal decisions:

"High Court 1926 – Judd v McKeon (1926) 38 CLR 380

"Supreme Court of Victoria 1970 – Lubcke v Little [1970] VR 807

"High Court 1971 – Faderson v Bridger (1971) 126 CLR 271

"Supreme Court of Queensland 1974 – Krosch v Springbell; ex parte

"Krosch [1974] QdR 107

"ACT Supreme Court 1981 – O'Brien v Warden (1981) 37 ACTR 13"

Having been a Electoral official at what, four federal elections and half a dozen different state ones, I can tell you, you are not made to vote.  Indeed, the instructions to the polling staff are that you are required to mark the roll, next to the voter's name, make the ballot paper, before handing it to the voter.  If the voter refuses the ballot, you are then required to hand it to your superior.   Once the voter receives the ballot, they can go to the polling booth and mark it, however they wish, although there are instructions on the correct method to make it a valid vote.  They don't need to mark it if they don't desire, either. They are then required to insert it into the ballot box and leave the polling station.

At no point is an electoral official to stand over the elector and make them mark the ballot paper.   No one makes you vote.  All that is physically required of you is for you to have your name marked off the electoral roll.

The High Court may believe otherwise but there is a disconnect between what actually occurs and what they believe should occur.   Voting is, in Australia, actually voluntary, no matter what they and anybody else says until il Duce Dutton puts an electoral official in each polling booth and forces the voters to mark their ballot paper.   

greggerypeccary wrote on Feb 8^th, 2018 at 6:09pm:


And no one checks that you have...