Glitch said..

Who to vote for? When we voted for Kev we got Jules. When we voted for Jules we get Kev. So when we vote for an Abbot ,do we get a Bishop or Joe or Malcolm.........

We should all be so lucky to get Malcolm!!!

r

whippingboy said..

We get Tony the pom ....

"We have a strong and credible broadband policy because the man who has devised it, the man who will implement it, virtually invented the internet in this country. Thank you so much Malcolm Turnbull,"

I liked Malcolm anyway, but that was before I knew he invented the internet in Australia. Now I reckon he's tops.

Jfunk said..

subasurf said..

You vote for the party, not the leader.

No, you vote for your local member. He/she is your representative in the Australian parliament.

The party system is a construct formed so like minded members could pass legislation when they had a majority of the numbers. The party system we live with and which has corrupted our political system does not exist in the constitution. It is just a convention that has been created by politicians. The office of PM is exactly the same.

If you want a decent political system, all you have to do is hold your local member accountable. They are beholden to you, not their party for their position. Imagine, politicians representing their electorate and doing their job.

Totally agree Jfunk. Nowhere in the Australian constitution is a party ever mentioned. However they dominate our politics, to our detriment. Representative democracy is a system of represention based on electors electing someone to represent them, not a party. Party politics is an anathema to representation and is more akin to mob rule than democracy.

The two major political parties and their elected MPs have more in common with each other than with the people they supposibly represent. Sure the grass roots of each party is different. However the actual members of the ALP and Liberals have a decreasing influence of their party. Whenever the members get in the way of the leaders, tactics like branch stacking make long standing membership irrelevant. No wonder membership of political parties is decreasing. Seems like the only people who join them now are those who hope to climb the greasy pole, lick some arses and get on the gravy train of the political system. While decent hard working Australians turn away from what has become and incredibly hypocritical and self serving system. The legislation they pass frees them to reward themselves and their organisation at the expense of the community who are their servants.

The only way parties and their bosses will ever get the message is if safe electorates, which are prizes and rewards for those who climb the political ladder, become marginal, flip the other way, or elect independent MPs. This is the only way MPs will start doing the job as it is under the consitition, representing the people, not the party.

I think the last person you want running the country is a corporate wanker. Heaven forbid politics in this country might end up looking like the surfing industry.

My vote is for Jobe Watson he seems like an honest bloke. Thats what they are all saying even though he is a drug cheat. He would fit the political bill just nice.

Edmund was right on the money I reckon. He summed it up just right for 1907. Nice to know we have come a long way in the last 100 years. I reckon that d**khead in Syria would attest to edmun's sermon at the moment.

Jfunk said..

No, you vote for your local member. He/she is your representative in the Australian parliament.

The party system is a construct formed so like minded members could pass legislation when they had a majority of the numbers. The party system we live with and which has corrupted our political system does not exist in the constitution. It is just a convention that has been created by politicians. The office of PM is exactly the same.

If you want a decent political system, all you have to do is hold your local member accountable. They are beholden to you, not their party for their position. Imagine, politicians representing their electorate and doing their job.

It was explained to me many years ago, that for an Aussie politician to give thier allegience to anything other than thier constituents and the country-[ for example- to a political party] is a treasonous offence.
Our constitution was apparently originally set up this way to prevent party politics taking hold and stuffing the country.

I dont know how accurate this is, anyone care to clarify?

Jfunk said..

No, you vote for your local member. He/she is your representative in the Australian parliament.

Absolutely correct!!

If you want a decent political system, all you have to do is hold your local member accountable. They are beholden to you, not their party for their position. Imagine, politicians representing their electorate and doing their job.

A pity we cannot go with the ancient Greek's system. The constituents would send their representative to parliament and if he did not re-present them the way they wanted, when he returned home, they would hang him or tar and feather him.

We then would not need the Democrats to "Keep the Bastards Honest".