bilby
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On July 2, Australians go to the polls.
Yes, that's July 2 2016 - we don't have a year of craziness like the Americans do
This election is a double dissolution election, so all of the Senate seats are up for grabs, as well as all of the seats in the House of Representatives. Big changes are possible - but the polling suggests that neither major party will dominate the Reps, with a hung parliament, or a small majority for one or other of the two main parties, as the most likely outcome. The Greens may well end up with the balance of power, but it is certainly possible for either Labor or the coalition (Liberal, National, and Liberal National) to achieve a slim majority.
That makes the Senate poll more important - and this year is the first election under completely new rules for Senate voting.
In the old system, you could just mark one box on the Senate paper, nominating your favourite party; and your vote would be counted according to that party's declared 'ticket' (these were displayed at polling booths, but few people bothered to read them). Or you could vote 'below the line', numbering your preferences for every candidate - and there are typically a LOT of senate candidates.
The new system requires you to choose your own preference flows - you can vote for six (or more) parties, in preference order; or for twelve (or more) individual candidates.
Of course, many voters won't read the new rules, or care about them; will mark a '1' above the line as they always have in the past; and will not have their vote counted at all. Which makes the Senate race even more important for those who cast a valid ballot.
There are 37 groups listed on the Senate ballot for the July 2nd Australian Federal Election in my state (Queensland). Of these, There are three that I would consider giving my direct support, and another three to whom I will tolerate giving my preferences. The remaining 31 groups are all fascists, fanatics, lunatics, or the LNP. What a bunch of nutters.
The current Queensland Senators are six from the Liberal National Party of Queensland, four from the Australian Labor Party, one from The Greens, and Glen Lazarus, who was elected for the Palmer United Party, resigned and now sits as an Independent, and who is running his own party, the Glenn Lazarus Team, in this election.
With 122 candidates in total on the Queensland Senate paper, it will be the size of a bedsheet. And yet the vast majority of these candidates are crazies, monomaniacs, or personality cultists.
The Senate parties/groupings in this state (2 candidates each, except as marked):
Australian Cyclists Party
The Arts Party
Secular Party of Australia
Australian Labor Party (6 candidates)
Liberal Democrats
Online Direct Democracy - (Empowering the People!)
Liberal National Party of Queensland (8 candidates)
Animal Justice Party
Katter's Australian Party
Marriage Equality
Mature Australia
Nick Xenophon Team
Pirate Party Australia
Australian Liberty Alliance (3 candidates)
Derryn Hinch's Justice Party
Citizens Electoral Council
Shooters, Fishers and Farmers
Voice of Multicultural Australia (unendorsed - Group R)
Democratic Labour Party (DLP)
Family First (4 candidates)
Renewable Energy Party
Australian Sex Party/ Marijuana (HEMP) Party (3 Candidates: 2 ASP, 1 HEMP)
VOTEFLUX.ORG | Upgrade Democracy!
Pauline Hanson's One Nation (4 Candidates)
Rise Up Australia Party
Socialist Equality Party
Christian Democratic Party (Fred Nile Group)
Palmer United Party
Glenn Lazarus Team (3 candidates)
Jacqui Lambie Network
Australian Progressives
Australian Christians
Drug Law Reform
Health Australia Party
CountryMinded
Veterans Party
The Greens (12 candidates)
Sustainable Australia
...plus 19 Independent/Ungrouped candidates.
Of course, as the new system for the Senate hasn't yet been tested, there is some debate as to whether it will favour the major parties, or the minors and independents. My hunch is that the number of 'informal' (invalid) papers will be huge, as people vote 1 above the line, as was allowed in the old system. Perhaps that will skew the result towards groupings and parties whose supporters can read and follow instructions reliably, which could be very hard on Pauline Hanson's One Nation and the Jaquie Lambie Network
Yes, that's July 2 2016 - we don't have a year of craziness like the Americans do
This election is a double dissolution election, so all of the Senate seats are up for grabs, as well as all of the seats in the House of Representatives. Big changes are possible - but the polling suggests that neither major party will dominate the Reps, with a hung parliament, or a small majority for one or other of the two main parties, as the most likely outcome. The Greens may well end up with the balance of power, but it is certainly possible for either Labor or the coalition (Liberal, National, and Liberal National) to achieve a slim majority.
That makes the Senate poll more important - and this year is the first election under completely new rules for Senate voting.
In the old system, you could just mark one box on the Senate paper, nominating your favourite party; and your vote would be counted according to that party's declared 'ticket' (these were displayed at polling booths, but few people bothered to read them). Or you could vote 'below the line', numbering your preferences for every candidate - and there are typically a LOT of senate candidates.
The new system requires you to choose your own preference flows - you can vote for six (or more) parties, in preference order; or for twelve (or more) individual candidates.
Of course, many voters won't read the new rules, or care about them; will mark a '1' above the line as they always have in the past; and will not have their vote counted at all. Which makes the Senate race even more important for those who cast a valid ballot.
There are 37 groups listed on the Senate ballot for the July 2nd Australian Federal Election in my state (Queensland). Of these, There are three that I would consider giving my direct support, and another three to whom I will tolerate giving my preferences. The remaining 31 groups are all fascists, fanatics, lunatics, or the LNP. What a bunch of nutters.
The current Queensland Senators are six from the Liberal National Party of Queensland, four from the Australian Labor Party, one from The Greens, and Glen Lazarus, who was elected for the Palmer United Party, resigned and now sits as an Independent, and who is running his own party, the Glenn Lazarus Team, in this election.
With 122 candidates in total on the Queensland Senate paper, it will be the size of a bedsheet. And yet the vast majority of these candidates are crazies, monomaniacs, or personality cultists.
The Senate parties/groupings in this state (2 candidates each, except as marked):
Australian Cyclists Party
The Arts Party
Secular Party of Australia
Australian Labor Party (6 candidates)
Liberal Democrats
Online Direct Democracy - (Empowering the People!)
Liberal National Party of Queensland (8 candidates)
Animal Justice Party
Katter's Australian Party
Marriage Equality
Mature Australia
Nick Xenophon Team
Pirate Party Australia
Australian Liberty Alliance (3 candidates)
Derryn Hinch's Justice Party
Citizens Electoral Council
Shooters, Fishers and Farmers
Voice of Multicultural Australia (unendorsed - Group R)
Democratic Labour Party (DLP)
Family First (4 candidates)
Renewable Energy Party
Australian Sex Party/ Marijuana (HEMP) Party (3 Candidates: 2 ASP, 1 HEMP)
VOTEFLUX.ORG | Upgrade Democracy!
Pauline Hanson's One Nation (4 Candidates)
Rise Up Australia Party
Socialist Equality Party
Christian Democratic Party (Fred Nile Group)
Palmer United Party
Glenn Lazarus Team (3 candidates)
Jacqui Lambie Network
Australian Progressives
Australian Christians
Drug Law Reform
Health Australia Party
CountryMinded
Veterans Party
The Greens (12 candidates)
Sustainable Australia
...plus 19 Independent/Ungrouped candidates.
Of course, as the new system for the Senate hasn't yet been tested, there is some debate as to whether it will favour the major parties, or the minors and independents. My hunch is that the number of 'informal' (invalid) papers will be huge, as people vote 1 above the line, as was allowed in the old system. Perhaps that will skew the result towards groupings and parties whose supporters can read and follow instructions reliably, which could be very hard on Pauline Hanson's One Nation and the Jaquie Lambie Network
