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Federal Election
Oct. 2nd, 2004 04:40 pmTesting... testing... OK, looks like I can update in Opera. (Pity it keeps slipping in extra blank lines.)
Next weekend Australians will be off to the polls. When you approach the polling station, people from the various candidates will try to hand you how-to-vote information for their party. If you don't want this stuff, just say "No thank you" and keep walking. That's all you have to do. No-one will be offended by this - they'll already be looking for the next voter.
Many people find the handing-out embarrassing or confronting (or just plain annoying). Something like a third of voters only make their mind up when they're in the booth, so the parties have no choice but to hand out. If you're not sure who the candidates are in your area, you may need to take everyone's literature, particularly so you can see how your preferences will flow. You can find out ahead of time from the AEC Web site.
I'll be handing out for the Australian Democrats in Bennelong for candidate Peter Goldfinch. We're hoping that John Howard will lose his seat, even if the Liberals win the election - we're asking people to Put Howard Last on your ballot. Similarly, in the neighbouring electorate of Berowra, our candidate Margaret van de Weg asks you to Put Ruddock Last.
But I think our most important goal is to return the only Indigenous Australian in Parliament, Senator Aden Ridgeway - it's crucial that the balance of power in the Senate is not lost. If a major party wins both the House and the Senate, it will become a rubber stamp for their policies. It's in the Senate that minor parties like the Australia Democrats do their best work, amending and even blocking bad government legislation.
Next weekend Australians will be off to the polls. When you approach the polling station, people from the various candidates will try to hand you how-to-vote information for their party. If you don't want this stuff, just say "No thank you" and keep walking. That's all you have to do. No-one will be offended by this - they'll already be looking for the next voter.
Many people find the handing-out embarrassing or confronting (or just plain annoying). Something like a third of voters only make their mind up when they're in the booth, so the parties have no choice but to hand out. If you're not sure who the candidates are in your area, you may need to take everyone's literature, particularly so you can see how your preferences will flow. You can find out ahead of time from the AEC Web site.
I'll be handing out for the Australian Democrats in Bennelong for candidate Peter Goldfinch. We're hoping that John Howard will lose his seat, even if the Liberals win the election - we're asking people to Put Howard Last on your ballot. Similarly, in the neighbouring electorate of Berowra, our candidate Margaret van de Weg asks you to Put Ruddock Last.
But I think our most important goal is to return the only Indigenous Australian in Parliament, Senator Aden Ridgeway - it's crucial that the balance of power in the Senate is not lost. If a major party wins both the House and the Senate, it will become a rubber stamp for their policies. It's in the Senate that minor parties like the Australia Democrats do their best work, amending and even blocking bad government legislation.
