The best liar

[echnidna]

The other day on the radio someone asked a taxi driver who would win the election and he said "the best liar"

In a few hours we will all know who the best liar is!!

[DavidG]

Johnny the ****

[bitingmidge]

Or alternatively, we worked out who he was and didn't vote for him!

Shouldn't that have read best liars? After all we are voting for a swag of different people round the country?

Actually on a non-political (well non-party-political) soapbox is anyone else as peeved as I am that their vote never counts? I have lived in four electorates in my life, spanning three political colours and have always had a dominant sitting member to vote for.

Currently my guy holds something like 54% of the primary vote, so my vote doesn't matter a jot one way or another. (Well it registers the "swing", but that won't help me!)

So while fixing the world, why don't we lobby to get rid of the term and attitude opposition. IF my MHR was on the non-governing side of the house, I didn't vote for him to OPPOSE, I voted for him to represent me in GOVERNMENT!!

Why the non governing party (and I stress of any colour) has to waste all that energy opposing stuff instead of constructively working to get the best result is beyond my simple comprehension.

Ahh that feels better, even if this thread is DOOMED!

Cheers,

P

[ernknot]

It's doomed because you make sense. There is no sense in politics. To explain the reasons why you have no say is because politicians hijacked their authority from the tribes many many years ago. Read a book titled " Guns Germs and Steel" it explains all.

[Ben from Vic.]

At my house we always share a bit of a smile when the two parties agree on something.

Thats all. Can't add any more to what you said Midge except to say that I agree.


Ben.

[Sturdee]

At my house we always share a bit of a smile when the two parties agree on something.

So you smile when the pollies vote to increase their salaries or perks because that is the only time they ever agree. I usually weep when that happens as it costs us even more money to keep them.

BTW Midge I am in the same position as you with our electorate.


Peter.

[journeyman Mick]

Jumped in the car today and the radio came on. It was on an ABC station and people were calling in about the election. Apparently some of the polling booths were very crowded early on and someone had suggested "shopping around" to find quieter ones. A bloke rang up to say that one could shop around and find less crowded ones, but unfortunately they were all selling the same goods! :( .
Staying at the in-laws at the moment( :( ) and they spent the better part of the day handing out "how to vote" cards and the rest of the day (and night-still at it) watching the results on TV. Personally I think I'd find watching paint dry morte edifying.

Mick

[vsquizz]

So thats what was going on today, I was having a bugger of a time getting a cricket score.:D

Cheers

[graemet]

It doesn't matter who you vote for, it's always a politician that gets in!
Graeme

[jow104]

In the British parliament all members get a lucky dip(ha ha) they have a personal chance to put forward a bill (law) because they were choosen by lottery to promote their own wish. It still requires a majority vote of course to succeed in the parliament.
Wouldn't it be good if all electors had the same opportunity, electors would then get issues discussed that the public wanted and not politicans.

[jackiew]

heard some political commentator this morning when they were spouting off about why labour didn't do to well .... the gist of it was " they've put forward the same election policies for 4 elections, it didn't work the 3 previous times so why should it have worked this time".

If you follow this through the Greens in Tasmania should promote logging of old growth forests because it would increase their chance of being elected even though its totally against what the party was formed for.

The goal is seemingly to win at all costs even it means selling out.

Its the first time I've voted here .... the proportional representation system seems a bit clunky but at least whoever gets in in each electorate did have a majority voting for them if not first preference then at least second or third preference. My experience in the uk seemed to be that my member of parliament had been voted for by less than half of their electorate ... the majority of the votes having been split between the opposition parties.

[echnidna]

"Wouldn't it be good if all electors had the same opportunity, electors would then get issues discussed that the public wanted and not politicans."

Then these forums could run the country,

[Zed]

more importantly, I jogged to the school for my turn at voting and I must say I looked wonderful in my spandex pants. Unlike a politician you could believe my bulge - (Ie "what you see is what you get").... :D

theres nothing like outrunning/leaping over the fence to avoid all those politico flunkies handing out waste paper at the gates.... :mad: :mad: :mad:

When I jogged in some chickie tried to sell me donuts and by mistake I belted into her full tilt, hurt me ankle - who said exercise was good for ya ? :confused:

we should do what the pommies did in ww2 - the opposition and govt got together to run the joint - wouldnt that be a nice thing for a change rather than " he's got a bigger office than I have...."

[HappyHammer]

heard some political commentator this morning when they were spouting off about why labour didn't do to well .... the gist of it was " they've put forward the same election policies for 4 elections, it didn't work the 3 previous times so why should it have worked this time".

If you follow this through the Greens in Tasmania should promote logging of old growth forests because it would increase their chance of being elected even though its totally against what the party was formed for.

The goal is seemingly to win at all costs even it means selling out.

That's exactly what Tony Blair did to get in.

HH.

[barnsey]

All I can say is we should get rid of compulsory vote - It only encourages the mongrels - did you see how many budding parasites were on those pieces of white paper. :eek:

Bet if it was like the local footy club where all positions were voluntary you'd be flat out getting any more than were needed. And for politicians, they should only get paid at the next election if they've actually done anything :mad:

[silentC]

I did a pre-poll vote 'cause I was going bush for 3 days (good timing on my part). I went to the council chambers on Thursday to cast my vote. Only 2 other people there. No searching through the role for your name, no producing ID. Just fill in a form with your name and address. They didn't even ask for a reason. In and out in about 30 seconds. I'll be 'going bush' again next election I think.

[HappyHammer]

All I can say is we should get rid of compulsory vote - It only encourages the mongrels - did you see how many budding parasites were on those pieces of white paper. :eek: I think compulsory voting is a good thing, if you don't vote you don't have a right to spout crap without having done something about it by at least having voted IMHO......unless you're a conscientious objector:D

SC, I'm going bush next time too, me the wife and two kids queuing to vote was terrible especially as I couldn't justify having one of the snags and onions cooking on the BBQ at 9am in the morning as I'd just had brekky, why don't they tell you there'll be snags on the copious pre election advertising then you could plan and skip breakfast:mad:

HH

[Ben from Vic.]

Can anyone explain to me how an Absentee (sp?) Vote works?

It always amuses me to be asked "do you want to do an absentee vote?"
And then to see the table marked Absentee Vote.

If your absent, how do you vote????? :confused: :o


Then there's the other clasic line "Have you voted anyware else today?"

Yes, I enjoy standing in line with other people's squirming kids and the torturous smell of the BBQ just after breakie on my saturday morning.


Ben.

[Sturdee]

Can anyone explain to me how an Absentee (sp?) Vote works?

Then there's the other clasic line "Have you voted anyware else today?"



Ben,

An absentee voter is someone who votes at a polling booth ouside their own electorate. Did it once and it was a lot of effort, easier to do a pre poll voite.


They ask that question so at a later stage you can't use the defence that you didn't know that you are only allowed to vote once. The electoral office checks all the rolls used and if you are marked of more than once they prosecute the offender.


Peter.

[ozwinner]

Then there's the other clasic line "Have you voted anyware else today?"
Ben.When I answered all casual, " nah not yet " I got a lecture about how Im not allowed too. :confused:

So why ask me??

Al, Al, Al, Al, Al, Al, Al, Al :D

[PlanePig]

IF WE ARE A DEMOC[K]RACY, WHY IS IT COMPULSORY TO VOTE ??????
Planepig.

[bitingmidge]

IF WE ARE A DEMOC[K]RACY, WHY IS IT COMPULSORY TO VOTE ??????
Planepig.

Ah well then there's the conspiracy point of view. How better to keep track of who is in the country and where they live.

That is, all the honest citizens, or the ones that haven't been caught yet.

Those with criminal records, or who are not citizens never get checked because they aren't allowed to vote.

Are they STILL following us??

P :cool:

[Ben from Vic.]

How better to keep track of who is in the country and where they live.

I wrang up the AEC to find out what electorate I live in, the woman on the other end of the phone only asked what state I live in, first name last name and middle name, and that was it, that's all she needed.

And I suspect that the middle name was just to make sure I was who I said I am.


Ben.

[jackiew]

Ben while you were at it you should have checked they had your phone number right so johnny could send you his automatic message.

Did anyone get one of these recorded phone messages? I'm glad I didn't cos I would have felt compelled to ring their party office at intervals after office hours filling up THEIR answer machine with drivel ( and I'm far to mean to want to pay for the phonecalls ).

I'm still feeling aggrieved at having reported a fault to the local council using my work phone number as contact number and having the council workman ring me on my silent home number ( with no record of him having tried ringing me at work ).

[Sturdee]

IF WE ARE A DEMOC[K]RACY, WHY IS IT COMPULSORY TO VOTE ??????
Planepig.

Planepig,

It is NOT and NEVER has been compulsory to vote in this country. However it is a right of all citizens to participate in deciding who may govern us. And if you have had any experience of living in a totalitarian state, where citizens have no rights, you wouldn't shout your ignorance at us. :mad:

FYI it is only compulsory to attend a polling booth, have your attendance marked, receive a ballot paper and place it in the ballot box. Whether you fill in the ballot papers and thus vote is entirely your decision. But that is voluntary.

We may not like our government but at least we have the freedom to do so. That is because we have a democracy where the majority decides.

Peter.

[barnsey]

Then there's the other clasic line "Have you voted anyware else today?"

Ben.

I've always wanted to answer that with "Yeah but I'm only half way through the list of names and addresses that the XXX party gave me" :D

Have this thought that the reponse might be like shouting to the passenger in the front of the plane "Hi Jack" :rolleyes:

[silentC]

FYI it is only compulsory to attend a polling booth, have your attendance marked, receive a ballot paper and place it in the ballot box.
... and that's only compulsory if you are enrolled to vote ;)

[jackiew]

have to say that having been effectively disenfranchised for 6 years it was nice to have the right to vote.

Trying to get a postal vote in the uk was a joke .... the department which sent out the forms for overseas voters to vote wouldn't send them to an overseas address!!! and failed to send the form to a UK address I suggested. The High Commission here had either run out or didn't have any in the first place.

I was brought up with the knowledge that women had died in order to give me the right to vote. A politically active teacher at my school used to despair when she door-knocked ( do they do that here? ) encouraging people to vote for her chosen party and women would go off to consult their husbands and find which way they were going to vote!

[Ben from Vic.]

when she door-knocked ( do they do that here? ) encouraging people to vote for her chosen party

I think this kind of behaviour would encourage grevis bodily harm if it were to start over here.

As well as being a complete waist of time.

We are a stuborn bunch.


Ben.

[AlexS]

I was brought up with the knowledge that women had died in order to give me the right to vote. A politically active teacher at my school used to despair when she door-knocked ( do they do that here? ) encouraging people to vote for her chosen party and women would go off to consult their husbands and find which way they were going to vote!

My grandmother, who was born when Queen victoria was on the throne and was ultra-conservative in every other way, reckoned her right to vote in her own right was so hard-won and important, that she wouldn't tell her husband how she voted.

[silentC]

I always consult with my wife on who I should vote for :o

[HappyHammer]

Trying to get a postal vote in the uk was a joke .... the department which sent out the forms for overseas voters to vote wouldn't send them to an overseas address!!! and failed to send the form to a UK address I suggested. The High Commission here had either run out or didn't have any in the first place.

Why were you trying to vote in the UK in the first place? Did you intend going back at some stage? I wouldn't be happy with "ex-citizens" voting on policies that weren't going to affect them directly....:p

[jackiew]

wasn't an ex-citizen when I was voting ... was legally entitled to vote ( which said government department wasn't arguing about ) and am a dual citizen now.

from a british embassy website ....

" If you are a British citizen over 18 years of age living abroad, but you have been registered to vote in the UK within the last 15 years, you can apply to be an overseas voter (or overseas “elector”). If you were younger than 18 years of age when you left the UK, your parent or guardian must have been registered.

Once registered as an overseas voter, you are entitled to vote in elections to the UK and European Parliaments, but not UK local government elections or elections for the Scottish Parliament, the Welsh Assembly or the Northern Ireland Assembly.

For further information and to register as an overseas voter, download and complete the electoral registration form for British citizens living overseas and return it to the Electoral Registration Office covering the address where you were last registered to vote in the UK (the addresses are also available on the website).

If you would like to vote by post or by proxy, you can complete either the postal or proxy vote application form that accompanies the registration form."

at the time I last tried to vote the form wasn't downloadable unfortunately.

There may be circumstances when I would have no choice but to go back to the uk to live for a while ( something happening to my elderly parents or my son etc etc ) . In addition I have pension entitlements in the uk and other financial interests there. I would be seriously stupid if I didn't care what happened there.

From the AEC website ... similar arrangements exist for Australians living overseas

"Registering as an overseas elector if enrolled

If you are enrolled and intend to leave Australia within the next 3 months or left Australia less than 3 years ago, and intend to return to Australia within 6 years, you may be able to register as an overseas elector to ensure your name remains on the roll. "