What influences your vote...?

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Originally Posted by pawnhead

There's only two things that are certain (death and taxes), and there are only two things that you have to do in this country. Vote, and fill out a census. You don't even have to pay taxes if you live as a hermit in a cave eating witchetty grubs.

I can see the reasoning behind a census, but you shouldn't have to vote if you don't want to. If you don't care enough to, then the people who do care carry more influence which is the way that it should be.

It's true, especially in my case, that your vote makes no difference. I'm in a blue ribbon Liberal seat and I'm damned if I'm going to waste my time going to the polls. I'm tempted to write on my letter of explanation that I just couldn't be bothered, but I don't want a fine, so I'll just make up some BS like I always do.

Call me a deadbeat if you want. :q

I suspect that this will be a long thread.

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For me there's only one thing I have to do - I'm not allowed to vote.

Who ever I think will do the least damage. :~

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Originally Posted by Brown Dog

Im in the same situation as Pawnhead....my vote means stuff all. I live in a seat that requires one of the largest swings in the state to change the sitting member.

But seeing as I have to vote...I always follow a piece of advice my old man (who worked with politicians face to face every day until he retired) gave me.....always vote for the party in opposition :D.

cheers
BD:rolleyes:

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Ive had similar advice in the past, if you are in a marginal seat vote for whomever you want, if you are in a safe seat vote against the sitting member. That way more seats will become marginal and hopefully we will get their attention.

Not to stir a possum, but I simply cannot understand mandatory voting. It strikes me as absolutely ludicrous. At least here the people who don't give a toss don't influence the outcome. :?

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Originally Posted by Honorary Bloke

Not to stir a possum, but I simply cannot understand mandatory voting. It strikes me as absolutely ludicrous. At least here the people who don't give a toss don't influence the outcome. :?

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I think it's good 'cause no-one can bitch and moan they didn't have thier say at the ballot box. It also makes some, not all, think about it rather than sit on their fat butts and do nothing.

I think a compulsory vote in the US would throw up some interesting outcomes like a female or black president.

HH.

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Originally Posted by Honorary Bloke

Not to stir a possum, but I simply cannot understand mandatory voting. It strikes me as absolutely ludicrous. At least here the people who don't give a toss don't influence the outcome. :?

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Originally Posted by HappyHammer

I think it's good 'cause no-one can bitch and moan they didn't have thier say at the ballot box. It also makes some, not all, think about it rather than sit on their fat butts and do nothing.

I think a compulsory vote in the US would throw up some interesting outcomes like a female or black president.

HH.

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Not voting is their say at the ballot box, Though I will say it isnt compulsory voting. It is compulsory attendance to a polling booth. once you have had your name marked off the roll you can legally proceed to the ballot boxes and insert the blank voting sheet into the ballot box.

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Originally Posted by Honorary Bloke

Not to stir a possum, but I simply cannot understand mandatory voting. It strikes me as absolutely ludicrous. At least here the people who don't give a toss don't influence the outcome. :?

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It also does away with the "ferrying" system, here the parties don't have to transport reluctant and/or unwilling voters to the polling booth.

Having only willing/interested voters doesn't necessarily ensure that an intelligent leader is elected, your fearless leader just attended an OPEC meeting in Austria:2tsup:

G'day,

A strong history of economic management - only only party offers that :2tsup: , the other yobbos had my folks paying 19% on their home loan. :((

If the economy is in the right hands everything else follows after that.

I live in proberly the only seat to have always voted labour, :(( we have never had any other federal member and as such get stuff all , one mob know they are going to get in and the other mob know they wont .
So in the house of reps always vote against them hoping one day we will be a swinging seat :cool:
In the senate I go for who I feel will do the best job for Australia :2tsup:

We are similar to ashore in a rock solid NP/Lib electorate with the NP holding the federal seat for decades. You've got to wonder if we put a labor bloke in for a term how it would effect funding of the region next time round.

Waldo don't get to excited about interest rates they ended up being broken as a result of the 19% cracking the inflation nut, not by anything the current lot did. We also have a massive current account deficit and have undergone a period of housing inflation both of which put structural weaknesses into the economy. These can't be slated to one party and are not really on the radar at the moment, and wont be while we remain in a resources boom.

My vote will be to the party with some vision to the future on global warming and some plan to reduce our current account problems which means less consumption of overseas goods and more home grown production. A bit more honesty and a lot less spin would go down well also.

John

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Originally Posted by johnc

A bit more honesty and a lot less spin would go down well also.

John

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From politions " tell him he dreaming"
:D

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Originally Posted by johnc

We also have a massive current account deficit and have undergone a period of housing inflation both of which put structural weaknesses into the economy. John

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G'day John,

But we've paid off the inherited national debt from business reports that I've seen, it's the states that still have us in debt - Victoria being the worst. Housing, well that's not a political responsibility of either of the two major parties - unless you include stamp duty - which is a state thing.

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Originally Posted by Waldo

Housing, well that's not a political responsibility of either of the two major parties - unless you include stamp duty - which is a state thing.

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Unless their policies have caused the housing inflation, then it is their responsibility. The problem is the solution would be political suicide, so no-one will ever do it

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Originally Posted by johnc

some vision to the future on global warming and
some plan to reduce our current account problems which means
less consumption of overseas goods and more home grown production.
A bit more honesty and a lot less spin would go down well also.
John

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Well, you won't be voting for either of the major parties then!

Hate to say it, but I vote for the party I hate the least, and I often vote for an outsider who might be prepared to make a stand, but they hardly ever get up.

woodbe.

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Originally Posted by Waldo

the other yobbos had my folks paying 19% on their home loan. :((

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Is that actually better or worse now? You need to remember that back then, the average loan was a lot less money - so to achieve the same effect, then interest rates had to be higher. They don't need to rise that high any more to have quite massive impacts on repayments.

To illustrate - 19% of $100,000 is $19,000

7.8% of $250,000 is $19,500

Yes, inflation and wage growth complicates things a bit, but you'd have to agree, focusing on the rate alone is rather pointless.