Australian federal election: 7 September

[cobl04]

Round and Round - Super Best Friends (Official Music Video) - YouTube

[Kieran McConville]

Originally Posted by Kieran McConville

If a Labor government depends on a(n entirely hypothetical) Socialist and/or Green bloc to pass basic legislation, then, maybe, yes.

Doesn't the last parliament, for all the bad blood and bullshit on both sides, provide an example of a policy that a free-agent Labor administration would probably have avoided (carbon tax)? The pokie reforms, had they been an agreed demand among the whole suite of independents, probably would have had a happier fate too. Maybe Wilkie should consider that.

To develop this thought-bubble a bit further; I wouldn't pretend that I would necessarily vote for such an entity, an Australian Socialist Party. In all likelihood I wouldn't. But something like that should exist. Politics is magnetic. You see the window drifting always to the right, well, let me suggest that a Labor Party operating in an environment populated by strong movements of the further left might be a somewhat different entity to one competing for a moveable 'centre'.

[cobl04]

I think I've finally figured out the difference between the Senate and the House of Reps - in the House of Reps you are voting for someone to represent your area on a national level, whereas in the Senate you are voting for someone to represent your state on a national level? Is this right?

[Kieran McConville]

Close enough. The senate is the 'states house', that was its rough intent, like the US version.

[cobl04]

I got my postal vote today so I'm just pouring over it now and researching parties.

Rise Up Australia seemed reasonable on first glance - a party for people "from all ethnic backgrounds" upholding Australian values. President was born in Sri Lanka, nominated for Aussie of the Year in 2007.

Then I clicked on the same-sex marriage part of their website and quoted in full is some batshit insane article condemning it. And the president is a "prominent human rights advocate"!

[Axver]

Plus, y'know, they're rabidly anti-Muslim. Nalliah is a fucking nut, and a hypocrite to boot. Anti-immigration and anti-multiculturalism despite his own origin.

[cobl04]

How come you can't vote above the line for the Liberal Democrats, One Nation, Smokers Rights, Australian Republicans or Stop The Greens?

[cobl04]

And when is the last time a hilarious minor party got a seat in the Senate?

[Axver]

Oh, and Nalliah was the nut who claimed he had a vision that Black Saturday was God's punishment for Victoria's abortion laws.

Originally Posted by cobl04

How come you can't vote above the line for the Liberal Democrats, One Nation, Smokers Rights, Australian Republicans or Stop The Greens?

Because they did not submit a Group Voting Ticket - in other words, if people could vote above the line for them, there would be no preference flow to allocate to their vote. So they've really shot themselves in the foot; anybody who wants to vote 1 for them HAS to vote below the line. (Bizarrely, although I haven't comprehensively checked them, at least some of those parties DID submit GVTs in other states.)

[Irvine511]

I have nothing to add to this thread, but it is entertaining and informative.

[Axver]

Originally Posted by cobl04

And when is the last time a hilarious minor party got a seat in the Senate?

Didn't notice this last night - the Democratic Labour Party, 2010 for Victoria. We're very good at accidentally electing small far-right parties due to unusual preference flows. Nobody took the DLP's John Madigan seriously and then suddenly he was in.

This year, there's a good likelihood that at least one of Katter's Australia Party in Queensland, the Nick Xenophon Group (formerly No Pokies) in South Australia, and either One Nation or the Shooters & Fishers in NSW could get one member. Greens might get screwed over by this. I've seen some polling that suggests Nick Xenophon and friends could even get two in SA but I don't know how likely that is, and I wouldn't put a couple of KAP Senators past Queensland if the place goes really nuts - especially as the ALP in Queensland is preferencing KAP ahead of the Greens.

[Axver]

Just in case you were unsure whether or not Barnaby Joyce is completely bonkers, here's the proof. He's preferencing Fred Nile's Christian Democrats second, One Nation above both the ALP and Greens, and the Citizens Electoral Council above the Greens: Joyce favours One Nation ahead of ALP | The Australian

In direct defiance of Coalition policy too! So it'll probably get the support of absolute morons who think "that Barnaby really says what he thinks and nobody holds him back!" He should just run as an independent; he only supports National or Coalition policy when it suits him. At least Katter was honest enough to leave the Nats and stand as an independent before founding KAP.

[Kieran McConville]

Second debate tonight.

"I'd like to answer that question in two ways if I may; firstly in my normal voice, and then in a kind of silly high-pitched squeal which I've developed..."

[Axver]

Odds of anything new or interesting being said during the debate: 10,000 to 1.

[Vlad n U 2]

Still better comedy value than Big Brother or anything of the like.

[Kieran McConville]

Actually this one is supposed to be 'town hall' style, so you never know, maybe some fireworks.

[Vlad n U 2]

Perhaps a few airborne sandwiches.

[cobl04]

The journo/editor in question later apologised on Twitter, and Therese Rein accepted it, but still, how low's this?

The Orstrahyun: Murdoch Media Reach Grim, New Low - Federal Election 2013 - Day FFS

[Kieran McConville]

I'm thinking of registering a batty microparty with the acronym 'FEMUR'. Now all I have to do is work out what the heck it stands for.

...too late?

[Kieran McConville]

Originally Posted by cobl04

The journo/editor in question later apologised on Twitter, and Therese Rein accepted it, but still, how low's this?

The Orstrahyun: Murdoch Media Reach Grim, New Low - Federal Election 2013 - Day FFS

Tim Wilson is that twat from the Institute of Public Affairs, who if memory serves me is the ABC's go-to-guy when they need to 'balance' one of their talking head panels.