6 - # of Straya threads or # of times we've changed Prime Minister in a decade?

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It's been a marathon alright.

I kid, I kid, I thank you for putting in the hard yards, as they say, and now I feel genuinely better informed across the board than I might have done. And also a little depressed.
 
Thanks, I've really enjoyed writing it, even if it felt at times like I'd never finish - and I think I got obviously grumpier as it went along. In compiling the index I realised a couple of parties I reviewed earlier I gave more lenient recommendations than I would right now, and parties I reviewed late might have got off lighter earlier.

This evening I feel weird without anything to review, so I've been tinkering with my preferences, in particular reordering ALP and Coalition candidates to put at the bottom of the respective slates their candidates from the Shoppies and IPA.
 
That's the trouble with attempting to give every single preference you're allowed below the line, rather than stopping at 20 or 30; you'd just about need an almanac in the booth with you to make sure you're across all the Shoppies and IPA stooges and Opus Dei operatives.
 
Haha. It wasn't that hard though to pick up those with the most undesirable links. And the ALP and Coalition are the only two really worth reordering, outside of some very obvious exceptions: e.g. I put Ricky Muir a bit higher than his running mate. I don't care for his party but I want him personally ahead of Derryn Hinch. Can't see Muir abusing parliamentary privilege like Hinch will.
 
Yeah, Muir has been one of those surprises that preference whispering occasionally throws up.

I suppose one thing I'd say about the Shoppies in the ALP and the IPA mob in the Coalition is that in both cases I expect them to vote the party line in most matters. So you know, less surprises unless one of them ascends to ministerial office or unless a conscience vote comes up.
 
My main concern, more with the IPA types, is that within the party they can seek to skew the party line. MPs from the Shoppies can be a bit unlikeable but do usually have some genuine concern for economic justice, especially those from the Catholic left of the union. But the IPA shills are neoliberal hacks through and through.
 
I suppose, though, for those who define "left wing" as having some active identification with the working class, as some hardcore Labourites do, I fail that test.

There don't seem to be too many of those left wing Labourites, as you say, these days. I can only really think of Van Badham (inb4 Cobbler :wink:) as far as fairly public figures go.
 
Christ she's rubbish. Was the world's most passionate Greens shill then did a complete 180 when the "Greens will preference the Libs" shit came out and has been ALP ever since, despite the fact her main reason for supporting the Greens (as is many people's) being their anti-detention stance. Her brother is head of our union.
 
Christ she's rubbish. Was the world's most passionate Greens shill then did a complete 180 when the "Greens will preference the Libs" shit came out and has been ALP ever since, despite the fact her main reason for supporting the Greens (as is many people's) being their anti-detention stance. Her brother is head of our union.

This fucking cracks me up. Especially since we've had the whole "Greens doing deals with the Libs, how terrible!" thing alongside "Greens put the Libs last after the Christian Democrats in Sydney, how terrible!" Make up your mind, critics: they can't put the Libs last and put the crazy fundies beneath them.

In any case I've basically stopped reading her articles because they've got so predictable.
 
I wish she had never blocked me. Her Twitter feed was incredibly entertaining.

In more amazing news, Twitter changed the little icon at the end of the AusVotes hashtag from a ballot box to a sausage in bread.

What time are you voting on Sat Ax? Might walk down with you.
 
Ha I'd say the same, but I think tonight I'll be going easy on the liver ahead of a marathon drinking session tomorrow night.
 
Quiet night for me. I've somehow managed to rope myself into "guarding" a booth for an hour or two at 3am tonight, before watching the Wales vs Belgium match, before heading to a different booth to do How To Vote Card distribution for most of the day.

Should be an interesting 24 hours ?


Sent from a barge floating through the docks of Dublin
 
Christ she's rubbish. Was the world's most passionate Greens shill then did a complete 180 when the "Greens will preference the Libs" shit came out and has been ALP ever since, despite the fact her main reason for supporting the Greens (as is many people's) being their anti-detention stance. Her brother is head of our union.

Saw an image of her on Twitter supposedly volunteering for Feeney. :lol:
 
I don't know what to expect tomorrow. The sausage sizzle is essentially the only constant. Might enjoy snubbing Liberal and Labor volunteers as per usual.
 
Are you in one of those electorates that could fall from the Libs to NXT? Because I'd take NXT over the Libs and it would bring the result that much closer to a hung parliament. God I hope we see the backs of Briggs and Pyne.

I do think Batman will go Green. I've spent a fair bit of time around the electorate lately and it's amazing just how many corflutes, billboards, and posters there are for Alex Bhathal. So many fences in Northcote covered in Greens stuff. Practically nothing for Feeney. Even as you head north to Bundoora there's still more Greens than ALP stuff, despite the fact that Batman - like Wills - in theory extends into ALP heartland.

I would love Samantha Ratnam to pull off a shock in Wills. I get the feeling people aren't entirely warming to the new ALP candidate, Peter Khalil, and the Greens are running so hard. But Wills contains too much rusted-on ALP territory north of Bell St.

My prediction: hung parliament or a Liberal majority of no more than six seats. Total chaos in the Senate.
 
The electorate NXT are likely to win is Mayo, mine is a safe Liberal seat. It's fascinating, the only real letters I've been getting have been from the respective Liberal and Greens candidates, Labor have had a lesser presence in this. I get the impression Labor aren't going hard in my seat, citing aforementioned reasons.

Whatever happens, I'll likely have ABC24 on for much of the day.
 
Well Mayo was thought to be a safe Liberal seat too! :lol:

Aaaand...

IT'S ELECTION DAY! :hyper:
 
I'm angling more and more for 'total chaos in the senate'. If we must be stuck with this contemptible zombie excuse for a government, then let them be stymied at every turn.
 
Imagine a Senate with a crossbench of 10 Green, 3-4 NXT, Lazarus and/or Hanson, Hinch, Lambie, Bob Day, and a couple of other circus freaks who get lucky somehow. I'm sure there will be at least one unpredicted result, like - total stab in the dark here - the anti-vax Health Australia flukes it in NSW or the anti-trawling Recreational Fishers in Tasmania or the Pirate Party hacks the AEC in WA to steal three positions.

Can't wait to see how few votes Dio Wang and the not-Palmer not-United not-Party get.
 
Imagine a Senate with a crossbench of 10 Green, 3-4 NXT, Lazarus and/or Hanson, Hinch, Lambie, Bob Day, and a couple of other circus freaks who get lucky somehow. I'm sure there will be at least one unpredicted result, like - total stab in the dark here - the anti-vax Health Australia flukes it in NSW or the anti-trawling Recreational Fishers in Tasmania or the Pirate Party hacks the AEC in WA to steal three positions.

Can't wait to see how few votes Dio Wang and the not-Palmer not-United not-Party get.


I'm trying to imagine all that and it sounds like a right alphabet soup.

I'd say that the short and unhappy life of the Palmer United Party is shortly to enter Australian Democrats territory.

Or maybe we'll get a surprise success from Rooting & Shooting (Stop The Greens) or whatever that bunch are called.
 
If the Shooters & Fishers ever merge with the Sex Party, "Rooting & Shooting" would be the ideal name.
 
Yeah now that he can't rely on the donkey vote he will hopefully be turfed out. Though I'm worried he may sneak back in on the lower quota as his profile will get him a halfway ok first preference vote.
 
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