I wrote this post WAAAY back in 2013 when the Coalition government of the Liberal/National Party were just on their way in. We then had a succession of Prime Ministers: Tony Abbott, Malcolm Turnbull, and finally, Scott Morrison. None of them visionary. One of them downright misogynist, two of them climate deniers and incredibly right wing. I could go on…
As I wait to learn what will be the final composition of the Lower House, I thought it useful to return to what it all looked like 9 years ago, ‘cos I can tell you now – it’s gunna’ look a heck of a lot different.
And another BIG difference. This time, even though the Senate ballot paper was still as long as a table runner, we could vote below the line with only our first 12 choices of the actual CANDIDATES (instead of having to number the all). Which opened up a great opportunity for me to skirt around the parties I did not support.
Bill and I went to the theatre through the week. Every year we look forward to seeing The Wharf Revue, an all-singing, all-slinging group of political satirists. Every political personality and event is fair game for this mob, and they keep it up to date, even writing new sketches as fresh stories come to light over the course of their theatre season. There is always material to be mined in the Australian political landscape, and this year, they were obliged even further by our going to the polls on September 7th.
We met many people in our recent travels who are intrigued to know that voting is compulsory in Australia for any person aged 18 or older. You have to have a very good reason for failing to vote, otherwise you risk a penalty of A$170 plus court costs. So this post, a short political essay, is really aimed at my readers from outside Australia.
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The Reluctant Retiree 
Thanks for sharing this Gwen. We couldn’t vote in Canada a year or two.
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I realized you weren’t on my blogroll. Just remedied that!!!
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Yaaay! I am whole again 🙂
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LOL!
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Oh my goodness Gwen I just got to the end quotes and was nearly sick. Sir Robert Menzies, well, words fail me. Yesterday, my hairdresser asked me what I was doing for the Platinum Jubilee Bank holiday next weekend and I replied, ‘My tax return’. Perhaps with the ‘new’ politics you might finally be allowed to ditch the royal rubbish and pick your own head of state. I feel we are saddled with these leeches until the present queen dies and then, maybe just maybe, the UK will enter the 21st century and become a grown-up, sophisticated and dignified republic.
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We have monarchists living here, too. My bestie is from Cornwall and has arranged a BIG morning tea in celebration of the Jubilee. I’m not going as am scheduled for a routine hospital procedure :-). I think our Republican debate will also be shelved until the passing of the Queen – but I sure hope next time it goes to referendum it gets up.
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Good post, Gwen. I imagine other than names, it remains the same today as then.
As you probably know. voting in the US is a crime. So many don’t bother. We don’t have compulsory voting but it has always been compulsory to me/
There is talk about moving voting from a Tuesday to a Friday and declare it a national holiday. My feeling is it would amount to a 3 day weekend and more people would go out of town and the voting would be less than now.
This weekend here is Memorial Day weekend when we honor the many who fought and died for things like our right to vote.
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We vote on a Saturday, so no question about pseudo holidays. It doesn’t take long, and usually a charity group are selling a sausage sizzle (like a hotdog), which has come to be known as the Democracy Sausage, and others have cake stands, etc. So all in all, a bit of fun and catch up with the neighbours. You can also vote by post (hence some votes are still being counted), or you can vote in advance if your mind is already decided. I know the history of why yours is a Tuesday, but I don’t see the logic in moving it to Friday.
Have a wonderful Memorial Day. You remind me we were in the States four years ago at this time. A very important remembrance event.
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