With All Due Respect...

Hello stranger!

I remember my old boss telling me a tale of a friend of his who'd been overseas for years. Upon his return he was stopped by the old bill on a random check and after asking for his details they took him down the station, locked him up and fined him as he'd not voted in the last couple of elections. Of course this is entirely anecdotal and whether he was on the electoral roll or not I don't know.

Oh well, too late now. It's added to the ever growing list of things to sort should I ever make it back down under.

Pollyana

If you are living abroad you are ok, no need to vote. Its just if you are absent on holiday that they can chase you.
All you would need to do if ever questioned is show that you aren't living here - they have passport records, so thats easy enough

With All Due Respect...

Happy days. Although I'd rather be living there and have to vote!

Right, 'tis time for England vs the auld enemy so I'm tinterneted out for the evening.

Mike at Taree

If you are enrolled - for example in Queensland - then move interstate to live or work, don't get round to re enrolling in the new state, and for some reason forget to vote in your old state election, even in a local govt election, then you could be fined.

Even though you are unaware you have been fined the process starts ticking with the State Penalties Enforcement mob whatever it's called in your state (SPER in Qld) and eventually your drivers licence can be suspended. Licence information is now national.

First you know of it, there are blue and red lights after you've passed a checkpoint.

Not fantasy, happened to a friend recently who was able to prove that he had actually voted and got his licence back, it was all down to the "curse" of the Gardners Gardeners Gardiners.

Briar

Bottom line is though,if you are eligible to vote as an Australian Citizen, why would you not? If you don't vote, in my book you have waived your right to comment at all on who gets in.

Alfresco

Good point.

Amazulu

Exactly. A vote that determines the future of your nation is something that is denied to half the world's population

Beoz

I have other priorities on that Saturday. Those priorities are more important to me than the right to exercise my opinion about the government. In addition I live in a landsliding liberal area. My vote is just going to add to that weight. Just a couple of democratic reasons.

Briar

There is the option of a postal vote if your social life is more important than the political future of your adopted country. If everyone had this view no election would have a fair and just outcome.

Pollyana

We have 18 staff who work on 12 hour rotating shifts. Our shifts often get changed at two days notice and because the polling stations here aren't open into the evening we all need postal votes every time, just in case!

Briar

Good on yer!

But I just don't get why people who have been through the long and expensive journey to emigrate and become Australian Citizens, won't vote for one reason or another when it is so easy to organise either a postal vote to go to the Electoral Commission before the day to do an Absentee Vote. But maybe I am missing something!

Beoz

There's something quite un-democratic about being forced to vote.

GarryP

Ahh, well, there's your problem. You're voting for the worst candidate. I can see why you would want to avoid that fate. Hasn't Campbell Newman been enough of a wake up call as to how bad abbott would be?

So vote for someone useful. Say, the greens. That way not only can you disavow any responsibility when big ears screws things up; you can also help them get campaign support the next time round. Honestly, if they dumped some of their naive policy positions, they would be near perfect. Or maybe the wikileaks party and annoy the usual candidates who like you to be in the dark? So many options....

Beoz

Who is Campbell Newman??? as he says typing into Google ... right ... Queensland news rarely makes it south of the border. Not sure what he's done or hasn't done.

6 months maternity pay for Mrs Beoz in 2015 sounds all right but again who would know. One side seems to think it will boost the economy whilst the other thinks it will destroy.

Yeah could do but again it's down to priorities. My Saturday's are precious.

Amazulu

Newman is awesome in Qld. He's certainly given the socialists a kicking up there, and is continuing the kicking when they are down which is a bonus

Abbott's paid maternity leave plan is bad policy. If he wants to spend big money like this he should go with a Medicare funded dental scheme