Beoz

Better Teeth or More Babies? Tough call

Amazulu

Both are good but I'd prefer my tax $ to go on your 1st option

Pollyana

I agree whole heartedly



Worst thing to happen to Queensland since Bieljke-Pietersen

Beoz

Considering Mrs Beoz is good to go might have to go the baby thing. That said it's 2 years away and I'm not sure she will wait that long.

With All Due Respect...

Campbell Newman and Anna Bligh... :shudders:

I'd take teeth over babies too. At least a few billion too many people on this planet already!

And I would have voted if I wasn't living overseas and my admin wasn't up my arse. Ironically, I feel more of an affinity with Australia and prouder to be an Australian than I have ever felt being a Brit. I certainly care about the country's future and the political landscape, I just happen to be all over the place during a time of transition in my life.

BadgeIsBack

This is the way I see it:
I'm a believer in the rights of the individual, and the responsibilities of the individual (in the modern state). Somewhere there is choice of the individual.

The rights are that a citizen should have franchise. Having got that franchise, he has responsibilities = so should exercise that right and vote.
I think people have to remember that in general they have very little responsibilities civically - (apart from pay tax!)

I also think it's a good idea for the individual to vote so that he or she has a say and can't then complain.

I can understand that ultimately it's a huge nuisance for some. (I copped a fine because having arrived at the station, I then personally couldn't be arsed to fill out a form because my address was not correct, so I walked off without voting. My laziness).

In practise, though, I can understand that the concept of having to vote is a bit smelly though. Eh? It emphasises responsibility over indiviual choice. But the state also gives you the right to spoil your vote.

In practise, for me, it's just having to vote is a matter of in)convenience if you know you will be away.

GarryP

Actually I take that further.

Not only should the individual vote, but they should take the time to understand the issues, evidence and policies first - and then vote in an adult fashion (no 'his hair is nice').

However, the flip side of that is, if no candidate measures up, none should be accepted. We have a right to expect representatives to have certain characteristics (sane, intelligent, level headed, not a liar, actually listen and reflect the electorates' will) - and those that fall below the minimum standard should be excluded.

Unfortunately that means the majority of the current politicians would be barred from standing...

Broad Shoulders

my missus simply forgot to vote at the last State election, when she got the letter and fine I just told her to write back and say that she did vote. We didn't hear back from them

BadgeIsBack

I understand that you can give reasons that ultimately they will wear quite happily.

My wife had a good one, the likes not seen since she told the teacher her dog ate her homework: the form was taken out off the dash and out the window by the slipstream of her car when she was driving off to post it. They still imposed a fine but then retracted it when she persisted.

DadAgain

That's why postal votes are ALWAYS the way to go. I havent rocked up to the polling booth in 10 years... Queuing up with others, running a gauntlet harassing waste paper people, to then stand and have the pressure of trying to write 75 consecutive numbers in boxes? - nah... Postal vote every time. thanks. I'll decided when I vote thankyou very much... (and if no candidate seems any better or worse then I reserve my right to send a spoilt vote).

I have no idea why everyone else still shows up on election days? It seems such an archaic and unnecessary way to do things - and always on Saturdays when we all have crazy busy schedules anyway!

Swerv-o

Yes. at least in the UK they have the decency to have the election on a workday


S

BadgeIsBack

I was about to post my postal vote when the hand-wringers brought it to my attention that this was going to serve the local members. That there was some sort of con-job going on.

I should have just posted it anyway - but didn't. So now I am a' See You on Saturday' as I have to go to a polling stn.

Swerv-o

Yes, there was another thread on this. Apparently, your local candidates can offer to process your postal vote on your behalf, and they then harvest all of your marketing data for their own nefarious purposes before passing it on to the AEC.

If you check the address, it goes straight to either the local member, or some other random PO Box. I filled the prepayed envelopes up with the oppositions forms and I'll send them back after the election, just so that the postage doesn't go to waste


S

BadgeIsBack

You obviously have a lot of time on your hands!

To be honest, I wonder what data they can really pilfer anyhow. They only know where I live and happened to get their form first. Surely they must realise that most people will send back the first one they get through the door- and that therefore they need to get their form through first. Most of the time it goes in the bin anyhow.

cresta57

When I voted in the last election I was informed by our local member that it was not a legal right to spoil your vote. Had a bit of a look on the net & it appears that you should actually mark your ballot paper. Not simply post the blank form into the box as per Mark Latham's suggestion in 2010
That was easily solved I marked mine 1 for my choice & the rest 9 preferential voting is cheating first past the post should win! You don't back a horse & then expect the bookie to pay out on 3rd place because everyone backed it.