Monthly Archive for November, 2007

Why Queenslanders should vote for the Democrats in the Senate

Published
by
Simon
on 20/11/2007
in Politics
. 0 Comments

I just read a couple of really interesting pieces on the Senate competition in this election, which (as it should be) has been receiving much more attention than in some of Australia’s elections from recent history.

Over at Larvatus Prodeo Anna Winter has argued that if you’re in WA your vote is best spent on the Labor Party in the WA Senate race[1]. That probably makes sense for WA voters, but I will argue strongly that for Queenslanders, a vote for the Democrats [2] (Andrew Bartlett and Sharon Neill) is easily the best way to help ensure the Senate both regains it’s independence and retains a progressive voice.

There has been much made in the press about how little chance the Democrats have in this election, which is a pity for two very important reasons. First, their chance (especially in Queensland) isn’t nearly as bad as the press make out. And second, the time wasted by the press in reporting the (exaggerated) odds means the significant[3] work the Democrats Senators do is all but ignored.

I have seen only two positive pieces on the Democrats in the media in the past six months or so[4]. One in the Sunday Mail last weekend (just a horse race piece on the fact that the Dem’s polling in Queensland isn’t actually that bad) and one published back in September by Jason Koutsoukis in The Age. Jason’s piece makes a strong argument for keeping the Democrats represented in the Senate and the whole article is well worth a read. Here is one of the most pertinent points:

“What I would say to people is to think about the Senate vote,” says Murray. “Because if they don’t think about it, the chances of having the restraints, checks and balances but still progress are minimised.”

Murray rightly points out that most commentators now look back on the nine years when the Democrats held the balance of power as a good time for the Coalition because it was restrained from its most extreme desires, and the period since as a dangerous one.

“It’s because when there was a problem they could either negotiate with Labor, which they did and did often, or with us,” says Murray. “They could never negotiate with the Greens because Greens don’t do that.

“The media says we’re finished, but ignores work we do every day, the amendments we pound through daily, and all the other effort we still put in. The media just says that’s irrelevant.”

The Age via LP

I haven’t paid close attention to the Senate race in other states, but in Queensland the minor parties (Dems, Greens or Family First[5]) do stand a good chance of gaining a seat. Please consider your Senate vote carefully, and consider voting below the line on Saturday (you can count to 65, right?) to ensure your vote follows your preferences and not the preferences dictated by deals between the parties.

For those of you who consider WorkChoices a big election issue and are also fans of the environment (I’m sure that’s a few of you), here is another short snippet from the article above which should be of interest:

So what happens if after the election Brown and the Greens get the balance of power?

“I expect gridlock,” says Democrats Senator Andrew Murray. “Take Labor’s policy on WorkChoices. The Greens oppose them and have said they won’t negotiate. So if Labor wins the election and moves their changes to WorkChoices, the Greens, given their track record, will oppose them and end up being responsible for keeping WorkChoices intact.”

Finally, if you’ve read this far you’re probably at least mildly interested in making your vote count and using it to try and move Australia in the direction you think it should go. If there’s anything about the electoral process you don’t understand or you’d like to know more about, but couldn’t be bothered reading (it can be a slog sometimes), drop me a line and I’ll be more than happy to explain anything I know about verbally.

Get involved kids! Oh, and Vote 1 Andrew Bartlett.

  1. Her argument is really for a progressive senate, which she believes will be best achieved at this election by making sure Labor’s third WA candidate gets elected. [↩]
  2. In case it’s unclear, yes, I’m a paid up member of the Democrats. [↩]
  3. Significant in both amount and importance. [↩]
  4. Yeah, I’ve probably missed some. Point them out to me, please. [↩]
  5. Oh, dear God, please don’t let it be Family First. [↩]

Taking out the trash

Published
by
Simon
on 19/11/2007
in Friends
. 2 Comments

It’s high time I took out the trash. Each of these paragraphs summarises a draft that I never got around to publishing and more than likely never will:

I got a new job…ages ago. In fact I’m only four weeks from leaving that very position.

Sometimes, friendships slip away, not because you don’t care for the person anymore, but because you and they simply forget to maintain it. Even if you still call yourselves friends, there’s not the same level of comfort and intimacy that there once was[1]. I have this vague idea that I should keep and regularly review a list of friends which ranks them in order of importance to me. That way, I can be sure to maintain the friendships that really matter.

I sometimes get quite bored. In fact, recently (like six months ago), I was feeling bored much of the time. I’m not so bored at the moment, there are some very interesting things happening.

The Eels are probably the greatest band in the world (according to me).

I pretty much hate George W. Bush and there are a lot of reasons to feel that way [2].

The idea of de-cluttering is really appealing. The current cull of possessions due to our move is really helping out with that.

Last time I was in the UK the six weeks of traveling turned my favourite pair of jeans into tatters of denim hanging from my hips.

I noticed today[3] that in an effort to avoid looking like I’m staring (not that I have to make a special effort, it’s just something I do instinctively) my eyes naturally gravitate to the least interesting or least attractive thing in my field of vision. This seems odd to me. Although I understand why it’s a social no-no to stare at other people, it really doesn’t make that much sense. Why would we stare at the back of an ugly man or the dirty concrete walkway when you could be looking at the much more pleasing body coming in your direction? Or why would you choose to look out the window when the person sitting across from you on the bus is infinitely more interesting than the wooden sound barriers surrounding the freeway? Go on people, have a stare!

  1. Incidentally, I think Facebook can have a really negative impact on friendships in this vein. [↩]
  2. Incidentally, I don’t agree with all of those reasons, but it was a convenient list. [↩]
  3. It was today, about three years ago. [↩]

Interested in Australian Political History?

Published
by
Simon
on 2/11/2007
in Geek and Politics
. 0 Comments

Soapbox LogoA while ago, I went looking for a good book to read on Australian Political History, and I’m still looking. I really didn’t manage to find one that inspired me to fork over $20-30. Most books on Australia’s Political History seem to be biography based, which really isn’t what I’m looking for and neither do I want something that’s detectably partisan.

So, while I’m still looking for the book[1], I’ve found a resource almost as good. A team in the Faculty of Arts at the University of Melbourne led by Dr Sally Young, Senior Lecturer in the Media and Communications Program have put together a project called The Soapbox which aims to document Australian political campaigns from federation.

The result (and it’s only just beginning as I understand it) is an unbelievably impressive collection of speeches (and other political campaign material). While it looks like the material is still in the process of being collected and uploaded, it’s already well worth a look.

You’ve got to love this quote from John Curtin’s Policy Launch speech at the 1937 election[2]:

The best way in which a widow with dependent children can do her greatest work in Australia is not by competing for wages, but by carrying on to the best of her ability in her home the work of mothercraft so that her children may be given the best maternal guidance to become the future citizens of a great Commonwealth.

Curtin went on to lose that election as well as the subsequent election in 1940. He then became Prime Minister in 1941 when two independents who were in support of the Coalition[3] (and keeping them in Government) switched their support to the Labor Party.

The Soapbox via Democratic Audit of Australia [4]

  1. Any suggestions gratefully received. [↩]
  2. Download the whole thing here. [↩]
  3. The Coalition here meaning the United Australia Party in coalition with the Country Party. [↩]
  4. The Democratic Audit project is well worth keeping an eye on. I’m subscribed to the Audit Update emails which come out at the most readable and pace of about once a month. I’ve never failed to find something of interest and importance in the Audit Update emails. [↩]