Two Sleeps Until Democracy Sausage!

[kerravonsen]

So, it's two days before the Federal election. I don't think I've been campaigned at so fiercely in any other election before -- and that's without the TV ads, which I haven't seen because I rarely watch telly (Doctor Who major exception, but not on right now).

(Have been listening to "Moon is a Harsh Mistress" on audiobook. Please excuse if I lapse into Loonie talk.)

For foreigners reading this, must explain Aussie political landscape in brief:

• Liberal party is conservative, not liberal. Think "libertarian" if get confused. Hence, Aussies speak of "small-l liberal" meaning liberal/leftist. Liberal party been taken over by Far Right in recent times. Not that all Liberals are Far Right, but Far Right says "Jump!" and others say "How high?"
• Labor party (or Labour party, am not sure which spelling) is main other party. Wikipedia describes as "centre-left". Probably true, has been getting more conservative over years, abandoning its union-led roots. Silly ol' Labour party.
• Greens is liberal, taking over vacuum left by desertion of Labour party. Started off as conservationist/greenies (hence party name) but have broadened into more general leftist policies like good medicine, education, services, welfare, fair wages etc. Small party, but tend to hold balance of power in Senate.
• No President, have Prime Minister. PM is not elected by people, is head MP of winning party. Method of headship depends on party, but usually some sort of voting by party MPs or party members. Of late, political in-fighting has meant that we have had six different Prime Ministers in last twelve years (well, one of them was the same person twice). Australian paramedics no longer ask "Who is current Prime Minister?" to check for concussion -- answer changes too quickly.
• Two houses, House of Representatives (lower house) and Senate (upper house). House of Reps propose laws, Senate approve or veto them. House of Reps MPs (Member of Parliament) get elected by electorate (voting area). Senate MPs get elected by proportional vote: that is, each state provides 12 senators, senator gets in if gets certain percent of all votes in state. Means that minority parties have much better chance of getting into Senate than House of Reps. Are other details which attempt to make it that Senate has different proportions of parties, means is not rubber-stamp for House of Reps. Tries not to be, anyway.

Above is broad overview, leaving out some details, such as Nats, Dems, Pauline, Clive etc.

So, campaign-ness:

• Bus ride to local shops yesterday, three, four stops, heard two political ads on bus's radio. Both anti-Liberal. Neither one by Labour party, which is unusual. I think one was by some sort of medical association, talking about Liberals attack on Medicare.
• Participated in two phone surveys, don't even recall being even in one at previous elections. "Who do you think will win?" Me: "I don't know! It will be close."
• Had recorded telephone political spiel! Don't recall that happening before. Hung up as soon as realised what it was.
• Flyers from Liberals, Labour, GetUp, and local Labour candidate. Earlier on, multiple flyers from well-heeled minority party led by QLD businessman; too early on, forgot what they said.

General gist:

• Liberals: "Don't vote Labour, they will put up taxes!"
  • Or to put it another way: "WHO will pay for Labour's evil spendthrift agenda? YOU will!"
  • Or to put it yet another way: "YOU will suffer because not only do Labour want to spend money on things like health, education, welfare and services, but they actually want to be fiscally responsible while doing so. It is utterly beyond the pale! How dare they!"
• Everyone else: "Don't vote Liberal, they will attack everything you hold dear!"
  • Medical folks: "They will attack Medicare!"
  • Unions: "They will attack unions!"
  • Greenies: "They will attack renewable energy! They will accelerate climate change! They will destroy the Barrier Reef!"
  • Save Our ABC: "They will eradicate the ABC!" (The Australian Broadcasting Commission is the national broadcaster, supposed to be neutral not partisan. Think BBC.)
  • Charities like Salvos: "They will drive struggling Aussies into poverty!"
  • More Medical folks: "They will MURDER asylum seekers by denying them medical help!"
  • Some Random Bunch I Forget: "They will cause chaos!" (Reference to Musical Prime Ministers.) (Somewhat unfair, since three of the six were Labour PMs. Though one of Labour's was same person twice.)
• Local Labour candidate: actual policies. Am impressed with local Labour candidate; saw her at local shopping centre, handing out flyers. Don't think the Liberal dude ever stirred out of his chair in 28 years. Pity local Labour candidate doesn't stand a chance: is blue-ribbon Liberal seat. As said, local Liberal dude has held seat for twenty-eight years.

This election period, have done something have NEVER done before: put up political signs on fence. Not for any party, these are GetUp signs saying "Don't vote Liberal!". GetUp is grassroots non-party group, agitate for fairer Australia.

P.S. Well, that didn't last long. When I went out, I noticed that someone had removed/destroyed/stolen my signs. Bastard, whoever they were. They had no right! I am perfectly at liberty to put signs on my own fence, on my own property, which I own. Grrr. Probably too late to get more signs. Grrrrr.

Comments

[deird1]

"YOU will suffer because not only do Labour want to spend money on things like health, education, welfare and services, but they actually want to be fiscally responsible while doing so. It is utterly beyond the pale! How dare they!"

Indeed. It's reminding me of the last Victorian election, where I said to my husband "Labor keeps talking about Labor. And the Liberals keep talking about Labor. So... I'm thinking about Labor." :)

I'm so sick of my local candidate sending me flyers. I'm in a safe seat, but he's still sending me one every single day. (And I really wish he'd get voted out – but it's not going to happen, sadly.)

When I went out, I noticed that someone had removed/destroyed/stolen my signs. Bastard, whoever they were. They had no right!

That's annoying! I make a point of leaving people's signs alone; even if I thoroughly disagree with them, they're still allowed to say what they think.

[kerravonsen]

Indeed. It's reminding me of the last Victorian election, where I said to my husband "Labor keeps talking about Labor. And the Liberals keep talking about Labor. So... I'm thinking about Labor." :)

(grin)

I'm so sick of my local candidate sending me flyers. I'm in a safe seat, but he's still sending me one every single day.

Well, at least the printer is making money.

[neuralclone]

I've already made this plea to Kerravonsen, but pretty please, with kittens on top, if you still have any of those flyers could you send them to the National Library?

[tptigger]

Rude! I had my Obama '08 magnet stolen off my car in December. Still mad.

[kerravonsen]

Why would anyone bother to steal a magnet?

[tptigger]

The same reason they stole your signs: they didn't like the candidate

[neuralclone]

I don't know what electorate you live in, but if you still have some of those flyers could you please send them to the National Library? The NLA collects Federal election ephemera and likes to get as much from as many electorates as possible.

(As for the election itself - ugh, I know who I'm NOT going to vote for, but I've still to work out who I AM going to vote for!)

[fred_mouse]

Tired mouse is tired, so this might be foolish question -- how does one do this without feeling the risk of inundating the National Library? And should it be obvious where to send them? (If you are kind enough to provide me with a link to where this information is readily available, I can follow up later, but I won't remember if I don't at least say something now).

[neuralclone]

It's all on their website!

http://www.nla.gov.au/ephemera/federal-election-campaigns

[fred_mouse]

w.r.t. safe seats - while I don't expect anything at the Federal level to rile up voters the way things were at the last WA election, but I was in a very safe Liberal seat (both State and Federal), and then there was an 18%+ swing, and we have a Labor member. I will be *very* interested to see whether the locals are still pissed enough at the Liberals* to show any amount of swing at all, and how that matches other swings (ie. whether it is bigger than would be expected)

* there were shenanigans relating to major roadworks through what had previously been a protected area; there was much protesting, there was horrid amount of damage done to native bushland, very visible to people travelling along major roads to and from work. People were so pissed.