Thanks Alfie.For the upper house go here:
http://www.internationalskeptics.com/forums/showthread.php?t=264528
Yeah, Eden-Monaro is a bit in that situation as well. Again, I'll think I'll be putting my 1 next to the Green candidate, even though I hear she's a bit of a loon. I'd be perfectly happy if Mike Kelly wins the electorate again.I'll probably put the greens at 1, but my vote won't matter much, since if Scullin doesn't go to Labor then nowhere will.
Yeah, Eden-Monaro is a bit in that situation as well. Again, I'll think I'll be putting my 1 next to the Green candidate, even though I hear she's a bit of a loon. I'd be perfectly happy if Mike Kelly wins the electorate again.
Oh, I see what you mean. Safe seat. Yeah, you're right, mine is entirely the opposite of that.No, the two aren't remotely comparable. Eden-Monaro is held by Labor 54-46. Scullin is held by Labor 72-28. Just on first preferences last election Harry Jenkins got 62% of the vote.
Looks like from the voting intentions that people are more intelligent than the average.![]()
My vote won't matter as I'm deep in liberal territory here...
Looks like Dennis the Election Koala needs to slappo another dingo.My vote won't matter as I'm deep in liberal territory here...
This is directly addressed in the cartoon. Upset victories in previously safe seats happen... well, not all the time but occasionally. Also, election funding is based around votes received, and there's a chance that the Partial Bastard will realise that his preferences are coming from Nice Party voters and will think about why those people are voting Nice instead of for him.That does not address the issue raised. Many people are in very safe seats. The winning candidate would be known before the election. It is only in the marginal seats that the voters determine who will be the government. Exceptions
1. The more people who vote for a politician the more money they get (as per the cartoon).
2. If there is a landslide some previously "safe seats" may for one election only go to the other side.
3. If a previously unelectable candidate says certain things and gets kicked out of the party then they may get elected. Example Pauline Hanson.
This is directly addressed in the cartoon. Upset victories in previously safe seats happen... well, not all the time but occasionally. Also, election funding is based around votes received, and there's a chance that the Partial Bastard will realise that his preferences are coming from Nice Party voters and will think about why those people are voting Nice instead of for him.
The take-home message is: Vote for minor parties. Sure, your vote will end up being preferenced to one of the Big Two, but if you make sure it goes through all the others first, you will be contributing more to the process of democracy in this country than if you just put 1 for Labor above the line.
It doesn't directly address safe seats, no. You're right on that - however: Safe seats only remain safe up to the time that they are lost. Upset victories occur. If everyone in a Liberal "safe seat" believes that their vote doesn't matter, then of course they won't overturn it. It's a self-fulfilling prophecy.Just re-read the cartoon. Nothing about safe seats in there. It is about voting for minor parties and money issues. Neither of which are the issue raised in the original post. The key word in your post is occasionally. For example if the Liberals win the election then there would not be too many seats won by Labor that were previously held by the Liberals.