I'm voting today

[Oldandeasilyconfused]

Like Britain recently,its seems as if Oz will have a hung parliament (first time since the first decade of the C20th).

I'm not happy.To have one hung parliament is a misfortune.To have two in as many months (within the Commonwealth) begins to look like carelessness*





*With apologies to Oscar Wilde.

[Minimalist]

I think all republicans should be hung.

[Tiberius]

@padraic

You might be surprised. Our hung parliament has turned out quite well; I was at first quite apprehensive about the Lib Dems sharing some of the power, but it seems that they have managed to turn the Tories over to the idea of various freedoms and have boosted public interest. I was with a few Libertarian friends recently, and we all agreed that the current government is the closest we've had to a Libertarian system...ever. The Conservatives have a good grip on the economy, and the Lib Dems are more tuned into the social aspects.

[KichigaiNeko]

I am hoping for a similar outcome here

[parrotpirate]

Being from the U.S., I can tell you first-hand that a strict two party system is shit, too. We do have some other parties, but they are too small to be anything but spoilers in close elections. We don't use them to form coalitions, either. They really only take votes away from one or the other of the major parties, and thereby throw the proverbial spanner in the works.

[Oldandeasilyconfused]

@padraic

You might be surprised. Our hung parliament has turned out quite well; I was at first quite apprehensive about the Lib Dems sharing some of the power, but it seems that they have managed to turn the Tories over to the idea of various freedoms and have boosted public interest. I was with a few Libertarian friends recently, and we all agreed that the current government is the closest we've had to a Libertarian system...ever. The Conservatives have a good grip on the economy, and the Lib Dems are more tuned into the social aspects.

Ours will probably consist of one of the major parties with two independents and Green.Right now it looks like Labor will form a government,but there are still 3 unresolved seats. The conservatives may still be able to form a government. (Not that anyone will be able to tell the difference)

Our conservatives traditionally govern by coalition with The Country Party,now called "The National Party",which represents the rural sector.

There was a time when Liberals (conservatives) represented Business and the economy.The Australian Labor Party began as the political arm of The Trade Union movement,and focussed on social justice issues. The lines between the two parties began to blur in the early 1980's. Today there is no longer an effective political left in Australia,and that is a real pity; there's no one to keep the bastards honest.