Maintain Compulsory Voting
Letters to the Editor
14th May, 2015
Herald Sun
Let’s hope those clamouring for election reform here take a good look at the UK result. One party now has 51% of the seats from 36.9% of the vote. As voting is voluntary, only 66.1% of those registered bothered to do so. This effectively means the UK now has a majority government for which only 24.4% of those entitled voted! Should we let the Australian major parties change the system so the same sort of thing happens here?
Peter Boardman
Frankston
The whole voting system is an illusion. Whether 99% or 24.4% of the people vote there is always the same two party system that rules for decades. The same parties present the voters with their choice of candidates not the voters. The party tells the voter to vote for candidates “we”(politicians) choose not you. Then we have special interest groups that buys politicians to do their bidding in government. The whole political system is deliberately flawed not just the voting system. However, voter hypocrisy, apathy and ignorance of issues and worse placing political ideology above that of the social and economic welfare of the country is probably the main culprit and not so much voter presence at elections. We all know the political system is the most corrupt institution and we are lied to time after time for many years and despite decades of proof we are stuck in a loop to forgive, complain, forgive etc. etc. and continue to vote for them. That is why? I do not believe voting, whether compulsory or not will really make any difference..
Wow thats some critique! And then the MPs are tied to party allegiance, dare they cross the floor!