h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

The Australian Federal Election is on today; polls close in half an hour, and the TV coverage of the results starts soon after that. I thought I might use this thread for my own comments as the count progresses. This may be boring for those without a stake in the outcome; consider this a warning, and an indication that I'll quite understand if you unsubscribe.

Here's a quick summary of the situation. The current government is a coalition of the Liberal and National parties; it is right-wing, with crypto-fascist tendencies. A bit like the US Republicans, in fact. The main opposition, and the only other party that has a real chance of defeating the government, is the Australian Labor Party. (For some reason, they use the American spelling of 'labour'.) The ALP is further to the left than the US Democrats or Tony Blair's party, but not by much. I'm hoping for a Labor win, even though I voted for the Greens.

Under the Australian system of preferential voting for the House of Representatives, the voter numbers all candidates on the ballot in order of preference. If the first-preference candidate is knocked out of the race, the vote is transferred to the second-preference candidate, and so on until one candidate has more than 50% of the vote. My first preference was Green, second ALP, third Australian Democrats, and so on. I expect my own electorate will be held by the ALP.

The Senate is a messier situation, which I won't attempt to explain. Suffice it to say that we won't get a clear Senate result tonight. It is likely that the eventual result will give the balance of power in the Senate to a minor party - if I'm lucky, it'll be the Greens.

So - now I just have to sit here and twiddle my thumbs until the polls close and the count starts... will help me through this.

This is, in my opinion, the most important election we've had in years. We'll either get another three years of the current government, led by an intellectual midget who is a toady to GW Bush, or we'll get a fresh government that might do something to restore Australian independence.

I hope I don't end the night thoroughly depressed...

The first figures are coming in from Tasmania, where the polls closed an hour ago because of daylight saving. It isn't looking good; the ALP holds all 5 seats in the state at the moment, and they may be losing one or two with a swing of about 2.5% at this stage. This can be put down to state issues, as well as the ALP's environmental policy which would drastically affect Tasmania's timber and woodchip industries. At any rate, it's early in the evening, the figures so far are from traditionally conservative areas, and only about 7% of the vote has been counted. Also, Tasmania can't be taken as representative of the country as a whole.

Yes, I am trying to look on the bright side.

It looks like there's a swing to the ALP in the seat of Eden-Monaro. Thi is encouraging. It wouldn't take much of a swing for the ALP to win this seat, and ever since 1975 the seat has always been won by the party that forms the new government. Here's hoping...

?


az

I've actually gone for this time. I had some in the fridge, and it saves opening a bottle of that I might not get to finish before it turns to vinegar.

Things are looking a bit grim, to be honest.

Things are now looking very grim indeed. After 90 minutes of counting, it looks like the fascists will be back in power. I think I might give serious thought to emigration. This country's finished, and the electorate's too stupid to see it. All they're worried about is the cash in their pockets; there's no consideration given to human rights, personal freedoms, education, health, or the environment.

The most alarming thing is the increase in Xtian fundamentalism in politics here. I'm convinced that fundmentalists should not be in politics. They're entitled to believe in the Great Purple Pixie in the Sky, of course, but when they start trailing their cretinous opinions through public life... Oh I need a drink.

That's it - I've had enough - I'm off to get some sleep. I'll just end the evening on a high point, though. The junior minister who has responsibility for the agency I work for looks like losing his seat. He's a famous idiot. I'll be glad to see the back of him.

I'll fill in the full results etc tomorrow, if I can face it.

Hey Ivan, thanks for the summaries. We're getting ABC coverage here, but the couple of times I have flicked on to it I haven't been able to find it.

The problem with emmigrating is where would you go that isn't "All they're worried about is the cash in their pockets; there's no consideration given to human rights, personal freedoms, education, health, or the environment. "? . The world is feeling a pretty small place these days... god I'm getting depressed now, sorry.

How long since you had a Labor govt? We had 9 years of National here before they sufficently f*cked up the place for people to vote Labour in again (mostly because people did after all want to save our socialist welfare systems, it just took them awhile to realise it).

My second sentence should have been "I haven't been able to follow it."

>>I think I might give serious thought to emigration<< Things must be looking very grim indeed, then... !

You could always move to Spain, Ivan. Heck, you could even get married here now!


az

Traveller in Time counting swimmers at Gibraltar
"I do not know what is wise, there seems to be trouble everywhere. "

Yup...
I can sympathise, it's something I've been thinking about a lot lately. But I'm not going anywhere yet.

Here in Spain the long-running conservative government was ousted as the elections came on the heels of the terrorist attacks on the trains in Madrid last March that left 200 dead. And the then President LIED to his public, trying to blame Eta when it was obvious to everyone it was an Al-Queda attack.

No, there is no utopia. No amazing place to live where everything is perfect for everyone. But since the Spanish elections the new president has removed all Spanish troups from Iraq and they have passed a bill that allows homosexuals to legally marry here. Not sure how well the new government will do with the economy but they do seem to have public interest in mind.

People here can't believe I ever left Canada - which has one of the highest standards of living in the world. But I just never felt 'at home' there, as I do here in Spain. And after living there, in Canada, for 33 years, I did feel the insurgence of US ideals making themselves felt in my country. And I didn't like it one little bit.

az

The results of the election were on the news this evening in Danish television.

Quote: "The president was rewarded for nine years of uninterrupted financial progress."

20 seconds and no explanations .

Here in Denmark we have since WWII mostly been governed by Social Democrats (a bit left to Blair's Labour Party) alone or in coalition with smaller parties. And we have built an exceptional wellfare system.

For the last two and a half years we've had a government of Liberals and Conservatives - supported by a fascistoid (in my opinion) party that mostly are against emigrants and fugitives. So we know a bit about what 'financial progress' costs .

I'm sorry that you have to live yet another three years under a government you think are for the worst of your country's/nation's well being.

Have an .

az

Thanks everyone - finding that people had actually read this thing while I slept has made me feel a bit better.

Kea, we voted Keating and the ALP out in, I think, 1996 - and we've had the current cretin ever since. A few weeks ago I was convinced he was going to go, but somehow... I don't know what happened, really I don't. The main consolation is that the numbers in the lower house will be much the same, and there will be more Greens in the upper house, though they may not have the balance of power as I had hoped.

As for emigration - yes, it is hard to know where would be better. NZ appeals on the grounds of language and location, among other things... It's close enough to make visits home a viable proposition. Spain has a certain appeal too.

Things will have to be better next time.

Hmmm ... my main worry about this is that it might set a precedent for the US elections in a month or so - here's hoping I'm wrong and Bush is kicked out of office, as I will not feel safe with him in charge of the USA for very much longer!

here's to all elections... ours are in a year or so, I think though it hasn't been very consistent lately.

You'll always be welcome in NZ Ivan . I'm not sure how good a shape the public sector is in here though - they still seem to be struggling with top level management and policies that were put in during the new right govts of the late 80s and 90s.

We do have a very interesting political situation here, and since changing to MMP voting, elections seem to actually make a difference. And I'm sure despite the chaos of the service in general, having a leftish govt to work under would be a relief.

Australia's loss though.