(Australian) Labor to form government

[depakid]

Source: Sydney Morning Herald

Labor has won the support of the two remaining independent MPs to form a minority government.

The independents, Rob Oakeshott and Tony Windsor, dramatically announced their decisions separately, with Mr Oakeshott being the last to signal his position to back Julia Gillard as prime minister.

But he warned: "This is not a mandate for any government," Mr Oakeshott said. "This parliament is going to be different."

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/federal-election/labor-to-form-government-20100907-14ynm.html

---

Key issues were the National Broadband Network and cuts to regional education by the conservative (Liberal) party.

Rural health and climate change were also important considerations.

[anAustralianobserver]

1. Happy and relieved. Also proud we have now elected a left-leaning female, atheist Prime Minister

(though I am neither atheist nor female:)) What are your feelings?

[harmonicon]

2. I think it's great.

This is what should have happened in the UK. Coming from the US, it really does seem that people are better represented by such parliamentary systems.

[anAustralianobserver]

3. :) In the UK how? Maybe if the US introduced instant-runoff voting its congress would become much

more accountable.

[defendandprotect]

5. Agree -- but being blocked by both parties .... Dems evidently have no concerns

either about computer voting steals!!! Another TABOO subject for Dems!!

[depakid]

6. Australian votes are hand counted

and the parties' candidates in each electorate (i.e Congressional District) can appoint "scrutineers" to each "booth" or "polling place" to sign off on the breaking of the seals on the ballot box (or boxes) and oversee the first counting of ballots and their bundling into packs of fifty for the #1 candidates in the lower house from which government is formed. Understand of course that with preferential voting (what Americans call IRV- or Instant Runoff) the first count is not what decides elections. Greens mark their second choice -and conservative (Liberals) theirs until one candidate ends up with 50% +1.

After that's completed, election workers (members of the community(s) who are paid for a very long day) move on to Senate ballots, which is also an interesting process (and for an American- quite the interesting looking thing). Unlike the lower house ballot- the Senate's ballot is about a foot and a half long, and contains choices for party preferences "above the line" -or, if people wish, they can number each one in sequence "below the line."

Recognize too that voting in Australia is compulsory. If a person who's "on the rolls" doesn't vote, they get an unwelcome letter and may have to pay a fine.

Surprisingly though, the "throw away," "write in" or incorrectly marked ballots -what's called "informal" votes- which get tossed aside and not counted, seemed pretty low (even though they were really high statistically speaking for many electorates in Aussie elections).

About 5% IIRC.

[Tanelorn]

7. A Great Result (albeit fragile)

Should be interesting times ahead.

You gave a great brief  accounting of our electoral system.
But you forgot to say that we vote throughout Australia with a
pencil stub on a bit of string.

[defendandprotect]

19. What happens if you bring a ball point pen?

[anAustralianobserver]

27. It's allowed.

[anAustralianobserver]

34. I think I read they found pencils more reliable. Most votes get counted within a few hours

in front of scrutineers and the result is usually known the same night. I think it would be hard to tamper with but I haven't worked there on the day to see it for myself.

[depakid]

36. For the people voting below the line for the Senate

Pencils are a whole lot better, considering that people had to number preferences in order for around 80 different candidates!

http://www.aec.gov.au/election/nsw/index.htm#sen

Surprisingly, at the booth I scrutineered, there were quite a few people who actually did this!

[anAustralianobserver]

40. Do you think there's much chance for the scrutineers and workers to be rigged in marginal

electorates or does the system seem relatively tamper-proof?

[depakid]

41. Not from what I saw

Scrutineers are NOT allowed to even touch the ballots- even if stacks of them fall on the floor.

Of course, parties would be wise to have their people there watching (and/or recording data).

At all of the booths where our local Greens had reps, you'd better believe Labor had an operative there, too.

[anAustralianobserver]

43. Good, that sounds generally secure except I wonder what happened in Boothby where

the 3000 votes were voided in a close race. I think they determined it didn't affect the result; I hope it was just a mistake.

[anAustralianobserver]

10. I'm grateful for our hand counted and preferential system, and alarmed to see some conservatives

saying they'd prefer non-preferential voting, and arguing disingenuously that the Labor government isn't legitimate for various reasons.

[defendandprotect]

20. Right wing NEVER stops . . . they will keep at it and at it and at it ....

[defendandprotect]

21. Thanks for info -- cheers to you all -- preserve it and keep an eye on the rw ...!!!

[depakid]

22. The Murdoch press has already started

There's even the shallowest of hit pieces on Kevin Rudd in the Sydney Morning Herald.

[anAustralianobserver]

28. Yes there's a rising influence of Murdoch/Fox style politics and I think this election result was a

blow to it. I don't see it ever getting half as bad here as in the US fortunately.

[defendandprotect]

31. Trust you are right -- but I think we always had the attitude ..."It can't happen here" ....

Yet our Founders quite clearly were conspiracy minded and told us that it COULD

happen here --

all enemies -- domestic and foreign --

There's also an interesting write up I have somewhere where one of the founders is

citing caution re conspiracy between President and VP -- IMO, clearly what happened

with Bush/Cheney. In those cases, the founder was calling for a suspension of

the administration!

[anAustralianobserver]

35. You're right, I should qualify that by saying that under current conditions, foreseeably,

such propaganda is not likely to get as much traction here. I think Australia might have more of a cultural immunity to propaganda; maybe our convict founding gave us a more anti-authoritarian anti-cult anti-drama psyche; I like to think so anyway - but eg terrorist acts can change things. The whole world is learning these lessons.

[anAustralianobserver]

45. Another point is that our politicians and media have the example of what happened in the US

with Fox. The Labor leaders and the Greens leader mention the News Ltd. papers and journalists by name regularly (as well as the other news organisations) and I'd say Australian culture generally shuns/looks-funny-at people who bring attack politics-arguments into their work or social lives.

[anAustralianobserver]

33. I remember that video with Howard Dean being shown the machine hacking.

I wonder if there's been stuff been going on behind the scenes to make it more secure. But I was here in 2005 - I remember: voter verified paper ballots.

[harmonicon]

8. in that it avoids rule by a plurality of votes

Voters understand that a coalition will have to be formed with the people making up that coalition all being accountable to their parties. It's quite a different government having a Conservative-led coalition than a pure Conservative government. If the election had been in the US, even with only 30% of the vote, the Conservatives would have gained power simply by having the largest number of votes. I think the wrong coalition was formed - one that went against the voters' wishes - but it's still better than a winner-takes-all system; and anywhere, instant runoff voting would certainly help a lot.

[anAustralianobserver]

11. Right, I see.

[defendandprotect]

4. Wow ... congratulations!! Any advice for us on how to do this ...????

I'm thrilled -- especially to see females advance in government - -

and an atheist -- wow! Nice change!!

Hoping we might at least get a LABOR party!!

Was Susan B. Anthony's dream that there would be a LABOR/WOMEN'S party!!!

[anAustralianobserver]

14. :) Thanks, it was very close. Taking into account preferences, it's almost exactly 50.00% to 50.00%

in terms of number of votes (final count won't be known for another week or so). 4 Independents and a Green had the final say and gave Labor a 76-74 seat majority over the conservative Coalition ('Liberal' + National Parties).

It almost went the other way - I feel proud to be Australian today but sober because it was so close.

I looked up Susan Anthony in wikipedia. Thanks for the reference. Our Labor Party is not as left wing as it might sound but the Greens are becoming powerful.

My advice is keep exposing and satirising the hypocrites and crooks, and gently deprogramming/reforming the Tea Party people! I'm glad the result of our election inspires you:)

[defendandprotect]

23. Trust this will take you all to a better future --

and think that you're getting fairly serious about Global Warming out there, right?

And glad to hear that the Greens are progressing there -- I'm sure they would here, as well,

had we IRV voting system.

My advice is keep exposing and satirising the hypocrites and crooks, and gently deprogramming/reforming the Tea Party people! I'm glad the result of our election inspires you

Ironically, Jon Stewart with his humor was more successful at denting the right wing Teflon

so I think you're right! Also re the T-baggers, these are hired "protesters" so I imagine that if

we take the time they can be brought to seeing their own stake in all of this and that it's not in

their or anyone else's interests to push a right wing agenda. The racism that seems to be involved,

however, is another issue. Short steps from racial hatred to violence, IMO!

Again -- congratulations to you all and keep us informed of how things progress!!

:)

[anAustralianobserver]

29. John Stewart is on here daily too:)

I feel terrible about the cultural/political crisis in the US - hopefully after a few more election cycles it will heal/re-integrate.

Thanks.

[defendandprotect]

32. Well, IMO, what we thought of as the mighty "America" has been taken down ....

by 50+ years of right wing political violence -- and more, of course.

Think WWII taught the elites that you can't leave any powerful nation standing

to "save" the others. You have to whittle them all down gradually and then take

them out!! That's simply my analysis -- and I see that happening all over the world.

Look at how simply Obama stepped in and "saved us" from universal health care!!

And still DU'ers here will vote again for this "New Dem" -- !!

[anAustralianobserver]

37. That sounds a bit like the NWO idea (Alex Jones etc.) and also LaRouche's analysis

I think I agree that nation-states are crucial, but there'll always be a tension between globalisation (broadly speaking) and national identity.

With Obama, you seem to (with a large part of DU) be saying his campaign was a fake-centrist con. I don't agree with that. I think he's become compromised and weak in a dangerous situation where the power of the Executive Branch has been systematically undermined by the RW, media, intelligence and the military over 50 years as you say.

His fault is that he won't tell the public what he knows after promising to keep you in the loop and be an engaged transparent executive. I remember the 2006 slogan "Open Government". I think the Dems had that intention but the 'elites' know how to keep their power; though I think their hold is very vulnerable looking at the Tea Party operation which is pretty desperate and counter-productive for them in the medium-term.

I think there's prob a lot going on behind the scenes but I agree some compromises were inexcusable like the 'crypto' dropping of the public option.

I don't think Obama is a con-man though; he's just turning out to be as compromisable as Bill Clinton was which is very sad but hopefully there is actually more 3-dimensional chess going on than the most cynical at DU conclude! Looking at his pre-campaign views about Single Payer etc. I think his ideological tendency is centrist (which your media calls leftist). That's my take on it anyway:)

[anAustralianobserver]

44. What I wrote sounded a bit antagonistic hehe: "Are you now or have you ever been a Larouchie or Alex

Jones listener?? Have you downloaded The Obama Deception or Dark Secrets Inside Bohemian Grove??" :)

[grahamhgreen]

17. YAY!

Marry me so I can move to Australia!

[anAustralianobserver]

18. Yay:) Another interesting fact - she's not married; she has a partner and will be moving in with

him to the Prime Minister's residence 'The Lodge' - That will blow a few fuses! (Going just by the 'visuals' it's surprising she won in a country with a big conservative streak.)

[defendandprotect]

24. Is there serious resistance to homosexual issues in Australia ......

is there a strong influence of patriarchal religion?

Well -- yes -- just remembering a GREAT movie -- "The Brides of Christ" -- was that it??

May have the name slightly wrong --

So, guess my question should be, has the RCC in Australia lost any power?

Still strongly dictating no use of birth control?

[anAustralianobserver]

26. I'd say the resistance to gay rights and acceptance is significantly less than in the US; but most

of our political leaders, including Julia Gillard unfortunately, still think they have to say "one-man one-woman" to get elected. In her case she equivocates by saying she sees no need to reform the Marriage Act at this time. The leader of the Green Party is gay and the Green party will hold the balance of power in the Senate starting July next year which will be a landmark change.

In most cities gay people and gay community streets and pubs are visible and accepted; less accepted by some older, suburban and country people as you'd expect.

Strict patriarchal/fundamentalist religion is a lot more marginal/ignored here than in parts of the US. Most Catholics aren't against birth control and the Catholic Church isn't very politically influential any more I'd say.

I only saw Brides of Christ when I was kid; I should watch it again if you say it's good:)


Julia Gillard -

as Deputy PM in parliament
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p-ShFrRWhL0
atheist question
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yz9wih09OGo&feature=related
question on gay marriage
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z1Vbz4Tg3PM

[defendandprotect]

30. You make it all quite clear . . ..

Yes, America is over the top on all of these issues, but I think it is because such

huge wealth has been behind creating them!! Including from the RCC here --

they and the Mormon Church, for instance, financed a campaign against our Equal Rights

Amendment with tax-exempt dollars. And, of course, Mormons have been active on Prop 8 in CA.

There is little that the right wing does here which isn't financed by the wealthy -- and that's

true of the religious movement -- in 1980, GOP gave start-up funding for the Christian Coalition.

Religion has always been a tool of elites -- and they use it regularly!

Interesting re both parties that homosexuals are in leadership -- I think our societies have

been tremendously unbalanced with the war on homosexuals.


I only saw Brides of Christ when I was kid; I should watch it again if you say it's good

I'm sure it holds up even today -- but it's an Australian production which is notable IMO as

just that -- script/cast/direction -- I haven't seen it in probably 15 or more years, myself.

However, in taking on the church and the issues at the time, I think it was courageous --

and helpful for the world to see. Especially the birth control issue.

I'm a recovering Catholic, btw.




Patriarch - and its underpinning =
Organized Patriarchal Religion - and its creation =
Capitalism =
__________________

The Unholy Trinity






:)

[anAustralianobserver]

39. Right, the funding including from religions; yeah I heard a lot of the

Las Vegas strip is owned by the Mormon Church for example (?). I was raised Catholic too. Yes anti-nature anti-women culture. The Father archetype needs to be healed and integrated to get hippytrippy about it:)

[LeftishBrit]

9. Good news - hope the government lasts!

At least that's ONE hung-parliament situation that was resolved in a good way.

Tony Abbott is absolutely revolting, so even from the other end of the world I'm very glad he won't be PM.

[pampango]

12. Greens key to success of new government (must deliver on climate reform and carbon pricing)

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/sep/07/australia-election-green

Julia Gillard won the support of the Australian Greens to form a minority government but must deliver on climate reform and carbon pricing

Like the UK and Germany, a surge in popularity has given the environmental movement an unprecedented parliamentary presence in Australia this year, prompting suggestions that electorates are punishing mainstream parties for failing to act decisively on climate change.

In last month's poll, the Australian Greens benefited from a bigger swing than any other party, picking up 11.7% of the vote and the first lower house seat they have ever won at a general election. In the upper house, the Senate, they will soon be in an even stronger position, controlling the balance of power with nine of the 76 seats.

Using their new leverage in a hung parliament, the Greens – now the undisputed third party – promised to support Labor in return for a new initiative on climate change. Gillard agreed that if she were to return as prime minister, she would establish a high-level committee – including representatives from the Greens and the science community – to consider ways to put a price on carbon. A large gap remains between the two parties on emissions targets. The last Labor government aimed for a 5-15% reduction in emissions on 2000 levels by 2020 , mainly through a carbon-trading scheme. The Greens want a 40% cut, initially through a carbon tax.

He sees an international dimension to advance of green parties. "There are growing numbers of young people reading and accepting the science of climate change. There is a large constituency that feels betrayed by the rightward move of social democratic parties over the past 30 years and there is a large group of professionals who see that the old parties are not taking rational actions because they are tied to the interests of the 20th-century economy."

[dotymed]

13. What is really sad

is that Americans are not informed at all about the political process of other nations by our MSM, even our independent networks do not give it much coverage.

[valerief]

16. That's because we don't have a free press. We have a corporate press. nt

[TBF]

15. Nice to see a labor party somewhere :) nt

[No Elephants]

25. Conservatives who call themselves liberals are annoying.

"But he warned: "This is not a mandate for any government," Mr Oakeshott said. "This parliament is going to be different."


Rut roh. Here comes Third Way.

[depakid]

38. Actually, Labor played the 3rd way in the months before the election

which is one reason why they very nearly got booted out after one term.

Interestingly enough, this arrangement with independents and the Greens may well lead to progressive reforms and legislation that Labor's powerbrokers by themselves wouldn't have embarked on.

We shall see.

[anAustralianobserver]

42. I think that's true; I'm kind of surprised that the centre-left has succesfully asserted itself in

this election. But I wonder what will become of the mining tax with a minority government. We were so close to going back to the Coalition which would have been destabilising and depressing!