Comments on: Chris Berg on compulsory voting

By: kelly liddle

kelly liddle — Fri, 11 Jan 2013 06:08:14 +0000

John
Not exactly, my argument is about the significance. I would fight much harder for other changes like to tax law than this because it has a much greater effect even if I did support a change to voting which I don’t mostly based on the if it ain’t broke theory.

By: John Mc

John Mc — Fri, 11 Jan 2013 05:41:05 +0000

Kelly, that’s like an argument put to me once that because people are never free as if it rains you can’t go outside and you can’t do anything about it, then any further restrictions of freedom are irrelevant.

By: kelly liddle

kelly liddle — Fri, 11 Jan 2013 05:27:26 +0000

I was compelled to spend approximately 12 000 hours schooling (JC would argue this was a complete waste of taxpayers money and my time) and I am sure another 1000 hours doing other things. If voting was the major thing I was compelled to do then it is not even significant given what I am compelled to do now. Tax return versus voting I will pick voting 100 times over.

By: chris

chris — Fri, 11 Jan 2013 02:20:54 +0000

since gillard arrived the level & standard of politics in australia has descended into the sewer. i would prefer not to be forced to vote for these freeloading deadbeats.

By: Andrew

Andrew — Fri, 11 Jan 2013 02:05:50 +0000

Well smarty pants Andrew, you’ll have to tell us what that means!

It basically means what you were trying to say in your attempt at German. “We can force you to vote”.

By: 81Alpha

81Alpha — Fri, 11 Jan 2013 01:07:15 +0000

I voluntarily declare my vote in support of JC’s brilliant ‘two birds with one stone premise’ (ie) no fines enforced for not voting.
Campbell had better cotton on to that one and quickly, it is a winner on all counts.
Well done that man.

By: Jarrah

Jarrah — Fri, 11 Jan 2013 00:44:07 +0000

“As noted above, plenty of foundation based upon the many dysfunctional democracies globally.”

Actually no, there has been one supposedly dysfunctional democracy mentioned – New Zealand, by Infidel Tiger. Which currently has a conservative party in charge, and a free market party that actually gets a seat because of proportional representation. I don’t see how that’s an indictment of the system!

Your claim – that PR leads to deficits – has zero factual basis. Unless you want to show the regressions that could support your theory?

By: Jarrah

Jarrah — Fri, 11 Jan 2013 00:35:23 +0000

“htf can you confuse electoral with financial.”

You’re suffering from Selective Reading Syndrome again. I was replying to Token, who brought up a supposed link between proportional representation and budget deficits. Heck, I even replied in separate comments to you and to Token, so you can’t even claim you were confused about who I was talking to.

Now who’s the blockhead?

By: dover_beach

dover_beach — Fri, 11 Jan 2013 00:17:28 +0000

Ok, fine. I will support voluntary voting if it still gets a relatively high turnout.

In other words, Andrew is happy to use voluntary or compulsory means to achieve the results he desires.

By: candy

candy — Fri, 11 Jan 2013 00:12:17 +0000

Well smarty pants Andrew, you’ll have to tell us what that means!

But I’m not changing my thoughts; Compulsory voting forces even the lazy and the cynical ones to have a bit a of a look at their country’s politics and have a thinks about it and recognise our wonderful democracy.