One hundred years ago compulsory enrolment was introduced in Australia for purely political reasons. Now might be the time to push for automatic enrolment, writes Brian Costar.
Electoral reform
Malaysian PM to reformers: ‘Crushed bodies, broken bones, dead bodies’
The Malaysian government is deploying all of the tactics seen from Middle-Eastern dictators in an attempt to suppress the Bersih 2.0 movement
Malaysian solution to calls for electoral reform: arrests, threats
Malaysian students in Australia have been threatened by the Malaysian government, which is cracking down on calls for fairer elections.
Steve Fielding decides if you vote or not
It’s madness that politicians get to decide their own electoral regulations. Now, “wild-card” Steve Fielding has power over whether thousands of young people vote, writes Dominic Knight.
Daily Tele takes NSW back to William IV
The tabloid frenzy in New South Wales over constitutional changes is dangerous and ill-informed. While we may well need a mechanism to call an early election against the government’s wishes, it shouldn’t be driven by the likes of the Daily Tele.
Queensland clerk: political culture is sick
In a scathing 17,500-word call for reform, Neil Laurie, Clerk of the only legislative chamber in Queensland’s Parliament, has suggested the current political culture is in some ways worse than the pre-Fitzgerald era, says Andrew Bartlett. Full submission can be found here.
Small parties to be squeezed out of Senate?
Electoral reform of the Senate is being floated by the government, in the hope that the likes of Steve Fielding will never get elected on preferences alone, again.
300,000 disenfranchised by our voting system
The government does seem to make an effort to elicit actual discussion in their government papers, and the new Electoral Reform Green Paper is a perfect example.
16-year-old wannabe voters get a boost
Here are the headline grabbers from the government’s electoral reform paper, says William Bowe: serious discussion of voluntary voting for 16-year-olds. And could resigning MPs suffer financial penalties?
Vote now for radical reforms to Australia’s electoral system
The Government is taking submissions on some wide-ranging reforms to Australia’s electoral systems, including letting non-citizens vote, removing “truth in advertising” requirements for campaigns, and ending mandatory voting. Have your say.
