Swagman wrote on Apr 3
rd, 2014 at 11:37am:
Bam wrote on Apr 3
rd, 2014 at 11:22am:
and Abbott never respected Labor's mandate for a GST since he became leader in 2009
Labor want a GST now?
I accept your concession of this argument.
Quote:Bam wrote on Apr 3
rd, 2014 at 11:22am:
Mandates are a fiction, the Senate is free to vote how it wants.
Yeah yeah, they don't exist they just follow the crowd at chow time huh?
The repeal of workchoices was not opposed. The Coalition recognised the electoral mandate Labor had. They didn't have to, but they knew it was politically unwise not to.
With Labor well ahead in the polls at the time, any attempt to oppose the repeal of the deeply unpopular Workchoices would have been met with two Senate rejections, getting hammered at a DD election (that would have seen up to half a dozen fewer Coalition Senators) and then a joint sitting of parliament to repeal it anyway.
With Abbott trailing in the opinion polls, the DD option is not realistic. If Abbott demands that his mandate be respected, the ALP and the others can laugh at him.
Quote:The unique situation that the voters of WA have though is judging the Labor party's failure to honour the Coalition's mandate. Will they punish Labor?
Not likely, given that the polls are pointing to a 5% swing TO Labor and Labor gaining a Senate seat.
Quote:This situation where it takes 8 months to get rid of 1/2 of the obsolete senate is bizzare.
It basically takes away 16% of the Representative Government's term in office. It has to change.
This happened because Howard called an early election in 1998. We've been stuck ever since with a situation where there's only been a few available dates for the election to avoid the House and Senate getting out of step. The only way this will be fixed will be a DD at some time in the future.
Quote:One Senator elected with a paltry percentage of the vote can entirely hold up the governance of the nation by the House of Reps......it's 'Montypythonish'....
You won't find much disagreement here. Number as many boxes above the line as we want, and it should be a valid vote if at least six candidates are chosen. No more group tickets.