Vote for a minor party

There are 10 candidates in my Federal electorate of Robertson: one Labor, one Liberal, one Green, three independents and five representing minor parties.

Normally only the Labor or Liberal candidate can win, possibly on a primary vote of around 40 per cent, not even a majority.

As this scene is repeated right around the country, given that voters are compelled to vote and mark all the preferences, we'll end up again with Tweedledee or Tweedledum, unable to secure progress on climate change, refugees, the Republic or electoral reform.

The illusion provided by preferential voting is that we have a democratic, representative electoral system ensuring diversity.

Demonstrably, this is nonsense.

Of the eight non-major party candidates only the Greens would get over four per cent and the others may well all lose their deposit, as usual.

Of the 1198 candidates nationally, including the Senate, well over 1000 will bite the dust in this fashion.

This fraudulent form of democracy can be overthrown of course by the voters themselves.

It is both their right and, I would say, under the circumstances, their duty to vote for non-major party candidates.

The newly-elected MPs can then devise a new electoral model, one that is democratic, representative and reflects the diversity of ideas and interests of the population.

The model should also represent a common purpose instead of the meaningless adversarialism that characterises the current electoral and political systems.

I will vote for a minor party and place the major parties at the very bottom.

Join me please.

This election could bring a sea change if the voters so decide.

Email, 1 Aug 2010 Klaas Woldring, Pearl Beach