(Untitled)

[bungo]

For those still paying attention: the Australian Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters Inquiry into the 2007 Federal Election received 156 submissions.

The Australian Democrats claim

British voters can decide key seats

Comments

[hnpcc]

Interesting - I had no idea there were still so many (I presume) British citizens still on the rolls.

Strange really, you'd think we'd either extend the privilege to everyone who's lived here past a certain time or require them to take out citizenship like everyone else.

[tau_iota_mu_c]

There are also more than enough greens voters to swamp the effects of the National Party. But we're not all organised enough to live in a small number of electorates, like Nationals voters.

It'd be a worthwhile excercise. But we might as well form those electorates and then secede from the rest of the country (particularly Qld).

Secession?

[acmarita]

That's thinking small. The Greens should be running the country. Bob Brown for PM!

If the Rudd government can't do well enough on critical issues such as greenhouse and water, will the Greens get to be an influential coalition partner next time around? The government's vacillating and idiotic response to the recent petrol fuss was pretty depressing. I think they're still captive to their blue-collar (? old-fashioned Labour but not very left) constituents. And perhaps unable to ignore powerful lobbies such as big coal and big oil.

GetUp is trying to keep them sane. But they seem to be much weaker than we'd hoped.

[acmarita]

Really interesting. Thanks, Bungo, for keeping us informed.

The first submission (from ALP abroad) explains the current rules quite clearly, and urges the changes that I think are important, for allowing/encouraging (even mandating) overseas Australians to vote.

I'd no idea that non-Australians could vote here. Astonishing.

"Commonwealth" voting

[finella_c]

I'd no idea that non-Australians could vote here.

I still find it odd that I can vote in Britain... So do the Americans and Europeans I meet here who've been living in the UK (and paying taxes) as long as I have.