Comments on: Bring back the toga and lose the House of Representatives!

By: Greg Atkinson

Greg Atkinson — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 12:42:56 +0000

I just thought of a way to make the senate race even tighter and reduce the power of the major parties. What I propose is that there shall be no preference distribution even amongst candidates of the same party. This means in effect, people would be truly voting for individual candidates and no sneaky little preference deals would get a candidate over the line. There would just be one box to tick (i.e. the person you wanted to vote for) or you could exercise you right and not vote for anyone. (by ticking a box, none of the above)

Also the electoral commission would be made responsible for maintaining an online database that showed such things:

1. The policies and pledges of each candidate standing for election
2. Biography of each candidate.
3. A senators previous pledges/policies and his/her voting record during his/her previous term as senator. (if standing for re-election)

In addition the annual remuneration details for each senator would be made available online (including allowances) as would their senate attendance record/activities.

The online database would be maintained at no cost to candidates and would I believe, level the playing field a little. I would guess over time many people would access this database to help them decide who to vote for and it might even negate some of the big spending by the major political parties?

By: Senator13

Senator13 — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 01:22:16 +0000

That is more then what can be said about a lot of our infrastructure lol.

By: Greg Atkinson

Greg Atkinson — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 00:02:45 +0000

Lol..well at least the legions got the roads and aqueducts built. Some of these are still standing and even still in use today!

By: Senator13

Senator13 — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 22:29:07 +0000

Hahaha, nice clip! Bring back the SPQR you reckon, Greg?

By: Greg Atkinson

Greg Atkinson — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 07:56:31 +0000

Yes appointments are hard to manage. I like the idea of just having the Senate because it would really make it a challenge to get elected. From each state there would only be a limited number of Senate seats available so that would also keep things nice and tight. I reckon there should also be no preference deals and people should also have the option to tick a “none of the above” box if they thought everyone standing for election was a dud.

By: Pieere B

Pieere B — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 05:18:29 +0000

The Senators would have to be choosen not by public election: you would finish with people like Barak Obama or K. Rudd, exellent talker, incapable of original thinking. May be voting by taxpayer only; I am sure you could suggest someway of overcoming the problem of appointment.

By: Greg Atkinson

Greg Atkinson — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 12:31:19 +0000

Ned S, thanks for the feedback.

I agree with your comments about political parties and think we would be better served by having shifting alliances based on the issues at hand. For example an alliance could be formed to support certain legislation rather than people being tied to voting along party lines. To do this however we would need to think about how we could support the rise of minor parties and independents.

I am a little cautious about your decision group suggestion as it would seem to focus a lot of power on a very small group of people. It sounds like a variation of the High Court..or maybe I am getting the wrong idea?

One thing I am still unsure about is how we would fill cabinet positions and maybe the U.S system is better in that they can draw people in from outside politics to fill these posts. Payment is important, but I guess we need to also make sure we get people who have a sense of national duty and are not just in it for the money.

Cheers!

By: Ned S

Ned S — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 18:17:33 +0000

There is nothing there I’d see as being a show stopper at all. Two broad comments and then some more specific ones:
Broadly speaking a) We either have have way more bottoms on seats in Canberra than we actually need (given that they’ll just vote along party policy lines anyway) OR we have way too few of them (if our aim is for them to be achieving truly effective representation of their constituents who they know and to whom they are known) – You allude to that problem when you talk about the inability of most constituents to write any real bio on their reps I think? As does Dan when he says democracy has failed the scaling test.
And b) I personally question the value of party politics a lot – Because, firstly to me it seems to detract from any real open debate based on having tried to become informed prior to entering the debate (the “they’ll just vote the party line line anyway” certainty) and secondly if there is any real difference between what our two major political parties will do in a given situation, as opposed to what they say they’ll do, then I’m sure having trouble seeing it.
Some more specific comments:
* I don’t see “politicians” as adding much value at all – By and large they basically just seem to puff wind to push particular self interest group/popularist concepts (within party policy constraints) – And that’s the best of them I mean – The ones who are even bothering to do that much.
* No one should be given a paid job to do that on a fulltime basis – In that anyone who actually cares enough can and should and will be doing that for and on behalf of themselves/that list of names on a petitition you mention.
* While I have not thought it through at all fully, my natural inclination is to probably lean towards a “Decision Making Team” of only 7 people maybe because my personal understanding is that once a group is bigger than that, effective communication between them is difficult. (And in lots of ways, it is probably what is happening now in reality I suspect anyway?)
* One of that 7 will simply and naturally be elected/stand out/be accepted within that group as “Team Leader/Group Spokesperson” – As a citizen I don’t feel a need to vote for that specific person – If we get the basics right, that person will naturally appear – I think?
* Sure, have the 76 Senators working their butts off to bring together all sorts of State MPs, Public Service Chiefs, Industry bosses, Private Petition gathering spokespeople (and fully supported by all the rsources of the Public Service) but without voting “rights” – But just maybe with Veto Rights (just thought of that – Might be handy??? Or not? But worth more thought perhaps.)
* As for payment, if these people are doing a good job then they are worth serious money – The Senators, and the 7 decision makers even more so – I have no issues with it being BIG HEAPS – To “Not Discourage” as opposed to “Attracting” quality people to the jobs perhaps?
* Not that everyone works primarily for money. But I think that most people recognize it can have its uses – So the Mother Theresa type on the decision making team of 7 will donate most of her BIG HEAPS payment to her favourite Calcutta slums charity (or whatever other charity) – Good for her. But recognize the value of what she is doing and say “Thank you!!! And Oh, do with it as you will please!”
* The House of Reps is actually quite possibly its own worst enemy regarding its right/need to exist I suspect – Leastways to any one who has ever listened to and/or noted writeups on their point scoring equivalent of lower grade primary school children squabbling. (The more mature upper primary school 11 and 12 year olds are very grown up in comparison – Sadly.)
* I’m not at all sure just how we achieve something better. But a) it certainly does seem to be necessary and b) it certainly can’t be too difficult given what we are trying to improve on – Because it is simply childish. These are not mature adults attempting to engage in open minded debate as best they can after having attempted to inform themselves to the range of possible community viewpoints and the underlying facts with a genuine goal of attempting to achieve the most desirable possible outcomes – But the equivalent of 6 year olds squabbling along the lines of “My Daddy is smarter than yours” – As in “My Party Policies are best!” That doesn’t sound like it should be too difficult to improve on surely … Over to you – Smile!