And as I indicated, its not a major drama, I might say – slightly disappointing, but not in my interests, let alone plenty of other peoples’, to make a big song and dance about it. I’m just highlighting it to demonstrate a point in response to some other assertions that are often made.

Personally, I hate all the Group Ticket Vote crap. I am now well and truly converted to OPV in the Senate and wish we had the ability to preference above the line.

To write “The SA Greens preferenced One Nation – Good luck with that.” gives people a false impression. In the Senate in South Aust The Greens preferenced Climate Change Coalition, Democrats, Xenophon, Labor and about a dozen other parties before putting One Nation near the bottom of the list. One Nation are in front of only two other groups both of which are on the far right of the political spectrum.

The fact that FFP has preferenced LDP and ONP gives us useful fodder with which to bait their candidates at election forums.

The SA Greens preferenced One Nation – Good luck with that.

it left open the possibility of shit happening….and shit happened.

i am extremely pleased to see that Labor have shunned the religious Conservatives this election….for whatever reasons.

If Labor and the progressives aren’t good enough to get a majority of the Australian public’s vote, then they need to improve themselves….not start doing deals with outfits like FF.

2. I’d rather a hung Senate (even if a right winger shared in the balance of power) than the Coalition having outright control of the Senate. At least there would be the occasional win rather than no wins for the more progressive side of politics. Thats why Labor and the Greens, (low down on their group voting tickets well after directing preferences to each other and the Democrats) have preferenced Family First and CDP ahead of the Liberal party.

3. We all know about Dems preferences helping to elect a Family First Senator in VIC instead of a Green in 2004, but it was the Dems split ticketing madness that elected a current Lib Senator in 2001 for a six year term instead of a Labor Senator. From the group voting tickets I looked at this morning, its pleasing to see that the split ticketing has been dropped in some states by the Dems, but not yet in the ACT.

4. The biggest preference sell-out I’ve sighted so far is the Climate Change Coaliton in the Senate in WA. They have preferenced CDP, One Nation, Greame Campbell (formerly from Australia First), the DLP, Family First and Non-custodial Parents Party all ahead of the Greens who have much stronger policies on reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and also ahead of Labor.

The fact that FFP has preferenced LDP and ONP gives us useful fodder with which to bait their candidates at election forums.

Has anyone got an answer to my query about John Harvey @44?

I agree with you that members of the ALP did not see the 2004 or the 2006 preference decision in the same way as I did. I’ve had to explain it to a few of them.

Alastair (74),

Just for the record, the ALP did not make a preference mistake in 2004. The fact that the ALP’s preferences are allocated differently this time is not because the ALP has learnt from last time, but because the ALP has a better deal from the Greens this time. I have given my reasons already. I repeat the point just to hinder the “mistake” becoming part of accepted “wisdom” in the way that “the rivers of gold” from the GST have.

I’ve noticed all sorts of weird minor cases where Greens, Dems, CCC, Labor have all put parties out of the order of their principles, but I’ve also noticed that these are generally out of place. I think you’d find in a majority of states (without looking myself) that the Greens put Dems ahead of LDP.

The preferences being allocated in this election are surely what is important now.

It seems to me that the Democrats preferences seem very reasonable and principled at this election.