Comments on: Half-time report: upper house

By: Bird of paradox

Bird of paradox — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 08:44:38 +0000

Answer to Bird of paradox.
I am very disturbed by your comments on the Christian schools. Which school did you attend?

I was home schooled. That experience, and my Christian father, filled me with such a love of all things Christian that I’m not one any more. Imagine Ephesians 6:1 with maximum violence.

By the way, I’m assuming you’re Nick’s mother / CDP candidate in Gosnells… if so, could you explain to me why he’s running for the Liberals in South Metro? He seems a much more natural fit with the CDP… it seems odd.

By: Stephen L

Stephen L — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 07:48:56 +0000

Wow, Antony, I just checked the Botany Bay website. With one exception every councillor has been there since 1995, and most for much longer. Not exactly a mix of new blood and experience. That voting system is atrocious, and one can see it in the results.

By: Stephen L

Stephen L — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 07:34:48 +0000

Based on the Victorian experience it seems like the possibility of winning makes it harder to find Green candidates. One of the good things about Green members is that most of them (naturally with some exceptions) aren’t willing to run for something they might win unless they’re confident they’d actually do a good job.

Of course there are some who would be bloody terrible and are just delusional, but there are even more who have a better understanding of their own weaknesses than those of their opponents. Results, we’ve had some people who’d be at least reasonable councilors pull out because they have heard what it takes to be a great councilor and don’t realise they’d still be doing something good for the local residents if they ran and took the seat off some useless hack. Result, spots we could win going begging.

By: Stewart J

Stewart J — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 12:10:05 +0000

As Antony says – you need 50%, and if you get that your votes go back in to elect the second person. This of course means that a ticket of 2 ALP candidates will almost always get elected (assuming people follow the ticket) Wollongong had the same, but the competition was quite different due to the presence of many non-ALP voters in the northern parts of the Illawarra. Botany doesn’t have that.

By: Antony Green

Antony Green — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 11:55:16 +0000

Botnay Bay doesn’t use PR. Two member wards but both elected by majority preferential voting.

By: Obelisk

Obelisk — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 10:00:59 +0000

StewartJ:

You’d think the Greens would stand a fairly good chance of 33% in Botany.

By: Stewart J

Stewart J — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 23:52:03 +0000

Antony@63
Well, we might have nominated someone if we had someone willing to be nominated… We managed it in 2004, so maybe next time around.

By: Madeleine

Madeleine — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 23:28:42 +0000

Answer to Bird of paradox.
I am very disturbed by your comments on the Christian schools. Which school did you attend? I have been a teacher at one of the CPCS schools for 21 years and I am delighted with the education children receive there. Education is in a mess. Politicians are seeking solutions in the wrong places. We want common sense education and character building for our students.

By: Possum Comitatus

Possum Comitatus — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 12:02:32 +0000

I could imagine Antony…

Well, actually I probably couldn’t – every time I thought I’d seen it all with that mob, they transcend new depths of confusion.

Like the last Federal election where One Nation WA was running in QLD for the Senate.

I’d be interested to hear your One Nation tales sometime – psephology sitcom on a stick.

By: Antony Green

Antony Green — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 11:57:10 +0000

Speaking of strange boroughs, I’m disappointed that the Greens didn’t nominate for Sydney’s Botany Bay Council. In an election for Mayor and for three wards of two councillors, there were two labor nominations in each ward, Ron Hoenig was the only nominee for Mayor, the whole Council uncontested. I think it will be the only council in Sydney where Labor won’t get a pasting on 13 September.