So, Ms Kosky has resigned. The reasons for her resignation are entirely honourable. But this is an election year, and her record – that is, the Brumby Government’s record – on transport will be tested in Novemeber when we all go to the polls. I imagine that I am not alone in asking how many conductors could be gainfully employed on our trains and trams with 1.3 billion dollars instead of a complicated new ticketing system.
But not only transport. Water, economy, health, education, the bushfire warning system, crime and policing, and a host of othe problems have beset this government. Add to that the penchant the Attourney General has for remodelling our social mores, and the bill liberalising abortion, and I cannot say that there is much that endears me to this current State Government.
But where is the alternative? Where is the strong and principled leadership from the State Opposition, leadership that we need to see now if we are going to have a credible alternative come the November polls? I don’t see it. And before the November election comes around, I would very much like too.
It’s time we had some real alternatives in our State politics, otherwise there will be no competition come November.
What is required is for principled people to put their hand up .independents,DLP,Family First and CDP ,as well as Liberal and nationals. BUT i think that we will see more special interest groups in this election all due to Brumby’s projects.Thus Plug the pipeline people;Anti-desal groups . i know that Rural Victorians see this Government as being more than on the nose
I did not include the Greens as they are the ALP with a greener more pagan outlook. Is there going to be a challenge ,in the High Court ,to the lack of conscience provision in the Abortion law Reform act for doctors and nurses who refuse to participate in an abortion
This is going to be the year of elections, with several State and a Federal election here. But also there will be the British election in about 4 months’ time. I have been following the battles over independence of faith schools there:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/6969468/Why-does-Labour-hate-faith-schools.html
There are extraordinary attacks being made on faith schools, and if I have read the stories right, this has started recently and was not happening under Tony Blair. In any case, Brown and Labour are doomed in the UK, so the only interest is the policy of the Tories to schools.
NSW State Labor…the longest surviving political miracle. I’m almost ambivalent about what happens in our state election this year – I don’t know that the NSW State Liberal party is substantially better.
Which is the problem with a two-party system: who do you vote for when neither party cuts the mustard?
Dunno.
“…who do you vote for when neither party cuts the mustard?”
Easy – neither. If you’re not really being offered a choice, then your vote is not really worth anything; and you might as well express your disgust at that state of affairs on the ballot paper as anywhere else.
The problem is that expressing your disgust doesn’t achieve anything either. In fact, it’s indistinguishable from expressing your laziness, except that you don’t get a fine.
A two-party system does present these problems, but it’s just as conceivable to have 3 or more parties that don’t cut the mustard. (If the Greens ever get serious enough to be real contenders I won’t be any happier!)
At least with our preferential voting system, you can express your wholehearted support for some excellent minor guy who’s never going to get elected, then allocate your Labor/Liberal preferences on a worst-of-two-evils basis. I believe the yanks don’t even have this possibility, which keeps the Republican/Democrat duopoly pretty safe, and makes a vote for any third party a wasted vote.
Yeah, I’ve voted in elections where the only choices were Lib, ALP, Greens and Dems. Hopeless.
Yes, Mike. I agree and have used this method consistently for the last 10 years.
I often vote from the wrong end, starting with the person/party I least want in power.