The Australian Election Thread

[Botany Bay]

Lining up to vote took over an hour, and when we got in there, our three year old had a massive tantrum because he wanted to vote too! Then my wife managed to lose her House ballot paper in the booth. She was refused another paper, so they had to disassemble the cardboard booth to look underneath, where it had somehow landed.

I think they were very glad to see the back of us!

Despite all this, I managed a below the line senate vote, all the way to position 84! I also voted above the line because of the commotion, in case I missed a number. If you vote above and below the line in the senate, they count your below the line vote, unless you make a mistake, then your above the line vote counts. You learn this stuff when you read too many Antony Green articles.

Speaking of the great man, he will have his work cut out for him tonight I think. Today's Newspoll suggests a hung parliament is on the cards. An extraordinary outcome for an extraordinary election.

 

[Rii]

Lining up to vote took over an hour, and when we got in there, our three year old had a massive tantrum because he wanted to vote too!

That is beyond awesome.

Fingers crossed that he remains as enthusiastic about the process in years to come.

 

[Botany Bay]

If the Coalition wins I think Australia is going to regret it very quickly. Abbott's nothing but a thug, his election promises will go out the window faster than a rabbit (their costings are rubbery and the whole leak and accountacy firm doing the costings was a stunt and the numbers don't add up) and services will go do as they slash and burn.

There is a distinct possibility that they could pull the old trick of looking at the books and saying "things are worse than we'd ever imagined, time to get the red pen out", a la Howard in 1996 when he discovered the Keating government had left a $10 billion hole in the books. Howard took a meataxe to the unis to fix the damage, and, regrettably they still haven't recovered from that (I say that as a student back then who lived through it).

But, this time, I don't see that risk. The Greens are sure to hold the balance of power in the Senate, and will not stand for any cuts to anything. In fact, their policies of higher taxes, labour market re-regulation and public ownership of just about everything will make Abbott's job a nightmare.

I wonder how many voters will vote for Abbott as a protest against the ALP, but vote Green in the senate as a straightjacket just in case they don't quite trust him 100%?

 

[Botany Bay]

Lining up to vote took over an hour, and when we got in there, our three year old had a massive tantrum because he wanted to vote too!

That is beyond awesome.

Fingers crossed that he remains as enthusiastic about the process in years to come.

Here's hoping

I gave him a Greens how to vote card and a pencil as a decoy, but he saw through that and demanded a green House of Representatives ballot paper!

Meantime my wife was almost in tears too about losing her ballot paper, as four poling officials disassembled her booth to retrieve it from up against the wall. All in all, very glad to be home and drinking a glass of red as we prepare for our Don's party here tonight, and witness the final act of the most entertaining election of all time.

 

[Tulin]

I have edited my signature to reflect how I feel about today.

It shall speak for me.

 

[Jono]

Just voted. Can't wait for Iron Chef tonight.

Tulin, Labor spell it the American way.

 

[scout]

Voted a few hours ago now..Greens in both House of Reps and Senate.

I do have a soft spot for the Shootin'n'Fishin' Party and always smile when I see them on the ballot paper (although naturally would never vote for them)...Something about their underdog status

 

[Roger Wilco]

At what time (GMT) are there results? I just came home a couple hours ago and have only had one cup of coffee yet so the time zone stuff is confusing for me.

 

[Jono]

Polling booths are still open for another 45 minutes here on the east coast and you can add another 2 hours for the west count, so still a bit early for results. We usually see the first results between 6:30 and 7PM local time, which would be 8:30 - 9AM GMT

For which party is going to run the country, last election I think the Coalition conceded defeat at around 9PM AEST, which is 11AM GMT. Predictions are that this election will be much closer and the news is reporting there are a large number of postal and pre-poll votes which could also slow things down. We might be in the position that there isn't a clear enough leader for either side to concede tonight.

 

[Roger Wilco]

Alright, thanks. And what are the odds, who's winning?

I didn't follow the election much (except watching Yes We Canberra ) but that Abbott guy seems really creepy to me, I hope you can dodge that bullet.

 

[Australis]

that Abbott guy seems really creepy to me, I hope you can dodge that bullet.

Tell me about it.

Voted below the line. The religious parties last (family First, Fred Niles Xian Dems - haven't they heard about the separation of Church and State?!), before them the Climate Skeptics and Shooters and Fisdhes (a meh on both their houses), then the ungrouped (and DAMN we need to know more about them, they could be standing for cannibalism for all I know!), then LibDems, DLP, and sundry others like that, then Libs, then Socialist /Communist (for my friend who died a couple years ago, chances are he would have stood this time), ending with the Sex Party, the Greens and Labor. Keep in mind that's reverse order.

You know there's some weirdos out there when you have to put the party you dislike the most in the middle of the ticket! Had to do the same with the Reps as well.

 

[scout]

Yes, its also strange to see that One Nation is still hanging about like a national cancer.

 

[Miss Chicken]

The exit polls have been favourable to Labor.

 

[Darth Picardous]

House of Reps; Liberal, Senate; Sex party. Maximum chaos.

Anyhow with the big financial shitstorm coming our way i don't think it matters who is running the shop, it wont be pretty.

 

[Rii]

Anyhow with the big financial shitstorm coming our way i don't think it matters who is running the shop, it wont be pretty.

The odd thing is that Australia's finances are in much better shape than those of most other western nations. Relatively speaking, the nation is almost a paragon of fiscal responsibility. Of course the large commodities base underwriting the national economy has rather a lot to do with that.

 

[Tulin]

Just voted. Can't wait for Iron Chef tonight.

Tulin, Labor spell it the American way.

I know it's spelled without the "u" but I just cannot bring myself to spell it the Yank way.

To me, it's "Labour".

 

[Jono]

^ Fair enough.

I just walked past the TV and saw Barnaby giving Swan a serve on financial management...I'm not a big fan of Swan but Barnaby is a perineum.

 

[Rii]

Looks like the Greens hold the balance of power in the Senate.

 

[Australis]

Grrr, all so frustrating.

I wonder if there'll be an early election or a significant by-election that'll change things?

Damn. Damn damn damn.

If it is a hung parliament, it's gonna get intense.

 

[PlainSimpleJoel]

^ They commented on ch 9 that there could be an election again soon.

I did like Julia's speech. If there possibility of the Abbott being the PM, I hope Labor unite behind her.