The 2013 election exposed voters to a concept that was, for many, previously unheard-of: electing small party candidates to the Senate. While independent Senators such as Brian Harradine and Nick Xenophon found success in representing their states, it has always been harder for smaller parties to build a following at a federal level. The death … Continue reading Small Party Syndrome
Don’t Be A Jackass
Ask someone what donkey voting is, and they might say it's when you spoil your ballot by adding an additional candidate; or maybe it's when you draw a cock and balls across the senate paper; wait, isn't it when you write your name on the paper? None of these are correct. A donkey vote is … Continue reading Don’t Be A Jackass
Preferences Schmeferences
How do I know who gets my preferences? Who are the Liberal party are preferencing? What about Labor? Did the Greens really do a preference deal? Is Nick Xenophon still a thing? Does anybody really care about this crap? Here are the facts: PREFERENCE DEALS NO LONGER MATTER Preferential voting (also known as alternative voting … Continue reading Preferences Schmeferences
Lessons from the Brexit: Say “no” to meh
Voting in Australia is compulsory. At elections, referendums, and plebiscites, all Australian citizens over the age of 18 are expected to cast a vote. This shouldn't be news for anyone living in this country, but given how many voters fail to form opinions on political matters, there is a need to remind the populace of … Continue reading Lessons from the Brexit: Say “no” to meh
Political Journalism: You’re Doing It Wrong
Yellow journalism represents a corruption of journalistic integrity, sacrificing legitimate news for manufactured sensationalism. Rarely is it more evident than in the newsrooms of the Murdoch media empire, yet in this election a surprisingly large number of Australian media outlets have fallen prey to the clickbait tendencies of the yellow press. Last week, The Sydney … Continue reading Political Journalism: You’re Doing It Wrong
Have You Got What You Paid For?
Australia is facing a massive deficit in the 2016 election - no matter which party forms government, the next leader of the country will have knifed a sitting Prime Minister from their own party. For many people, this creates tremendous trust issues at the polling booth. Because of the presidential nature of our elections, those … Continue reading Have You Got What You Paid For?
Alzheimer’s Australia calls out election candidates
National dementia body, Alzheimer’s Australia, has called on candidates in this year’s federal election to commit to fully funding a National Dementia Strategy. In a series of tweets over the weekend, the not-for-profit association directly contacted candidates for every lower house seat, highlighting the number of people living with dementia in each electorate. Spokesperson for … Continue reading Alzheimer’s Australia calls out election candidates
It’s like the 1980s all over again
History is repeating itself in the upcoming election. The last double dissolution election was held in the 1980s and the last time the Liberal Party led us into a double-D election was also during the eighties. The 1980s kicked off with a Prime Minister named Malcolm, just like today. The leader of the Liberal Party … Continue reading It’s like the 1980s all over again
I Wrote This On My Phone While Watching TV On My Laptop
Don't know something? Google it. Looking for something? Google it. Bored? G-o-o-g-l-e. So what even is media convergence? It seems as though everything we do nowadays is connected to something else. We read the news on our mobiles in 140 characters or less as we simultaneously watch the latest Netflix series and beg for sponsorship … Continue reading I Wrote This On My Phone While Watching TV On My Laptop
More like, Media Pwnership #burn
Does it really matter, in 2016, who owns the media? This is the question being posed as the Turnbull government seeks to reform Australia's media laws. According to a 2015 Reuters study, Australians get the majority of their news online with social media named as one of the main sources for news. This trend away … Continue reading More like, Media Pwnership #burn
