Australian Elections 2013

[New Chalcedon]

Um...No?

The guy's got a quote from fucking Salazar in his sig.

There is that - he's hardly likely to support anyone to the left of Margaret Thatcher....which puts the socially-reactionary, economically corporatist Abbott firmly in his good graces.

[Afalia]

Question to people that know a bit more about Australian politics than me, perhaps even an Australian! Why is Kevin Rudd satirically portrayed as saying lots of Japanese phrases? Is this something to do with his career as a diplomat?

[Dazchan]

Question to people that know a bit more about Australian politics than me, perhaps even an Australian! Why is Kevin Rudd satirically portrayed as saying lots of Japanese phrases? Is this something to do with his career as a diplomat?

He is bilingual and speaks Mandarin (and not afraid to show it off to the press). I'm guessing that has something to do with it. Why they'd portray him speaking Japanese instead of Mandarin is anyone's guess though.

[New Chalcedon]

Question to people that know a bit more about Australian politics than me, perhaps even an Australian! Why is Kevin Rudd satirically portrayed as saying lots of Japanese phrases? Is this something to do with his career as a diplomat?

Kevin Rudd is the first Australian PM to be fluent in an Asian language - Mandarin Chinese, to be exact. And yes, it's a holdover from his days as a diplomat during the 1980s.

[Mediobogdum]

I think Shane Warne ought to be on the ballot papers - that way the Australian electorate can be bowled a googlie!

[Afalia]

Ah Mandarin, my apologies. A friend of mine said that it was Japanese. I thought the diplomacy career might have something to do with it.

[Blouman Empire]

Who knows, I reckon the Socialists are going to form government. Then I can die my hair purple, marry a hamster and finally show the fascists whose boss.

Free uni education in it for you. Of course you will get that with Palmer United in government too.

Did anyone hear him on Hack the other day? He isn't as crazy as the media make him out to be and seems to have some decent policies.

[Blouman Empire]

Question to people that know a bit more about Australian politics than me, perhaps even an Australian! Why is Kevin Rudd satirically portrayed as saying lots of Japanese phrases? Is this something to do with his career as a diplomat?

It's Mandarin and he spent a number of years there (about 20) as a diplomat and because he enjoys speaking in Mandarin to show off just how clever he is and get the Chinese vote plus he is a Sinophile.

[Blouman Empire]

Did anyone watch the final debate? I missed it but from early media reports it seems like it was of equal measure again neither side fucked up or dealt a good blow.

[New Chalcedon]

Well, I've made up my mind. Between the fact that Australia's being internationally condemned for human rights violations under Labor, and the fact that Liberal only wants to make it worse, I'm voting informal this election.

I do not take this step lightly - I value the democratic process, and am aware that the Greens could use the $2.49 public financing that my first preference is worth on a valid vote - but it's the only way I can see out. Any valid vote requires me to (however tepidly) endorse either of the parties full on monsters running for Government, and I refuse absolutely to do so.

[Blouman Empire]

Well, I've made up my mind. Between the fact that Australia's being internationally condemned for human rights violations under Labor, and the fact that Liberal only wants to make it worse, I'm voting informal this election.

I do not take this step lightly - I value the democratic process, and am aware that the Greens could use the $2.49 public financing that my first preference is worth on a valid vote - but it's the only way I can see out. Any valid vote requires me to (however tepidly) endorse either of the parties full on monsters running for Government, and I refuse absolutely to do so.

Fair enough mate, does that include both houses?

And by doing that you can join George Carlin as being the only one with the right to complain.

[New Chalcedon]

Well, I've made up my mind. Between the fact that Australia's being internationally condemned for human rights violations under Labor, and the fact that Liberal only wants to make it worse, I'm voting informal this election.

I do not take this step lightly - I value the democratic process, and am aware that the Greens could use the $2.49 public financing that my first preference is worth on a valid vote - but it's the only way I can see out. Any valid vote requires me to (however tepidly) endorse either of the parties full on monsters running for Government, and I refuse absolutely to do so.

Fair enough mate, does that include both houses?

Yes. There is no way I can cast a valid vote without indicating a preference for either major party - if only in relation to the other. And I won't do that, no matter what.

And by doing that you can join George Carlin as being the only one with the right to complain.

Why, thank you! Perhaps I should look into purchasing Massachusetts bumper stickers!

[Forster Keys]

Who knows, I reckon the Socialists are going to form government. Then I can die my hair purple, marry a hamster and finally show the fascists whose boss.

Free uni education in it for you. Of course you will get that with Palmer United in government too.

Did anyone hear him on Hack the other day? He isn't as crazy as the media make him out to be and seems to have some decent policies.

I'm still skeptical.

[Beta Test]

At this stage, I can't see Labor coming back. I'm officially calling this election for the Coalition.

[New Chalcedon]

At this stage, I can't see Labor coming back. I'm officially calling this election for the Coalition.

Officially? What are you, the AEC Commissioner?

[Beta Test]

At this stage, I can't see Labor coming back. I'm officially calling this election for the Coalition.

Officially? What are you, the AEC Commissioner?

To be honest, you wouldn't know would you?

Seriously I just can't see a way Rudd can turn it around in a week.

[Vitaphone Racing]

I just wish I lived in a different electorate. Since Lalor is possibly the safest Labor seat in the country, we will again get nothing from this electorate.

Since there's nothing to look forward to on the National scale, I'm just going to choose the candidate who'll get the best outcomes for my electorate. Could very well be Liberal at this stage. I'm well out of fucks to give about social and economic policies, I'll vote for the person who'll make my life better in the short term.

[Chelta]

So is having an exam and a cricket match on the same day as the election enough to excuse me from having to vote?

[Vitaphone Racing]

So is having an exam and a cricket match on the same day as the election enough to excuse me from having to vote?

You have an exam on Saturday?

Anyway, you aren't excused from voting and you're expected to lodge an early vote sometime this week if you haven't already.

[Chelta]

Yes... my university faculty is not very clever seeing as they scheduled the exam on September 7th after the election was announced...

[Beta Test]

Yes... my university faculty is not very clever seeing as they scheduled the exam on September 7th after the election was announced...

Well that is fucked.

[Quebec and Atlantic Canada]

In Queensland? Labor doesn't have any safe seats there...

Wait. Wat?

How do you do that? Isn't "the leader must always be from an uber-safe seat" basically the #1 rule in parliamentary party politics (how alliterative)?

I mean, even in 2010 Pelosi annihilated the competition in her district. But then I'm speaking as an ignorant American, so...

[Blouman Empire]

Yes... my university faculty is not very clever seeing as they scheduled the exam on September 7th after the election was announced...

Well to be fair to the uni the exam period would've been set at the start of the year. The PM should've really considered your exam period before announcing the election, for not thinking of you I think his party doesn't deserve your vote.

[Blouman Empire]

Officially? What are you, the AEC Commissioner?

To be honest, you wouldn't know would you?

Seriously I just can't see a way Rudd can turn it around in a week.

I'm still predicting that the ALP will be leading the government after the election.

[Blouman Empire]

In Queensland? Labor doesn't have any safe seats there...

Wait. Wat?

How do you do that? Isn't "the leader must always be from an uber-safe seat" basically the #1 rule in parliamentary party politics (how alliterative)?

I mean, even in 2010 Pelosi annihilated the competition in her district. But then I'm speaking as an ignorant American, so...

While the leader is usually in a safe seat it isn't the rule, and in Australia's history two servings PMs have lost their seat. I'm not sure how many opposition leaders have lost their seat during an election.