Uncanny that in this federal election, in Richmond as elsewhere, the freedom/protest vote parties just about all preference the National or Liberal candidate. To follow their how to vote cards is to help re-elect the very government they are protesting about.
By accident? I would say by design as Morrison captures the disaffected vote to come to him.
In a convoluted way, when you put the Nationals in front of Labor and the Greens, at 8, 9 and 10 in Richmond, that is a vote for the Nationals as minor parties are excluded during the count, which they will be.
Even ‘naturalist’ David Warth, teaming up with IMOP has Labor and the Greens filling the last two spots, which ultimately becomes a vote for the Nationals at number 8 on their how to vote cards. Why would anyone with a concern for climate change, the environment, integrity in government do that?
So forget about the Topher marbles theory of electing ‘independent’ candidates. The ultimate winner is Morrison from what appears to be a cynical and co-ordinated exercise in fooling voters.
Thankfully it didn’t work.