It’s tedious so much misinformation is disseminated during elections.
I’ve heard the same lie about ‘wasted votes’ since I first stood for the Australia Party in the 1972 federal election. That saw a genuine Labor Party elected under the dynamic leadership of Gough Whitlam.
He made more radical reforms in his first hundred days – with Deputy Lance Barnard – than the Albanese government achieved in its first thousand days.
There was a lot of catching up to do. Labor had been out of power since 1949.
In the ‘72 election, I stood in the ‘safe’ seat of Mackellar on Sydney’s northern beaches, held by Billy Wentworth.
I was trying to get elected to save the forests of Myall Lakes being destroyed by sand mining.
It was an almost impossible task, but I received 11.7 per cent of the vote, sending the seat to preferences for the first time.
Today Mackellar is held by Teal independent Dr Sophie Scamps after 73 years of Liberal representation.
During the ‘72 campaign, people said, ‘I would vote for you if I thought you had a chance of getting in’. I replied, ‘If you voted for me, I would have a chance!’
Voting for me was regarded as a ‘wasted vote’ as I was standing for a minor party.
It’s one of those lies propagated by major parties to deter voters from supporting minor parties.
The lie still works.
The first-past-the-post voting system, where the candidate with the highest number of votes wins, and no preferences are distributed, leaves a large number of voters effectively disenfranchised.
This system is still used in the UK, Canada and America and old British colonies.
The more democratic preferential voting system was introduced into Australia in 1918.
Some voters are not aware that if they vote for a small party and their candidate is eliminated, their second vote is passed on at full value to their next choice.
If their next choice is eliminated, once again their vote is passed on at full value to their number three choice and so on.
Eventually their vote either helps elect the winner or remains with the losing candidate.
Many are not aware they can ignore party ‘How To Vote’ cards and can choose where their preferences flow.
Parties don’t have the power to direct your preferences. Only you do.
Voting for small parties and independents first sends a message to major parties that they need to lift their game – never more so than today.
Policy failures
Neither Albanese nor Dutton have announced plans for a fairer tax system to provide desperately needed funds to build public housing, tackle the climate crisis and rebuild the health system.
Jobseeker recipients have been left in abject poverty. Both parties still cling to the AUKUS fiasco.
Party loyalty used to be strong. People often parroted ‘I’m a Labor man’ or ‘I’m a Liberal voter’.
These rusted-on Libs and Labs still exist in the older generation, but it’s too binary for younger voters. Only sixty per cent of voters now identify with a major party.
In a sense, those who vote for one of the majors automatically are giving away their power.
Often, unwittingly, they are voting against their own interests.
This is what happened when Americans voted for Trump. Now they are paying the price.
UK, Canada and America remain two-party systems and are deeply flawed democracies. Fewer than 32 per cent of American voters elected Trump. Nearly four in ten eligible voters didn’t even bother voting.
Fortunately for our democracy, compulsory voting was introduced in 1924. Voters federally are also obliged to fill in the ballot paper with their complete list of preferences.
Our votes can send a powerful message to the major political parties to lift their game by voting for Greens and independents first and then preferencing the least worst of the majors.
Peter Dutton has made a mess of his campaign. Flip-flopping on women being allowed to work from home, dubious costings on his nuclear nightmare, the insulting lie on a Russian base in Indonesia, and finally his denial of the climate crisis during the ABC leaders’ debate, are all own goals.
His early embrace of Trump is coming back to haunt him.
Albo looks steadier but is not very popular. He has been frustratingly reluctant to make desperately needed reforms.
His stated refusal to make any arrangements with the Greens doesn’t help, but he may be obliged to. He can’t get reelected without preferences from Greens, so he’d be well advised to tone down his barbs at progressive voters.
The two major parties will win around sixty per cent of the vote.
The other forty per cent will decide who ends up forming government and should have a hand in determining policies.
Mandy Nolan has a good chance of assisting Justine to a well-earned retirement after 21 years’ service. Mandy would be a breath of fresh air in Canberra!
♦ Richard Jones is a former NSW MLC and is now a ceramist.
For four decades The Echo has printed the stories some people loved, some people hated, and some pretended not to read. If you want us to keep telling the truth, the real truth, not the sugar-coated version. We’ll need your support to keep the presses rolling. 
