DEMOCRACY SOUTH AUSSIE
STYLE.
We would all consider that we live in a modern democracy,
but what exactly do South Australians get for their money?
Lets narrow down the system to enable a clear picture,
imagine there are 4 candidates in your electorate, at the same time forgetting
the concept of party politics, imagine all the voters knew all the candidates
and their individual ideals. (For the sake of this example will say there are
100 voters).
The people were split as to whom they preferred, and the initial
count showed the primary votes split 23, 24, 25 and 28, the way our system
works the candidate with 23 votes is excluded and his votes will be passed on
to the other candidate/s.
The problem that arises here is the first excluded may have
had all the second preferences, therefore the majority of support, this system
in state elections is enforced by the 2 major parties, and as such benefits
them. In legal terms this is using the ballot to defeat the franchise.
Obviously with huge amounts of our money to spend and a
strong presence in the media, they will always have the majority of the vote,
which in turn ensures that however you mark your ballot paper, it will in most
cases end up where they want it.
This system is reliant on we the voter having to have a
preference for every candidate, other wise if we had true freedom of choice we
may not allow our vote to count for one or the other, or in fact neither.
There is a supposed independent Authority called the Joint
Standing Committee on Electoral Matters, which unfortunately for democracy is
filled by guess who, funnily enough their findings regularly expose the fact
that the voters do not like having to have a preference for those they oppose
or do not know, but the 2 parties (Lab/Lib) simply ignore their findings, and
we all know why.
Our Chief Justice of the High Court once said, “ if change
be necessary it must be done by the will of an informed electorate”, yet who
should perform that task?
Our media are privately owned and there fore not responsible
to carry out that task, the electoral commissioner who is also meant to ensure
we are informed, must only do so in-regards to the voting system, not the
candidates.
How can we possible expect to cast a vote in a free and
informed manner, if the system doe not let us do either?
I tried to fight the system on my own through the courts at
the 2006 State Election, but even the rules of the court of disputed returns is
written by Guess who?
There are many other devious sections of our electoral act,
that deny us our inalienable right to ensure we receive the representation we
would prefer and every year they make changes to ensure the bias continues,
like the deregistration of minor parties and the like.
Our electoral act includes many interesting sections, in
some the electoral commission can guess your intention, yes that’s right
further than what you have marked and make appropriate changes to ensure
compliance with their system, and who signs important documents with a pencil?
If elected I will demand that the electoral system is over
seen by a truly independent authority, if other States of Australia can offer
their electorate a fairer system in regards to true freedom of choice, then we
should aim to do even better.
Democracy is the corner stone of our society, and the
results shape our long-term future, maybe those of us who do not like our
present path, can see why change seems impossible.
Making matters worse, if those that both write and enforce
the electoral law have very little fear of loosing, they might be able to
ignore the will of the electorate, sound familiar?
I will also fight for a system that enables us all to become
better informed as to our choices and more open, honest and transparent
governance in general.
I leave you with this conundrum, if you do not like me and
there fore do not want to vote for me, that’s exactly why you should, because I
am the only candidate fighting for your right not to have to.
Mark M Aldridge
Independent Candidate for the Legislative Council
South Australian State Election March 2010
P O Box 1073 Virginia S.A. 5120
08 82847482 / 0403379500
aldridgemark@bigpond.com