Liberal Party leader Susssan Ley and National Party leader David Littleproud have had a hissy-fit over their Coalition relationship, and have decided it's in the best interests of both parties to have a messy break-up.
The Coalition is dead.
RIP LNP.
The 2025 Federal Election is a gift that keeps on giving.
Seeing we've just had a federal election, let me recommend this book I've been reading which explains how Australia over time developed the distinctive features of its voting system: including compulsory voting, preferential voting, widespread absent voting, independent electoral authorities, etc. Also how Australia very early on gave women the vote and invented the secret ballot. And of course how Saturday voting and the mighty democracy sausage came about!
Sounds like a dry topic but I found it fascinating; Judith Brett does a good job of showing us the personalities behind the various reforms each step of the way. Worth a read, especially if you've ever wondered why Australia's voting system is so unusual in many ways.
One of the fascinating facts in the book was that it's been possible since 1902 to vote on the day in any electorate within your own state! I was surprised that had been in place for so long.
This reform was pushed by the then-young Labor Party in an era when a lot of people worked on the land and many of its voters were itinerant working-class men who travelled around as shearers and other types of agricultural workers, and wouldn't necessarily be in their home town on polling day.
This flexibility is still a very useful factor in getting people out to vote, regardless of travel or work commitments. Also it means that, unlike in other countries, Australians can look around for the polling place with the best sausage sizzle to give their business to!
I am tired of looking at serious things in the world. This has been a very political weekend with competing interests and emotions :blobcatgift: I am going to binge some motorcycle videos. Goodnight! #ausvotes
Do we know much yet about the Senate results? Afaict most of what i've heard & read since last night is only for the Reps. Do i have any reason to hope for many of the nasty Liebs & Nuts senators to have lost?
I dunno how many tens or hundreds of millions of dollars Clive Palmer pissed away on his cringeworthy election campaign, but he got nothing back for it — no Parliament seats, no perks for big mining companies, no influence, no friends.
That was a wild night. That was history happening in real time.
Apologies for everyone outside of Australia for the torrent of toots.
We just kicked into oblivion the most fasci party leadership in Australian political history. It felt good to watch a decent number of voters push back against what they saw being imported from America. Gotta celebrate the wins. They happen far too infrequently.
Sadly, I don’t feel like I want to watch Anthony Albanese’s speech. I’m glad he won and he’s very definitely the lesser of the evils but I feel let down by him and his government. He could have been and done so much more. We desperately need a return to Labor governments who were prepared to put themselves and their party on the line and make country and life changing policy decisions for their country and ALL of its people. I live in hope. #AusPol#AusVotes
1/2 an hour til east cost booths close. why is this being presented like a team play-off? because this was the <shhh don’t mentiin anything important election?
antony says huge number of pre-polls (traditionally conservative votes) mean whatever the tally from today’s votes (about 9pm) these should be interpreted cautiously
annabel crabb says there is an escalating trend for protest voters not to return to major parties
patricia karvelas says gen z and millennials now a significant bloc of voters, who tend not to be rustadons