Thursday, February 25, 2010

Marriage Equality Amendment Bill

Today a bill was put forward from Senator Sarah Hanson-Young to allow same sex marriage. It was defeated 45-5. People have been asking me (and others) who voted which way. So Instead of taking up heaps of tweets I've decided to post the name here.

Ayes
B. Brown (GRN - TAS), Hanson-Young(GRN - SA), Ludlam(GRN - WA), Milne (GRN - TAS), Siewart(GRN- WA),

Nos
Abetz(LIB - TAS), Back(LIB - WA), Barnett(LIB - TAS), Bernadi(LIB - SA), Bilk(ALP - TAS), Bishop(ALP - WA), Bowsell(NAT - QLD), C. Brown(ALP - TAS), Busbhy (LIB - TAS)
Cameron(ALP - NSW), Cash(LIB - WA), Colbeck(LIB - TAS), Collins(ALP - TAS), Corrman(LIB- WA), Crossin(ALP - NT), Eggleston (LIB - WA) Farrell(ALP - SA), Feeney(ALP - VIC),
Ferguson(LIB - SA), Fielding(FF - VIC), Fierravanti-Wells(LIB - NSW), Fisher(LIB - SA),
Forshaw(ALP - NSW), Furner(ALP - QLD), Hogg(ALP - QLD), Humphries(LIB - ACT),
Hurley(ALP - SA), Hutchins(ALP - NSW), Johnston(LIB - WA), Lundy(ALP - ACT), Marshall(ALP - VIC), Mason(LIB - QLD), McClucas(ALP - QLD), Minchin(LIB - SA), Moore(ALP - QLD),
O'Brien(ALP - TAS), Parry(LIB - TAS), Polley(ALP - TAS), Ronaldson(LIB - VIC),
Sherry(ALP - TAS), Stephens(ALP - NSW), Sterle(ALP - WA),Troeth(LIB - VIC), Wortley(ALP - SA), Xenephon.(IND - SA)

No internet filter

Please follow this link to sign the EFA Senate petition against the Federal Government's internet filtering plan.

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Is Australia over governed?

An interesting discussion popped up on Twitter earlier about whether Australia is over governed/represented. After doing a few searches and some back of an envelope calculations We (myself (@australiavotes), @banditcountry and @The_kennel)  came up with some interesting numbers. Australia has (by my count) around 7,380 elected officials which going by the ABS population clock is 1 for every 3003 people.

EDIT: Canada was brought up as it's similar in population and size to Australia. My figure (which could be way off) is based on results I could find and includes Federal and State MPs plus regional Mayors, Councillors and schhol boards. I work it out 4100 which is 1 for every 8048 people.

Australia
1 for every 3003 people
Canada 
1 for every 8048 people
U.K
1 for every 2,745  people

In 1992, The U.S had 1 for every 501 people. They elected judges, school baords, and plenty of other things though.


EDIT: Have been told by Anonymous in comments that the U.K figure is 1 for every 2,745 people.

Friday, February 19, 2010

Tasmanians - comment to your heart's content.

All comments on this blog for the Tasmanian 2010 state election have been authorised by me (in the footer) all you Tasmanians who want to comment on the election but don't want to give out your personal details here is your opportunity. The authorisation whill show up on any page so you don't have to confine the comments to this post.

Thursday, February 18, 2010

Tasmania's "Internet Commentary Guidelines" (Section 191)

Basically they suck.

Section 191 of the Tasmanian Electoral Act reads as follows

"Under section 191(1)(b) of the Electoral Act 2004, all electoral matter published on the internet between the issue of the writ for an election and the close of poll at that election must contain the name and address of the responsible person at the end.
Address means a street address (not a post office box or an electronic address) at which the responsible person resides or can be readily contacted.
Responsible person means the person taking responsibility for causing electoral matter to be published.
The Electoral Commissioner recommends that at a minimum, candidates and other persons with websites (including ‘facebook’ pages) containing electoral matter, should ensure that the name and address of the responsible person appears on each page.
Eg, an appropriate place to include authorisation on a website would be on a footer, or on a ‘facebook’ page, may be in the box where you can “write something about yourself”, which appears under the photo spot in the top left hand corner."

Not only is this practically unworkable for website and blog owners who have to check if each commentator lives in Tasmania or authorise all comments on everyone's behalf, I believe it is an attack on freedom of speech. I took a look at the Australian constitution and consituational law cases and in my opinion this law could be challenged using "implied right to freedom of communication on political matters" I'm not a lawyer so I could be way off but I think a civil liberties group should give it a go.

This law is very similar to the one SA had in effect until a media outcry. Why is there no outcry here?

Bleeter (@iBleeter) (and myself) are basically the only ones making a fuss about it on Twitter, while Bleeter has also made some brilliant posts on his blog about it. Go check them out

Seems to me whoever came up with Section 191(1)(b) needs a Section 8. (There's my M*A*S*H reference for the day.)



EDIT: Thought I should mention I've asked a question of Bartlett on Twitter. So far, no reply.

Authorised by: My Implied Right to Freedom of Communication on Political Matters. High Court, Canberra

Monday, February 15, 2010

Essential Research - ALP leads 55%-45%

The latest Essential Report poll has been released. Along with the usual voting intention question there are also approval ratings for Tanner and Barnaby and a question asking who would make a better PM out of Rudd and Gillard plus a few more.

Primaries
ALP - 44%
Coalition - 38%
Greens - 10%
Others - 6%
Family First - 2%


2PP
ALP - 55%
Coalition - 45%

Lindsay Tanner Approval Rating
Approve - 31%
Disapprove - 24%
Net Satisfaction - +7%
Don't Know - 45%
Demographics - ALP voters - 56% approve. Coaliton voters - 49% disapprove. Greens voters - 43% approve. Males 46% approve. Females - 49% "Don't know"

Barnaby Joyce Approval Rating
Approve - 25%
Disapprove - 36%
Net satisfaction  - -11%
Don't Know - 39%
Demographics - ALP voters - 53% dissaprove. Coalition voters - 47% approve. Greens voters - 56% disapprove. A quite high 23% of Coalition voters disapprove. Males - 43% disapprove. Females 47% don't know.

Better PM


Saturday, February 13, 2010

Altona by-election.

I'm going out to watch the NRL All-starrs match so won't be home for the whole count. William Bowe (Pollbludger) and Antony Green are both covering it. I'll be posting updates on twitter until I leave.

Friday, February 12, 2010

David Bradbury to seek endorsement to re-contest Lindsay.despite rumours.

David Bradbury has announced that he will seek endorsement to re-contest the federal seat of Lindsay at the next election. David won the seat at the 2007 election with a 9.70% swing having previously been unsucessfully contested in 2004 and 2001. Lindsay is probably most famous for the fake Muslim pamphlet scandal that rocked the Coalition's election campaign in the days leading up to the election.

The announcement comes not long after rumours circulated that David wanted to contest the safer seat of Chifley. Rumours, which David said are false after I asked him about them on Twitter.

I can't see any reason why he won't win endoresment, stranger things have happened though.

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Message from "Anonymous" to the Australian Government.

Earlier today the group known as "Anonymous" shut down the APH website with a DDoS attack. The attack was aimed at drawing attention to the Government's ridiculous internet filtering plan. They then uploaded the following video to Youtube.



At AustraliaVotes we support the "No Clean Feed" movement and believe the Government's plan will do harm than good and will not help with fighting against the disgusting crime of child por*ography.

Thursday, February 4, 2010

Parliament debating the CPRS again.

See my Twitter feed for updates. If anything really interesting from this, Question time or the Senate. It will be posted here.

Tuesday, February 2, 2010

First Question time of the election year - Live

Australia Votes will be bringing you tweets and views of the years first question time.

9:30pm - Here we go again - Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme Bill 2010 - Presentation by Mr Combet, 1st reading, 2nd reading moved

9:20pm - australiavotes Either Julie Bishop has been hitting the gym or shes wearing shoulderpads. #qt


















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