By Jim McIntosh
Peter Dutton, the former opposition leader, frequently claimed a so-called ‘coalition’ existed between Labor and The Greens. This assertion is ironic, given his own Liberal Party’s long-standing alliance with the National Party – a partnership that, despite occasional friction, had persisted for nearly a century.
In reality, no coalition exists between Labor and The Greens, or any other party, as election results clearly demonstrate. The Liberal-National coalition, however, is a cornerstone of Australia’s two-party system, often praised as a stabilising force in our politics. Yet, it’s now being framed as a central issue in political debates.
Talk of switching to a first-past-the-post system has surfaced, particularly from a struggling and fractured opposition. Such a change might offer them some tactical advantage, but it’s hypocritical for right-leaning media to now criticise preferential voting – a system designed to reinforce the very two-party stability they’ve long championed.
Curiously, the Nationals seem to overestimate their own importance. When a minor party like theirs, which even supplies a deputy prime minister, starts flexing its limited influence, it feels more like a fleeting tantrum than a seismic shift.
In the end, it’s much ado about nothing – just another typhoon in a teacup.
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Not everyone who aspires to a career as a politician is guaranteed to make that career choice a successful one. Examples are replete on both sides of the political divide, and need not be repeated here. Dutts, let the history books record, is just the latest iteration of individuals who through egoist fantasies, prodding from the missus, zealous adherence to some political creed, taking on a bet from a mate or for other crazy reasons decide that they’ve got what it takes to get in on the team and make an impact on the Australian society, and who ultimately end up failing miserably. Oddly enough, quite a few of these duds seem to come from Queensland. Must be the heat, cooking the brain and all that.
I see that Little Lord Beardy Boy Paterson is not happy that people are sticking picking on his hero The Spud.
@4.27 pm,
https://www.smh.com.au/national/australia-news-live-nationals-split-from-liberals-howard-lashes-coalition-collapse-as-stupid-move-20250521-p5m0vy.html
I have really wondered if coalitions should be allowed to exist!
They seem to come from a time when only men had the vote and the founding fathers crafted the constitution and political system to favour the establishment and landed gentry! They are a technique when minority parties can coalesce to become elected! Particularly a manipulation as seen in Australia to keep conservatives often in minority numbers on their own right in power at all costs!
But if Labor and Greens formed a coalition Australia may never have to suffer again from mining and press oligarchs, corrupt, elitist and mean policies and decisions!
“The Coalition”
A political rort that is as blatant as the coloured crayon spread-sheets, and water buy-backs and any of the other organised barrelling of pork that has been imagined.
The agreement between the various independents to endorse Julia Gillard and guarantee supply could be described as a coalition, except that it wasn’t one.
The Labor party would be Australia’s government forever if the “coalition” did not exist, because as a single party it always has more arses on seats. I don’t know that this would be such a good thing, but that is for heads wiser than me.
Mr littleproud taking his bat and ball and staying at home will not last, just as neither himself nor Ms Ley will lead their parties by the time the next erection comes around in 2028.
(I looked into the teapot this morning and that’s what I reckon)
FPTP v PV? Hmmmm? Tricky.
A US style, where out of 13 candidates someone can become a member with just 10% of the primary vote seems pretty dodgy. No wonder the gnats are alll in on it.
On the other hand, having to number all 1-13 squares, when after your first say 5 faces you don’t want any of them still gives that 10% face a chance too.
Maybe PV that stops at 5, similar to the Senate “Above the Line” might be an option.
We had 8 faces in Dunkley. After the first 4, and it was a tossup whether to put Ms Belyea 2 as a protest, or 1, then the Greens, Hemp and an Independent, the rest were all tossers or religious nutters, who I would not have liked elected by some strange quirk of the count.
Anyway. Back to the main story.
Cosy arrangements will always exist. Especially in politics. It’s how things done. Ms Lambie is a perfect example of “getting shit done” for the Apple Isle. It’s just that in order to leverage their numbers andget extra financial benefit, the libs and the gnats made it formal. Except in QLD wher they went and saw the minister as well and tied the knot.
The arrangement worked out late last year for the financing of elections comes into force from this point and covers the 2028 campaign. $800,000 per candidate, and more importantly party spending of $90M
A question. Do the libs and gnats the qldlnp have a combined access t $270 MILLION DOLLARS of public funds plus $800,000 per candidate?
https://australiainstitute.org.au/post/eight-things-you-need-to-know-about-the-governments-plan-to-change-australian-elections/
In my humble opinion, the various Independents, Teals or otherwise, need to form a Coalition themselves. For their own political survival.
After watching a presser a couple of hours ago, featuring Littleproud,and backed by other assorted halfwits of the National variety,one has to wonder which sheltered workshop he was abducted from.It was gobsmacking,and he is on severely borrowed time.
May they all dissolve into the ether.
dutton was a successful politician by any standard and his millions show a successful business man.
Eventually first past the post will succeed and with the demise of the bandit, there would be no loonies so whenever suits me.
There are 3 major parties in Australia and if the nationals gain the support of katter and two independents they become the opposition.
ps
JF the loonies have ryan because 700 idiot laborites voted green but that is one seat why would anyone coalesce???
wam, re. “dutton was a successful politician by any standard and his millions show a successful businessman”, please enlighten the AIMN audience as to what you consider to be the criterion of ‘success’ per Dutton’s career as a politician.
Your ‘by any standard’ qualification sets an extremely low bar…implying, as it does, that he could have the skills of a retarded mollusc and still be considered competent in his job.
As for his millions indicating his skills in business… isn’t it the case that his father did most of the leg work, whilst junior diddled around fancying himself as a serious player on the national political stage?
And lest we forget… in every portfolio he occupied, he was deemed a dud, the worst, a failure to effectively prosecute his responsibilities for the best outcomes available.
Looking forward to your robust rebuttal of my objections.
Preferential voting is one of the major distinguishing strengths of our electoral system, particularly when compared to UK, USAnia and similar nations. Most politically engaged and informed people I engage with from such places envy us that system.