Can we please be more like the English

The Meeting Place > Hot Topics > Can we please be more like the English

Can we please be more like the English

2 yrs ago

In the UK, there is a set period of campaigning for elections, officially 25 working days to be precise. Quick, clean, easy. In Australia, the minimum is 33 days between calling an election and the polling date but it can be longer and there’s a fair bit of ‘unofficial’ campaigning such as we experienced in the past few week. But never let us be like the Americans. In the US, a presidential campaign can begin as soon as someone declares themselves to be running for the presidency. The 2016 campaign began 596 days before the election and the caucus 281 days. No thanks.

What's your view on campaigning? Should there be a defined period?

5 comments

Beemee

2 yrs ago

Hell yeah, and while they are at it, make it between the hours of such and such as I am fed up with the waffling they all offer. just to spend more time going around the bush than telling you anything factual. When done I am in a head spin and coming out less knowledgeable than when I went in.

tisme

2 yrs ago

and make voting at elections voluntary

Sue Ridge

2 yrs ago

I suppose it's how "campaigning" is defined. All politicians are "campaigning" every time a microphone or camera is placed in front of them. I am more concerned about the lies that are spewed forth during elections by all parties. When politicians introduced truth in advertising laws they made politicians and political parties exempt for some strange, unknown reason. The one glaring promise that was made and could never have been fulfilled was the one where it was promised to plant a billion trees by the year 2000. To achieve this promise three trees would have needed to be planted each and every minute of every day from the moment of the announcement until the year 2000. Please add your favourite "promise".

RnR

2 yrs ago

All politicians are "campaigning" every time a microphone or camera is placed in front of them. I am more concerned about the lies that are spewed forth during elections by all parties.

Have to agree with that sentiment Sue Ridge. Plenty of fibs at any time IMO.

Sen.Cit.90

2 yrs ago

I agree with the comments of RnR about All politicians' campaigning etc.

Karl Marx

2 yrs ago

The other scam on tax payers that should be stopped is the corrupt payment that the taxpayer forks out for every vote a political party gets. Biggest scam corrupt rort going.

Why should the taxpayer have to indirectly cough up their hard earned to any political party or independent. All costs for advertising, polling, campaigning etc should born entirely by the individual or party they represent.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Cb6yuqMAasE/?utm_medium=copy_link&fbclid=IwAR35qr79-BxTQvj81frfxy0sL0VdqoMOFYJKpuN6YHxO6clfcx_S52Ingys

Sue Ridge

2 yrs ago

On the face of it, Karl Marx, it does seem like a bad system but if smaller groups weren't able to stand because of financial constraints there would only be the rich who could stand for parliament. What should be looked into is that in the 2007 election, unions spent about $20M advertising for Labor and when Labor won that election, there was a grant to unions for "education & training" of $20M.

Tom Tank

2 yrs ago

There should be a clearly defined length of time between calling the election and the actual voting day itself.

One thing that annoys me immensely is that until the parties have their official launch, usually a week or two before the election, we the taxpayers continue to pay for Government advertising, which we can see at this stage are blatant LNP election blurbs. I believe we are also picking up the tab for all the travel costs of party leaders etc etc.

Our democratic system is crumbling before our eyes and desperately needs renewal. Pigs might fly however.

Sue Ridge

2 yrs ago

I agree Tom Tank but the rort goes further than electioneering. Politicians regularly travel to places to announce a policy and just happen to be able to do something else in the same area. There was an obvious case where a politician flew to an area to announce a road upgrade (which had been announced some months previously) on a Friday. Coincidentally there was a wedding on the next day of a staffer and the politician was able to attend and fly back on the Sunday all courtesy of the taxpayer. BTW, some of the staff were able to be included in the jaunt.

5 comments

To make a comment, please register or login

Can we please be more like the English

Preview your comment