Australia's Orwellian Democracy

Around 1.4 million Australian eligible voters are not registered to vote. This is why the government recently made voter enrolment automatic. The Australian Electoral Commission is now contacting unregistered voters to pressurize them into joining the electoral roll.

The AEC is ‘getting out the vote’ in traditional Labor and Green demographics, at universities, unionized workplaces, minorities, and indigenous communities. And before the election they will campaign widely to make sure everybody knows the penalties for non-compliance.

Rudd began his election campaign stating he would seek to motivate young people to vote. Well, the Australian Electoral Commission is doing his job for him. Who needs democracy when you have force?

In Australia’s Orwellian Democracy, where freedom equals to conformity, parties can win elections in two ways: They can either offer good policies, effective implementation, and quality leadership, or they can just say they offer good policies, effective implementation, and quality leadership. They can just lie, or use Newspeak. Ruddspeak.

Ordinarily, in a democracy, lies aren’t so effective because the people most vulnerable to lies – the ones who aren’t interested in politics – don’t vote. In Australia, this isn’t the case.

In countries like England, Germany, Canada, Denmark, New Zealand, Sweden and almost every other OECD nation, people are free to choose. Their decision to vote is democratic and not subject to government coercion. They aren’t forced to attend the polling booth and they aren’t threatened with fines for not voting. The choice is democratic.

And the irony is that these countries often have higher voter turnouts than we do. This is because in a democracy, leaders need to inspire people to vote. Here, our leaders only need to be slightly less repulsive than the other guys and compulsory voting does the rest. At 81% our VAP (voting age population) voter turnout is lower than Sweden, Denmark, Iceland and many others.

Ed Killesteyn, Electoral Commissioner at the AEC says, “more than three million Australians did not exercise their franchise at the 2010 election in the formation of our government, or roughly one in five entitled to do so.” AEC Website

So while the Australian Electoral Commission is out campaigning for votes, and the government spends record amounts advertising free cash giveaways, please don’t blame the Australian people if Rudd’s lies win him the election. Blame our Orwellian Democracy.

We should all have the same free and equal right to vote, free from government coercion. 

Jason Kent

Free Our Right To Vote

Comments

[Allan]

1.

I have watched this post all day and it seems that nobody is interested in the fact that they are being forced to vote for a bunch of useless political aspirants and incumbents who are about as useful as a hip pocket in your sock.

Well I do and I think it is not only very Labor/Leftist/Socialist/Communist, but in addition it stinks.

[Gordon]

2.

Should Australia return to the 1800’s and only allow white men who own property to vote? Common sense is that AEC officials would identify that universities, construction sites, ‘china towns’ and indigenous communities are the logical microcosms to target for enrolment. Why would they target a gathering of the CWA for scones and morning tea? We have compulsory voting for historical reasons as Australia is one of the few, if not the only, that did not have to fight a war to be become a democratic nation. Comparing us to other nations in different historical circumstances is pure hyperbole and mischief.

[Allan]

3.

An interesting point of view Gordon. However, please explain to me how the assumption that we never had to fight a war to become a democratic nation justifies compulsory voting? Compulsory voting and democracy are at odds with each other, are they not?

I suppose you are talking about a civil war and if so I would draw your attention to the Eureka Stockade uprising that had a great influence on the development of democracy in Australia.

[Gordon]

4.

Thanks, Allen, for your interest. If it were another forum I would go into more detail. A civil war, no, I refer more to the independence wars of the past. Basically I believe we are a lazy nation as our 'masters', the English, had the experience of the war with the USAin the 1770’s and allowed Australia free reign to go about our business. We never had our forefathers pass on how we became a great nation separating from another state and as a result we have no ‘fire in the belly’. Sure our land was harsh but that is not unique. Some historians say it was until WW1 that we identified as one nation and others will say it was later when the Federal government took over taxation. Either way, it does not have the ‘great story of other nations.

[Allan]

5.

Gordon, how many other British colonies, apart from the Americans, fought a war of independence?

I can't agree that we have no "fire in our bellies". Historians may well say many things, but Australia's coming of age, so to speak, began with the Boar war in Africa.

While we may seem not to have the supposed "noble upbringing" of the more "romantically" recalled beginning of the former British colony of America, Australia has had a most honourable transition to independence.

The fact that we no longer have the "fire in our bellies" is a very recent phenomenon that, in my opinion, is a result of political correctness and the influence of creeping socialism that is tearing the heart out of this once respected, and dare I say great, nation.

But, in any case I don't believe that it justifies compulsory voting in this supposed democracy.

[Gordon]

6.

I understand your Boar War reference and its relation to Australia’s history but we were not a nation at that point in time. We were a collection of colonies as it was prior to Federation. I believe Australia’s story is the only story of independence that can be spoken of without the sadness of great conflict.
There are standard points on the pros and cons of compulsory voting that those interested in the issue are aware of. I believe the history of Australia points towards our need for compulsory voting. No doubt you disagree. Your reference to PC and socialism means you’re blinkered.
My original post was to illustrate it is only natural for the AEC to target such groups as opposed to the CWA or lawn bowl clubs.
It may be democratic for an individual to choose to vote or not. However, it is not democratic to prevent an individual to vote if the choose to.

[Allan]

7.

Gordon, there are two interesting references in your reply. The first is that I am blinkered because I oppose political correctness and creeping socialism. Like a large number of Australians I believe that both are a fact of life, but anyone who is opposed to them is "blinkered.(?)

It is interesting how that concept is catching on as a defence against something that people don't agree with or as a trigger to shut down debate for the same reason. Much the same as grossly misplaced "sexist", "racist", "mysognist", etc.

As a young person growing up in Sydney immediately after WWII I remember well the national pride that was palpable on the streets, in the schools and even in sporting clubs. That national pride carried through until the advent of the Vietnam war at which time it was tainted with leftist inspired hate directed toward our returning veterans.

Since that time national pride has been on a downhill run and we now see the singing of the national anthem in schools and other venues being discouraged because it may offend someone. The same goes for the raising of our flag. I believe that political correctness and creeping socialism are major contributors to that decline.

Your second reference is that it is not democratic to prevent an individual from voting if they want to. I don't believe that there is any intention of stopping anyone from voting. Quite the contrary, there is a push in some circles to lower the voting age and encourage more and younger individuals to have their say.

I don't have a problem with that, but as yet there has not been presented a compelling argument as to why the history of Australia should have any relevance in determining that compulsory voting is either necessary or desirable.