Australia’s system of government makes sense. Its based more or less on the Westminster system, a Parliament, a Prime Minister, a House of Representatives and a Senate.
Our Constitution can be found here, if you’d like to take a look.
One of the pitfalls, flaws, call it what you will, is that we vote for a party and NOT a head of state or a specific President. Part of that is the fact that within a party, if they are in power, they can call whats known as a spill motion to throw out the leader of the party, who is at the same time, Prime Minister.
A few days ago, thats exactly what happened.
And for the fifth time in as many years, Australia has a new Prime Minister, chosen not by the people, but by a party room vote. Tony Abbott is no longer Prime Minister, instead we have a guy named Malcolm Turnbull, who managed to get enough votes to become party leader.
Depending on who you talk to, this is a good or a bad thing.
Personally, I am disgusted and furious, not to mention the fact that to a lot of people, they have been handed yet again a national leader they did not want, and did not vote for, when the election occurred. The sad part is what we have seen is a series of vicious personal attacks, white anting, undermining..all designed to bring him down. There are those who say he hadn’t “learned” enough to lead properly, and a lot of it can be sheeted home to whats called “poll panic”.
Look at it this way: based on polls you could have had Joe Biden step in and remove Obama as President….or have Hillary organise a “spill motion: and SHE would be President. How’s that for a nightmare scenario?
Your system of government doesnt allow for that. It may have its flaws, but that aint one of them.
Be very very grateful this is so.
There have been calls for an election , as rightly so, the people of this country have had a gutful of this kind of backstabbing and musical chairs with the office of Prime Minister..we need stable government and what we have is anything BUT. Both parties Labor (the left) and Liberal (supposedly conservative..yet these clowns are all for gun control, and happy with the nanny state we live in…blech), are very much on the nose with voters. This is seen as yet another Rudd / Gillard / Rudd fiasco..with a side comment on how long it may be before someone ELSE gets that “lean and hungry look” and decides to get the numbers to topple Turnbull.
It if wasnt so serious it would be funny….but it’s not a joke at all. I get this sinking feeling that we are indeed living in “interesting times”.
Avast ye curmudgeons! The truth of things is that politicians the world over have dropped the kimono and everyone can see that they for the most part (there are always a few exceptions) are in the business of ensuring their own enrichment and the proles and the law be damned. Nothing short of a near total collapse will shake the… Read more »
This only looks to be different from the situation we have here in the U.S., but the truth is that party politics in first world democracies has become a farce. Parties and candidates both are only interested in the voters for their votes, and the process of cultivating them has become a large and sophisticated industry. Beyond that, it is… Read more »
Terrapod- The education system is where we start, get rid of the left in academia by attrition Good point…I had a long discussion a few years back with our old friend BC along those same lines. Rebuilding the system in our opinions at the time (pre-Obama btw) was exactly the same, with the added idea that the task must start… Read more »
LCBrendan, my friend, my brother from another mother, ad infinitum, it would appear the history is being ignored. *AHEM*
8ahem8
…come to the U.S.A., Brendan! We need Patriots like you, Now! Here, all is not lost – yet. We need good Americans-to-be like you!
Paladin. I am not sure that will be possible. I’ve had a look at the hoops Id have to jump through..got to have a job that no American can do, got to have a sponsor, got to have a place to live, income, savings…ergh,,,,
If you can say No Habla Ingles, wear a Man-dress, stink so bad it will make a cockroach wretch and claim you are a muslim while carrying a suitcase bomb Obama will throw wide the doors for you. Sadly the Weepy Cheeto will probably be on K-Street raking in millions selling out to Krony Kapitalists so he will be able… Read more »