The Election Is Over, The Battle Begins

The election is over big sigh of relief. But the stress and worry begins. This election was never going to be easy. That said, the result is much worse than I expected but very close to what the pollsters were saying. 

We now have the recriminations, finger pointing and blame game following tight outcomes. The anti Turnbull voices are loud in their proclamations Tony Abbott would’ve romped in. Well, they don’t know that.

“The sign of intelligence is that you are constantly wondering. Idiots are always so dead sure.” 

I like to think I possess more than one grey cell. So as I sit and ponder on the wreckage that is before us, I do wonder. I wonder how different it possibly would be if Tony Abbott hadn’t been so pigheaded and made Malcolm Turnbull Treasurer. I wonder how different it might have been if the voters in 2013 hadn’t been so stupid in backing people like Palmer. If they had given Tony Abbott, a workable senate and stopped playing this game of political senate Russian roulette. I wonder what the outcome would look like if  Malcolm Turnbull had brought Tony Abbott into the fold. But, that's the past we can’t change it. All we can do is focus on now and try to influence the future outcomes. 

I am very disappointed in the Liberals campaign. Whilst some of the blame for our poor result rests on Malcolm Turnbull’s shoulders, he isn’t responsible for everything. It's obvious our inexperienced campaign team in comparison to Labor’s well seasoned and experienced attack squad were totally out-played. Wrong strategy, wrong tactics and not nimble enough. Despite what the likes of Bolt say the Medicare scare campaign resonated with the electorate. It should have been stopped dead. It wasn’t. On polling day Medicare signs were everywhere along with GetUp spreading the fear message. As one journalist said, people were already scared about health. So you can see it wouldn’t take much to scare them even more.  

I will say again, I’m not a huge fan of Malcolm Turnbull. But the personal stuff being levelled at him is nasty. I suspect a lot is tinged with a level of envy but that's the attacker’s problem not mine.  I’ve spent a lot of time trying to learn more about the man. From where I sit he's a decent bloke who has made a success of his life. He's got a lovely family who he adores and who love him. He’s been accused of disloyalty. That's debatable. Politicians first loyalty is to the voters. We’ve got to stop the personal attacks. They serve no purpose other than feeding the attackers revenge and hurting people. 

The only questions we should ask now are. (Assuming we do manage to retain government)

Is he a good Prime Minister? On current form that's questionable and, it depends on what measures we use. Using the election as the measure you’d have to say no. We may scrape in and whilst a win would be a win Turnbull’s authority is weakened.

Is he capable of leading a marginal Government and becoming a good PM. He should be. Others have in the past and I’m a believer that “when the chips are down” a person’s true skills and abilities comes to the fore. 

Calls for his sacking are ludicrous. People whinged ad nauseam over Rudd/Gillard/Rudd and then Abbott/Turnbull. Then before the ink is dry, they're screaming for another head. The party room appoints the leader. Not social media or bloggers, journo’s or radio hacks. The party room needs to do the right thing and give Turnbull the opportunity to turn this mess around. The chopping and changing has to stop. 

As for Mr Turnbull. It's OK to blame Labor's disgraceful campaign but, it's been said. Move on. You need to stand before the Australian voters and admit ‘we’ did a poor job and as leader you accept responsibility for that. Then tell us how it will be different. What are you going to do and if it means amending some policies fine. If it means doing a few deals to get key policies through do it. But explain the what why and the impact. That's the only way to bring people on side and for them to understand the cost of their decisions in voting for minorities. Last, bring Tony Abbott into the fold. He passed the test during the campaign. As they say, the enemy of my enemy is my friend. Labor is the enemy. 

It will be an interesting if somewhat tense few days and potentially a very rocky road ahead. But voters planted the seeds and we all better pray really hard that the crop we all reap sustains us. 

The Level Playing Field

As Australians we always took pride in our legacy of the 'level playing field'. Where everyone had a fair and equal chance of succeeding. 

This legacy has well and truly been trashed by politicians and their supporters; unions, Get Up, members and leaders of the Australian Labor Party. Yes, I am disappointed the party I support (the Liberals along with the Nationals) is struggling to retain government. But to be in this position because of the reprehensible behaviour of the Labor party in duping the electorate is a tragedy. 

Should the LNP not be able to form government, we have lost far more than an election. We have lost the legacy of decency and honesty. That is a far greater loss for the nation and us than any election. Because Labor and their leaders have set the benchmark. From this point forward any lie and scare campaign no matter how outrageous is OK. That is the end of our proud legacy of “the level playing field.” I for one mourn that lost. 

Give Nick Xenophon the BIG X

According to a poll conducted by the CFMEU, Nick Xenophon may pick up another seat in South Australia. In the interest of good government this concerns me greatly. Because if we end up with a hung parliament Nick Xenophon along with the Greens will hold the balance of power. 

Xenophon is campaigning on a platform to force governments to buy Australian-made products. I suspect most people are OK with this in principle however, cost and supply are often issues. Theory sounds great, practice is often more difficult. 

He is also campaigning for a crackdown on predatory gambling and more government transparency. Once again nothing to be too concerned about with this. But dig into his policies and the alarm bells ring loudly and clearly. 

This is Xenophon's position on dual citizen Australian terrorists. Why in heavens name should tax payers have to carry the cost of bringing terrorists back here to convert others to their cause?

Xenophon will substantially increase childcare payments. Cost? Who would know.

Xenophon will add billions to our budget cost by increasing foreign aid and he will significantly increase our annual refugee intake. 

Xenophon's position on renewable energy targets and an ETS.

If Xenophon secures the balance of power he will be working with Labor and the Greens to implement these policies because most of them are in sync with Labor's and the Greens playbook. A vote for Xenophon is a vote for Labor and Greens.  Remember he also wants to rip up our Trade Agreements hence restrict our export opportunities and damage our relationship with our major trading partners in Asia Pacific.

Election 2016: Is It Time To Call A Truce?

We are a little less than two weeks away from the election. Many people are still making up their minds who they will vote for. For those who have, the polls are close. A hung parliament is looking like a real possibility. Fantastic I say, another three years of chaos. 

From the liberal/conservative side of politics the lead up to this election has been like no other I’ve experienced. Conservatives attacking conservatives. The far right beating the c##p out middle to left conservatives. Abbott supporters attacking Turnbull and party supporters. Labor supporters haven’t had to do anything. They must be in hysterics over the land mining that has gone on within the conservative supporters groups. 

I will ask the liberals and conservatives who support the conservative side of politics to call a truce. These are my reasons. I believe we have stuffed up the last three elections. Wait! Yes we did vote the LNP into Govt but it wasn’t a parliament that enabled the Govt to do their job properly. So let's drop the, it was an overwhelming victory for the Abbott Govt. It wasn’t. It was the worst senate result for the LNP for many years. That is fact.

So what are those choices? 

We return the LNP to Govt. This allows them to continue on their path of economic reform, and debt repair. To make sure our borders are protected and to deal with climate in a responsible way. Plus, deliver on the rest of the initiatives in the policy plan. But to do that they must be given a parliament that works. Not one based on ‘hedging bets’ which will deliver an unworkable senate controlled by Labor/Greens, single issue parties and untested and untried new comers. 

The electorate DID NOT give Tony Abbott a workable parliament in both houses. Instead, they delivered a senate controlled by Green's and cross-benchers. I use the word “they” because I voted for the Liberals in the upper house. I marked one above the line because I did not want to preference any party. I will be doing the same thing again this election.

People can continue with their ‘strop’ over Malcolm Turnbull and vote informal. Or vote for new parties like Xenophon, ALA etc. Palmer is back running candidates in the senate. We have dozens of opportunists running. There are choices but I urge people to think about that and the likely outcomes of voting for these people. It's important to check policies. I know for a fact many people don’t. They protest vote. Not smart people. There are nasties hidden in many of the policies dependent on your views. I've discovered a few. Policies that true LNP supporters would not support. Check who they are giving their preferences to and who they will favour out of the major parties. I’ve been surprised by a couple when I’ve checked. Although with Xenophon who would know. He won’t give us that information. But from Xenophon’s own policies we find this.

I read an interesting comment to a column by Paul Kelley in the Australian. It was from one of the ALA supporters. His sole argument for recommending the ALA was the candidates had real jobs. Any job is a real job? It's a stupid term. Anyway, how does a ‘real’ job translate into a good politician. There was no mention of policies. There was no mention of who the ALA will preference. It's a worry. There are some concerning policies within the ALA suite. Their senate preferences in NSW are enlightening to say the least.

Another example I recently read. “I want to protect what is left of the Liberals, so I’m voting for Bill Shorten.” It's not the only comment I’ve read along those lines. Beggars belief and graphically highlights the lack of intelligent thought applied by this voter. He isn’t a lone wolf. 

Ex Libs you can vote for Labor or the Greens. But let's get serious. We are talking politics so let’s dispense with the I couldn’t live with myself if I voted for Turnbull BS. It’s a choice between communism/socialism or capitalism. It's that simple. The electorate has already tested six years of Labor. Let's not forget how painful that was. Apart from new leaders, it's the same bunch you are voting back in. You are placing a lot of trust in their ability to have ‘gone to Jesus’ in three short years. I belief we've had a glimpse of what the next Labor Govt will look like thanks to Daniel Andrews and Victoria. The unions control the puppet Shorten and the left are poised for a take-over. 

I have read many comments urging people to destroy the Libs in a vain hope Labor will be defeated in three years. Well, they weren’t last time. Labor carried on with another three years of destruction and chaos. Regardless, they can do a lot more damage in three years. As for a new conservative party rising from the ashes that could take years and years. I don't hold out much hope for that.

Whilst many cannot stand Malcolm Turnbull he is but one man. If conservatives do the right thing, we will have a good mix of liberals and conservatives in a new Govt. I’ve said before I am not a big fan of Malcolm Turnbull. I wasn’t a big fan of Tony Abbott either. I vote for the party. It’s very important that Barnaby Joyce retains his seat. He brings balance. I would much prefer a Turnbull led Govt over the possible alternatives any day. We can deal with Turnbull. It will take three years perhaps more to remove what replaces the LNP if it comes to that.

Malcolm Turnbull has shown a lot of courage. He could have called an election earlier when his stocks were significantly higher than they are now. He didn’t. Anyone who believed Turnbull’s approval rating would stay in the 60’s plus for any length of time has rocks in their head. Malcolm Turnbull knew that and his advisors encouraged him to go earlier. He ignored that advice. Gutsy decision. 

Kitchen Cabinet this week with Senator Cash was interesting. Her comment to the question about Malcolm Turnbull just implementing Tony Abbott’s policies was spot on. Michaelia Cash pointed out, they are the policies of the party. It was a fair point. They are the policies of the party.

So to summarise the choice is:

A Liberal National Government.

A Labor / Greens Government. 

A hung parliament controlled by who knows who. It could be the Greens or Xenophon or a combo. It's the walking the plank solution.

I’ve said before when I asked the question, can we afford to gamble in this current climate with so much uncertainties. I believe the answer is a resounding no. I want no part in delivering chaos.

What the rest of you do is your decision and your business. But, I sincerely hope we can unite and call a truce until after the election when the LNP is hopefully returned? 

History teaches us that unity is strength, and cautions us to submerge and overcome our differences in the quest for common goals, to strive, with all our combined strength to make our nation stronger. That’s what is really important. What is in the best interests of the country and therefore our future.

Revenge v's Justice & Grace

Jennifer Oriel’s column in the Australian today titled, Federal Election 2016, electing Labor would have dire consequences. I thought it was an insightful and sensible piece. Her last paragraph had meaning. It reads; 

“In the wake of his ousting, Abbott has demonstrated the qualities of character that earned him the office of prime minister: humility and generosity of community spirit. The political power he lost has been replaced by ­something greater: the Christian gift of grace. Instead of seeking vengeance against Turnbull or his team, Abbott took the higher ground. Conservatives too must choose between vengeance and grace in the upcoming election. Don’t leave two graves behind you at the ballot box.”

From reading the comments it appears there is a groundswell of people who are seeking revenge. Their decision of course, but I wish they would reconsider. That reminds me of a recent piece I read, written by Leon F Seltzer Ph.D. He refers to the confusion between revenge and justice. This piece is particularly relevant

. 

"Revenge is about retaliation; justice about restoring balance. The motive of revenge has mostly to do with expressing rage, hatred, or spite. It’s a protest, or payback, and its foremost intent is to harm. In and of itself, it’s not primarily about justice but about victims’ affirming their inborn (but non-legal) right to retaliate against some wrong they perceive has been done to them."

Some of those commenting in response to Jennifer Oriel’s column are disillusioned with politics. I get that. It’s those who profess to be avenging Tony Abbott’s ousting as PM, or who consider the action a betrayal of their values that intrigues me. 

The only person who has a legitimate claim to being wronged is Tony Abbott. He is openly supporting the party and campaigning to help deliver the return of an LNP government.  He has continued to fight for the values LNP supporters say they hold dear. He is about restoring balance with a workable parliament; both houses. Something his government and the Turnbull government didn't have. Let's not forget it was voters who delivered that outcome. Many are a advocating a repeat of that. I find that hard to believe but it's true. 

The majority of those who seek to slap Malcolm Turnbull down are out for revenge and retaliation. Many are honest enough to admit that is the case. Others hide behind “I will not betray my principles BS.” These are people who by their very actions are willingly heaping their desires to avenge what they consider past wrongs upon "innocent generations” who will follow. They are doing it handing government to Bill Shorten and Labor. Or worse still they risk the control of the country by placing it in the hands of a gaggle to self-interest micros or Greens. Principles? 

We have others who openly declare they are “true blue” Liberals but they are voting for Bill Shorten. True Blue? Never. No true blue Liberal would ever vote for Labor and particularly not modern Labor who wrecked havoc on this country for six years. AND, who will do it again. Bill Shorten has no economic plan, just a huge spending plan. 

These people profess to be voting for Labor in the hope it will be short lived. Then hope springs eternal again with the desire for a new conservative party to rise like a Phoenix from the ashes of defeat. That’s their idea of justice. Well I suppose that's OK if you believe in mythical creatures. But I wouldn’t be relying on hope to save ‘us’. I'd add lumbering the rest of us with Labor, Greens or a mishmash in either house is anything but just. 

"Revenge can masquerade as justice, but it frequently ends up perverting it." Yes it does. 

The question for all us genuine true blue Liberals is; what is the risk and can we really afford to take it in kicking the Libs out. Or, do we stick with what we have and help change it? I’m opting for the latter. I can’t rely on hope and I’m not into revenge. I'll stick with justice and grace. 

Gerard Is Right: Leave Turnbull Be .. What We Need Him To Be

Gerard Henderson wrote a piece published in The Australian on the 28 May  titled, “election 2016: Media should just let Turnbull be.” As you would expect there has been a lot of comments. Most of it seems to be negative anti-Turnbull. 

It was an interesting piece. Much of what G Henderson said was in my opinion true.  But there were contradictions. There was one statement in particular I thought was a contradiction. It also generated most of the negative comment from those who state they are conservatives. Honestly, who would know if they are or aren’t. But the statement was this, “If Turnbull wins on July 2, then he will have a greater opportunity to fashion the Coalition’s policy with reference to his own policy vision.” 

The point made related to SSM and the Nationals. The point escaped most of those commenting. They see it as a broader issue. But, it plays to the fear many people on the liberal/conservative side of politics express. If Malcolm wins he’ll take the party down the left channel. 

The statement conflicted for me because it clashed with other points made by G Henderson. 

“Some of those who want Turnbull to be Turnbull overlook the fact he is the leader of a right-of-centre Coalition administration. No Liberal Party leader can ignore the views of party operatives, parliamentarians and the rank-and-file members who keep the organisation together and do most of the work at election time.” 

Correct  and it  won’t change if he is elected. So why would he be stupid enough to revert to the ‘stereo-type’ Malcolm the leftie? He remembers what happened last time. He’s been warned what will happen if he tries it again. 

G Henderson stated, “And then there are the Nationals. When Turnbull led the Liberal Party in opposition in 2009, he was close to presiding over a situation where the Nationals dumped the Coalition agreement. The issue turned on Turnbull’s support for an ETS.” 

Do you honestly believe the Nationals wouldn’t threaten this again should Malcolm stray from the path of the straight and narrow? Perhaps the not so happy Libs who are championing a vote for Barnaby might like to consider that and insist on an agreement to be sure. I think it makes sense to have one.

Our elected representatives have shown they are prepared to remove a leader. They have done that twice in recent times. Malcolm as opposition leader and Abbott as PM. Why would Malcolm or indeed us think they wouldn’t do it? If the LNP with Malcolm as leader are elected. If he strays too far to the left changing agreements we vote for, I’ll be one of the loudest voices calling for his head.

Tony Abbott broke promises. That didn’t sit well with many centre moderate Libs. If (and it’s a big if) Malcolm was to break promises after being elected there would be a monumental revolt. I’m in doubt it would be the case. 

Malcolm Turnbull is many things but a fool he is not. He knows the score and I doubt he wants to be turfed for a second time assuming the LNP gain government and he remains leader. 

I will refer to one comment to G Henderson’s column. It was this from someone named Andrew.  

“I agree with the very many right wing Abbott supporters who attack Turnbull.

Not because Abbott was deposed as he was hopeless and had to go.

(I concede border protection etc)

Turnbull has turned out to be a socialist and bereft of ideas, and more hopeless than Abbott.

I'm very sorry that Costello left Parliament he would have been an even better PM than Howard.

Unfortunately I'm voting for the truly awful Labor lot in the hope that a new liberal-conservative party will arise from the ashes.

The Other Andrew.” 

I have no idea who The Other Andrew is. Or whether he is genuine. But if he is, there's not a lot you can say about comments like that except HELP!!!!! No self respecting, genuine conservative would ever vote Labor. Ever advocate voting for Labor. I don't often reply to media comment but I did to this one.  

“To reward Labor after they almost led this country to the point of ruin, on the off chance a new conservative Phoenix will rise from the ashes of a decimated LNP I find astounding. Even more so given Labor are promising to spend more, tax more and weaken our borders in removing TPV's that's just for starters.

There's also the very real likelihood you could be waiting 20-years for the 'saviour' to reach maturity. There is no guarantee it will happen. 

So good luck with your gamble. I just hope the rest of us don't end up paying for the bet.”

So back to G Henderson’s headline. Yes. Let Turnbull be. Let him be the leader he has committed to being in leading a right-of-centre Coalition party. Not the leftie, republic pushing, social engineer so many would will him or wish him to be.  Hold to account on that commitment.

People do change and they do modify their opinions. It's called maturity and taking into account team and voter expectations. Turnbull knows the score. Time will be the judge of his conviction. He may never completely give up his attachment to a republic. I’ve little doubt that we will traverse that path one day. When the time is right. The same goes for SSM. He has stated he supports the party’s plebiscite decision. The will of the people will decide. As it should. Turnbull will stand firm on border protection. As PM he knows more about the inherent risks of weakening our policy that the armchair experts.  Turnbull will hold the line on the economy. As he absolutely must. He's no fool. We must not forget; there are still people waiting in the wings to topple him (that isn't a dig at Tony Abbott). There are others.  He knows it and so do we. 

Back to focusing on what is really important. Bill Shorten and Labor. Keeping them OUT. If they get in as conservatives we can't control them. We can control Turnbull.

Update From Labor Election HQ: A Political Farce?

It was red faces this morning with the realisation that future star David Feeney was on another losing streak. He's previously 'lost' a house. This was followed yesterday by 'losing' his interview notes and exposing Labor's duplicity. Then we had the David Speers interview. What a shambles for Feeney. So we chalk up the third loss. I can't wait to see what's next on Feeney's agenda. Mr Feeney has been affectionately dubbed a 'loser' in the past. Now it appears it is an inherent flaw. 

We were informed yesterday of more division within the party. This time the split is over backing a ban on political donations from miners and all fossil fuel subsidies. Justine Elliot, the current member for Richmond, and Janelle Saffin, the former Page MP who is trying to win the seat back, have broken ranks in backing a ban. I have it on good authority Bill has upped his dose of 'headache' pills. 

Labor are not happy campers with splits over border protection and now donations from miners and fossil fuel subsidies. At this rate there'll be more out than in the camp by July 2nd. 

Meanwhile Bill Shorten's 'Spend-O-Meter' has been in meltdown. When quizzed by his 'number cruncher' Bowen "where does the money come from Bill?" Bill replied. "All sorted. I've just organised a $100billion overdraft on the credit card and ScoMoo exaggerated anyway. Bill could be heard chuckling to himself, "I mean $69billion what a laugh it's only $40billion." It is, isn't it, only $40billion? Chris tell me I'm right." Bowen's just ordered a new calculator and 144 rolls of paper. 

Reading this you would think it was a satirical comedy script. But it isn't. It's fact with a slight embellishment to the Shorten, Bowen exchange. But the numbers are real. We can laugh, but if this lot secure government it will be no laughing matter. 

Election déjà vu

This comment came from the Australian today. 

"If the Libs do win the election, can you just imagine how Turnbull will react. He will actually think it is because of his 'wonderful' leadership when the only reason would be the alternative is too terrible to contemplate." Joan wrote that. 

My reply. 

“You could say we won for the same reason in 2013.  Labor was simply too terrible to contemplate then and, nothing has changed in 2016.”

By the way the only person who knows what Malcolm Turnbull would think should he win is Malcolm Turnbull. So Joan and all the other Joan's out there you are talking through your hat. You don’t have a clue what he will think. 

But now to my election déjà vu. LNP voters cheered enthusiastically over our 2013 win in the lower house (hence gaining us government) it was impressive. But, I wonder how much of that win was down to how bad Labor was. Not necessarioly how good the LNP were. I suspect the anti-Labor impact was reasonably large.

At the risk of repeating what I’ve said before where it mattered (in the Senate) it was the LNP’s worst ever result. That says to me swinging voters and disillusioned Labor voters wanted to send Labor a message. In other words, a protest vote. The majority (and this probably included anti-Abbott LNP voters) delivered a mess in the senate; we don't trust you enough. 

Now we are facing the 2016 election. Labor are still on the nose but there are the anti-Turnbull LNP voters championing protest votes. Plus a gaggle of opportunistic ‘parties running for the senate. This group are championed by you've got it anti-Turnbull supporters. They justify that in stating we voting for other conservatives. Of course those other conservatives haven’t said who they’ll favour out of the Liberals or Labor. Mind you, some of their policies border on alarming though. Clive and his group were conservatives. So were some of the other cross-benchers. That turned out well didn’t it, she says dripping with sarcasm. 

But no worries you can hear the protesters say ‘I’ve vented my spleen’ and sent a message. Please write a bloody letter it would be less damaging and the rest of us don’t have the pay the price. 

We have short memories and it seems we are addicted to chaotic government. I hope the country can survive a repeat of 9-years of mess. Six dark Labor years and three years of senate high- jacking.  Why would you want either of those again? Beggars belief.

Australian Electoral Commission's Responsibility

I was happy when the senate reform legislation passed. In fact, I stayed up until the wee small hours watching the debate because to me it was important. It appeared obvious as voters we should decide where our senate preferences go, not behind-the-scenes vote manipulators. Neither should parties who do secret deals with other parties (we don’t support) to increase their chances of gaining a seat.

Given the revenge strategies now being played out by micro parties (from the last parliament and running for this one) I am even more convinced we need to clear this rabble out. We certainly shouldn't vote anymore in. By their actions this group has proven time and again they have no real interest in improving the country, hence us. It's about power and lunatic fringe ideas. Rant over. 

With this in mind I am concerned about the information the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC)have published on their website and via ads. They only tell half the story. I don’t know if that is deliberate or because of legislative constraints or merely waiting for Bob Day’s high court ruling. But they must give voters all the relevant information to enable them to execute their vote and make it count. I don’t believe the AEC are fulfilling their role in giving us all the facts. 

This is an important election. Senate voting can be confusing. This time around we have the added confusion of senate voting changes. The issue is this. Given the changes to senate voting rules I expect more people will access the AEC site for how to vote information. So yesterday I visited the AEC site and, I tested out the practice link. I know if I choose I can put 1 in one box above the line. I did that and I got this back. 

So I queried this via Twitter and copied the AEC. I received this in reply (see below). They were quick to respond. However, I am still waiting for a response to my second question.   (see below). I want to know the answer; how will you treat my vote. I’m not the only one. 

I followed the senate debate and I understand the rules. But unless people read SkyNews online and picked up Mathias Cormann’s confirmation yesterday that putting the number 1 in one box above the line was valid I’d probably follow the AEC instructions. I am sure many will. They certainly wouldn’t know anything different from reading the AEC material. 

I have no intentions of allocating preferences to any party. I will be voting for one party in the senate. But I know people who felt they would be forced to allocate preferences because they weren’t aware they didn’t have to do so. I am also aware many people have voiced their concern over the lack of clarification. They have done that via social media and talkback radio. I've certainly been doing my bit.

We have a right and an expectation to receive exact, prompt  and detailed information on how to vote. Whilst I understand the Electoral Commission can not and should not direct you how to vote I fail to understand why they can’t just say if you mark one box only your vote is a formal vote.  

This is the relevant section. 

I have no idea what instructions parties will give on ‘how to vote cards’. Or what blub parties will have on their website and printed on material. I maybe unfair in saying this. But I suspect the Greens and fringe parties (who will need preferences for their  candidates to stand a chance of being elected) will not tell you, you only have to number one box above the line. Why? Because they pick up preferences if you number all six. Let's face it people pick up a handful of how to vote cards when entering the polling station.

All I ask is that our choices are made clear. I don't buy into the LNP / Greens conspiracy. That's just fanciful. But the AEC has the responsibility to provide all the information we need, not just some of it. If they are not prepared to make it clear we should be questioning why not. My attitude is >>>> Just do it.