Australia is currently in election mode with the federal election scheduled for the coming weeks and placing a major party in your top vote is a waste of your ballot.
For many Australians, the federal election campaign generally consists of watching the candidates of the two major parties shaking hands and kissing babies, whilst the population often chooses what’s commonly referred to as the ‘lesser of two evils’ for the top job.
But as disdain grows for the political leaders of this country, the importance of voting for minor parties and independents in the first ballot position has never been more important.
Unlike other global counterparts such as the United States, Australia runs on a preferential voting system in which voters number the candidates in order of most to least desirable.
As a large portion of Australians decides to elect one of the two major parties in their first box, the Lib/Nats and Labor are almost always ensured to receive a large portion of seats in the parliamentary houses with one quite often receiving the majority of total seats.
This result constitutes an easy avenue for the government to pass legislation without the joint support of MPs outside of the party, and therefore catering to only their own demographic of voters. This lack of opinions and voices which would be represented in our parliament and its legislation with a majority government can often fail to uphold democracy to its greatest extent.
Australia has always prided itself on the freedoms and rights that its democracy brings, however with the devastating ongoing effects of the recent pandemic and a more diverse range of opinions than ever, this cannot be an option anymore.
Australians, rather than continue another term of growing anger against a government that only represents a particular portion of the population, should push for an increase of smaller bodies that have the stage and ability to challenge these powers.
In placing a minor candidate within the first few positions of your ballot, votes will be passed down your ballot in order of preference if your top votes aren’t popular enough, with a major party in the top few positions this is unlikely to occur.
Learning to vote in a proper way should be essential for all Australians, both for new voters and those who have completed informal or donkey ballots in the past. The effects and results of each ballot should be more easily understandable to the voter.
The little parties are there to support the little people, the ones whose opinions matter just as much as the CEOs that vote Coalition and the unions that vote Labor.
Choosing a side as a compromise should not be necessary when minor parties and independents open a range of options for the ‘inbetweeners’ of the political spectrum.
So, does a lack of diversity in our federal parliament enable a fair and vigorous democracy? The short answer… no.
It’s time for Australians to take charge of our lives, hold our parliament to account and continue to change and evolve our country for the better.