Lyall Ward
LightNews LightNews
lyallaward.bsky.social
Lyall Ward
@lyallaward.bsky.social
40 followers 210 following 3 posts
Posts Replies Media Videos
Reposted by Lyall Ward
vanbadham.bsky.social
Preferential voting is deeply democratic, because election depends on whom a majority find the most preferable option, and voting itself delivers a clear snapshot of who values what most politically and in what proportion. Any attack on it is an attack on Australian democracy. #auspol
leroylynch.bsky.social Leroy @leroylynch.bsky.social · May 14
My thoughts (on a Poll Bludger comments thread) on the curious increase in Australian anti preferential voting talk among online right wingers and in the right wing media. #auspol #ausvotes
It is remarkable how quickly anti preferential voting articles have ramped up in the last year, especially in The Australian, as well as passing mentions of Australia’s “controversial” voting system. There was a bit of this in the right wing media after 2022, although now it seems more common. A lot of right wing echo chamber groundwork is being done to discredit preferences as a basic voting concept. I’m tipping a future Coalition govt (or opposition) could one day push for optional preferences at least if they get a chance. The federal Coalition aren’t there yet, but they could get there, at least some of them. I know we’ve had plenty of parliamentary post election cross party committee reviews etc. that rejected fundamental changes to our federal voting system, and the general public is not asking for it, but look out. In my view, the current anti wave gained momentum after the 2022 Vic election and the federal election with an upsurge of Australian random right wing twitter users picking up on US right wingers attacking some state level alternative voting systems (Alaska, Maine) after some Republicans lost. “Instant run off voting” became a hate target. People here picked up on that from the USA, like all their bad ideas, and tried to apply it here. It has a strong anti Greens element, and they are convinced Labor would lose at state & federal level without it (although people would likely modify their voting behaviour if they knew it was FPTP, and the numbers don’t necessarily stack up anyway). This is despite us having preferential voting since the 1920s and the first such ballot dating all the way back to 1890s colonial Queensland. The chat has flowed through to News Corp writers and other right commentators who never discussed it before. Watch this space, other media will soon be mentioning in passing our “controversial” voting system, because everything gets both-sided.
May 14, 2025 at 2:54 AM
Reposted by Lyall Ward
vanbadham.bsky.social
Australia has compulsory voting; I made this video to explain why: it’s not about forcing us to vote, it’s about forcing governments to ensure a ballot reaches EVERY CITIZEN’S HAND, & we owe it to conservative, rural Tasmanian Senator Herbert Payne in 1924 for making that argument. #auspol
May 3, 2025 at 2:10 AM
lyallaward.bsky.social
@optis.bsky.social good to see you’re keeping up the “good work”
Image showing Optus is not available in Bethania. Optus is monitoring the situation and will work on restoring service when they feel like it
March 12, 2025 at 4:41 AM