Neil McCrossin
@neilmccrossin.bsky.social
Australian.
Observer of politics and public discourse.
I care about factual correctness. A lot.
Anti-“anti-woke” (factual critique of the left is fine but that ain’t what they’re doing).
Lies thrive because they create more political energy than truth.
Observer of politics and public discourse.
I care about factual correctness. A lot.
Anti-“anti-woke” (factual critique of the left is fine but that ain’t what they’re doing).
Lies thrive because they create more political energy than truth.
Rank choice voting, aka instant runoff voting (and aka preferential voting here in Australia) also solves the problem depicted in the cartoon, and is a less drastic (and therefore potentially more achievable) change than proportional voting.
October 8, 2025 at 11:44 AM
Rank choice voting, aka instant runoff voting (and aka preferential voting here in Australia) also solves the problem depicted in the cartoon, and is a less drastic (and therefore potentially more achievable) change than proportional voting.
That’s such a terrible story :-(
August 24, 2025 at 7:37 AM
That’s such a terrible story :-(
I first saw the term ‘microagression’ in right-wing columns about how the left is preoccupied with microagressions. Eventually I did come across some usages of it by the left. In my experience 95% of its use is by the right and the context of that use is ‘the left is obsessed about microagressions’.
August 23, 2025 at 10:31 PM
I first saw the term ‘microagression’ in right-wing columns about how the left is preoccupied with microagressions. Eventually I did come across some usages of it by the left. In my experience 95% of its use is by the right and the context of that use is ‘the left is obsessed about microagressions’.
August 23, 2025 at 10:15 PM
I first saw the term ‘microagression’ in right-wing columns about how the left is preoccupied with microagressions. Eventually I did come across some usages of it by the left. In my experience 95% of its use is by the right and the context of that use is ‘the left is obsessed about microagressions’.
Totally the right position to take by Blue Mountains Council.
August 11, 2025 at 10:27 AM
Totally the right position to take by Blue Mountains Council.
Only if done by a nun, or in all cases?
August 11, 2025 at 1:08 AM
Only if done by a nun, or in all cases?
Fun fact: Labor has more women whose first name starts with ‘A’ than the combined total of the Liberals and Nationals.
May 20, 2025 at 4:58 AM
Fun fact: Labor has more women whose first name starts with ‘A’ than the combined total of the Liberals and Nationals.
The Liberals should have always been asked that question anyway. As far as I know the Liberal Party has never held majority government without Nationals support.
May 20, 2025 at 3:00 AM
The Liberals should have always been asked that question anyway. As far as I know the Liberal Party has never held majority government without Nationals support.
From an Australian perspective it’s interesting to be reminded (by that Guardian article) that Peter Dutton, who is aspiring to be our Prime Minister after the election next month, also jumped on this particular far right bandwagon.
April 4, 2025 at 4:59 AM
From an Australian perspective it’s interesting to be reminded (by that Guardian article) that Peter Dutton, who is aspiring to be our Prime Minister after the election next month, also jumped on this particular far right bandwagon.
There have always been independents. Other than the fact that they have a better than usual funding source it’s not that remarkable unless and until they win.
April 3, 2025 at 4:23 AM
There have always been independents. Other than the fact that they have a better than usual funding source it’s not that remarkable unless and until they win.
Yes that’s why I said “on the whole” people are sticking with the major parties. No dispute that a (significant) minority are looking elsewhere.
April 2, 2025 at 3:23 AM
Yes that’s why I said “on the whole” people are sticking with the major parties. No dispute that a (significant) minority are looking elsewhere.
Labor and the Coalition between them hold 87% of HoR seats. On the whole, people are not ‘doing their politics elsewhere’. Just saying because I think reality is kinda important.
April 1, 2025 at 11:22 PM
Labor and the Coalition between them hold 87% of HoR seats. On the whole, people are not ‘doing their politics elsewhere’. Just saying because I think reality is kinda important.
My hope is that I might have made you feel a tiny bit awkward about posting this particular bit of nonsense in the future.
April 1, 2025 at 10:57 PM
My hope is that I might have made you feel a tiny bit awkward about posting this particular bit of nonsense in the future.
Of course you’re not the only one saying this (it is an article of faith amongst Greens on this platform), but you did make it more front and centre than most.
The major parties are major parties because they do things that most people vote for. Whether this is good or bad is a separate question.
The major parties are major parties because they do things that most people vote for. Whether this is good or bad is a separate question.
April 1, 2025 at 10:57 PM
Of course you’re not the only one saying this (it is an article of faith amongst Greens on this platform), but you did make it more front and centre than most.
The major parties are major parties because they do things that most people vote for. Whether this is good or bad is a separate question.
The major parties are major parties because they do things that most people vote for. Whether this is good or bad is a separate question.
Yeah we could go off on all sorts of interesting tangents but I want to return to the original point I made.
Your original post makes the absurd claim that the parties holding 87% of lower house seats and 2/3 of the primary vote between them have ‘abandoned the will of the people’.
Your original post makes the absurd claim that the parties holding 87% of lower house seats and 2/3 of the primary vote between them have ‘abandoned the will of the people’.
April 1, 2025 at 10:57 PM
Yeah we could go off on all sorts of interesting tangents but I want to return to the original point I made.
Your original post makes the absurd claim that the parties holding 87% of lower house seats and 2/3 of the primary vote between them have ‘abandoned the will of the people’.
Your original post makes the absurd claim that the parties holding 87% of lower house seats and 2/3 of the primary vote between them have ‘abandoned the will of the people’.
Imagine what might be possible if the Greens and Greens-adjacent people on this platform actually acknowledged that they don’t represent the will of the entire nation and contributed to working out a way forward based on political reality.
April 1, 2025 at 9:55 PM
Imagine what might be possible if the Greens and Greens-adjacent people on this platform actually acknowledged that they don’t represent the will of the entire nation and contributed to working out a way forward based on political reality.
Yeah but the flipside is that a 2/3 thumping majority voted for a major party first.
And a party getting more first pref votes than *all their opponents combined* (major and minor) is a rather high benchmark - not reaching that hardly proves that they have ‘abandoned the will of the people’.
And a party getting more first pref votes than *all their opponents combined* (major and minor) is a rather high benchmark - not reaching that hardly proves that they have ‘abandoned the will of the people’.
April 1, 2025 at 9:55 PM
Yeah but the flipside is that a 2/3 thumping majority voted for a major party first.
And a party getting more first pref votes than *all their opponents combined* (major and minor) is a rather high benchmark - not reaching that hardly proves that they have ‘abandoned the will of the people’.
And a party getting more first pref votes than *all their opponents combined* (major and minor) is a rather high benchmark - not reaching that hardly proves that they have ‘abandoned the will of the people’.
Eric the major parties hold 87% of the seats in the lower house. I know that’s not the only indicator of “the will of the people” but I daresay it’s a rather important one.
I’m going to go out on a limb here, but sometimes I think that not obsessively denying that reality might be helpful.
I’m going to go out on a limb here, but sometimes I think that not obsessively denying that reality might be helpful.
April 1, 2025 at 8:15 AM
Eric the major parties hold 87% of the seats in the lower house. I know that’s not the only indicator of “the will of the people” but I daresay it’s a rather important one.
I’m going to go out on a limb here, but sometimes I think that not obsessively denying that reality might be helpful.
I’m going to go out on a limb here, but sometimes I think that not obsessively denying that reality might be helpful.
We are not going to fundamentally improve democracy by some ‘magic’ new party or structure, because majority voter behaviour will still drive the overall outcome. Changing that voter behaviour is the (incredibly difficult) problem we have to solve. Better to look the real problem in the face.
March 30, 2025 at 9:32 AM
We are not going to fundamentally improve democracy by some ‘magic’ new party or structure, because majority voter behaviour will still drive the overall outcome. Changing that voter behaviour is the (incredibly difficult) problem we have to solve. Better to look the real problem in the face.
Are the major parties “democratic”? We need to face up to the fact that they are “democratic” in the sense that most people vote for them, which is the sense that actually matters in practical terms.
March 30, 2025 at 9:32 AM
Are the major parties “democratic”? We need to face up to the fact that they are “democratic” in the sense that most people vote for them, which is the sense that actually matters in practical terms.
This type of thinking has emotional appeal but I don’t believe it helps us move forward. The major parties are not realistically going to be “crushed” - even the one of them that loses will still end up with *way* more lower house members than all the minor parties and independents *combined*.
March 30, 2025 at 9:32 AM
This type of thinking has emotional appeal but I don’t believe it helps us move forward. The major parties are not realistically going to be “crushed” - even the one of them that loses will still end up with *way* more lower house members than all the minor parties and independents *combined*.