Now all the older intelligent rotorfarkiners will know I lean to to the left. I work in University academia, in particularly in biological sciences with something of a conservation focus, and political agendas which I passionately support tend to be neglected by conservative governments.
However Labor has been a thorough disappointment. After such a long period under a Liberal government with the Howard years, wholesale re direction of political attention and policy was needed to restore what I see as balance to the sociopolitical spectrum. Instead we got grandiose words and symbolic actions and pretty much zero actual actions.
The implosion of the Turnbull administration and subsequent wresting of control of the party from the more moderate elements of the Liberal party by the more conservative elements has left the alternative to Labor a party which actively and unapologetically opposes a lot of ideological values of mine. It is yet to be seen as to whether this eventuates in policy but I would be shocked if the current controlling elements of the Liberal party did not oppose the things I want from my government. Hell, 6 months ago even all the vocal conservatives here thought Abbott was a liability due to his radically conservative social views and policies - $10k for stay at home mums is as far as I'm concerned the tip of the iceberg in terms of retroactive social policy.
So, I'm left with the option of voting for a party who ideologically I agree with but doesn't actually do anything they say they will, a party which I fundamentally disagree with, or a third party who will not be elected. As a result I will be voting Greens for both upper and lower houses. I now I won't get a greens MP, but a Green balance of power is important to me especially with the possibility to the ETS being resurrected - if we're going to do it, it needs to be effective which will be unpopular with industry. If they have to make a deal with the Greens it might actually do something to reduce emissions rather than simply be a political tool.
I will be putting Liberal dead stone cold last on both - with the usual "who do I not want in" scaling of the nutbag one trick parties/independants.
I will be voting absentee from another country as funding cuts by both Labor and Liberal federal governments in research funding have pushed me out of Australian institutions if I want to get ahead. If either party actually put money into rather than took money out of scientific research (which has decreased relative to inflation outside of medicine for 15 consecutive years) they'd have my vote in a heartbeat. Makes me sick hearing both L's bang on and on about this being a "smart" country while telling the scientific community to fuck off overseas.
However Labor has been a thorough disappointment. After such a long period under a Liberal government with the Howard years, wholesale re direction of political attention and policy was needed to restore what I see as balance to the sociopolitical spectrum. Instead we got grandiose words and symbolic actions and pretty much zero actual actions.
The implosion of the Turnbull administration and subsequent wresting of control of the party from the more moderate elements of the Liberal party by the more conservative elements has left the alternative to Labor a party which actively and unapologetically opposes a lot of ideological values of mine. It is yet to be seen as to whether this eventuates in policy but I would be shocked if the current controlling elements of the Liberal party did not oppose the things I want from my government. Hell, 6 months ago even all the vocal conservatives here thought Abbott was a liability due to his radically conservative social views and policies - $10k for stay at home mums is as far as I'm concerned the tip of the iceberg in terms of retroactive social policy.
So, I'm left with the option of voting for a party who ideologically I agree with but doesn't actually do anything they say they will, a party which I fundamentally disagree with, or a third party who will not be elected. As a result I will be voting Greens for both upper and lower houses. I now I won't get a greens MP, but a Green balance of power is important to me especially with the possibility to the ETS being resurrected - if we're going to do it, it needs to be effective which will be unpopular with industry. If they have to make a deal with the Greens it might actually do something to reduce emissions rather than simply be a political tool.
I will be putting Liberal dead stone cold last on both - with the usual "who do I not want in" scaling of the nutbag one trick parties/independants.
I will be voting absentee from another country as funding cuts by both Labor and Liberal federal governments in research funding have pushed me out of Australian institutions if I want to get ahead. If either party actually put money into rather than took money out of scientific research (which has decreased relative to inflation outside of medicine for 15 consecutive years) they'd have my vote in a heartbeat. Makes me sick hearing both L's bang on and on about this being a "smart" country while telling the scientific community to fuck off overseas.