I really hate it but I think we probably have the least worst system. Senators and MPs need to have the ability to leave their parties: most often the individual goes rogue, but sometimes the party goes off the deep end.
The honourable thing to do is probably resign from the party, give them both barrels, then resign the seat.
Yup. Not sure there is any good way to form rules for the scenario.
To bind elected representatives to follow the caucus decisions of the party they were affiliated with at the time of the election, you would have to change our parliamentary system so we are electing a party instead of electing a representative. Thatâs constitutional.
Thereâs no bandaid legislation that can actually change that. Even giving parties the right to fill a casual vacancy caused by a retired senator with one of their own required a referendum (1977)
If your candidate in a seat looks a little green (pardon the pun) you should be able to loan them out to a rival to gain political experience.
You should also be able to loan in a candidate should you need a bit more experience in the role.
Following the football analogy, the Greens leader should get to bench the senator who has already signed for Labor and deny them a vote, unless they feel itâs a must-win piece of legislation.
There is no means for removing parliamentarians from office, outside of an election, that does not create an unfortunate precedent that could be used by bad faith actors further down the track to overturn the results of an election.
But thatâs what we do in the senate? Which is where most of these problems seem to arise. Which is frustrating as anyone elected as a member of a large party would have very few votes for themselves.
Yeah agree this is where it gets unrealistic
Not sure if srs. But thereâs something to it I reckon. Perhaps a member can not seek re-election with a party if they were not a member of the party for the last 6 months of the previous term? dunno how you enforce it. And yep, totally open to bad faith actions at that length of time.
Weâre not really doing it in the senate though, weâre just lazy and have a mechanism to pretend we are. Iâm one of the sadists who goes through and numbers every box.
Itâs obviously complicated by the fact that you do need to allow people to leave parties and you are technically selecting a person not a party (even above the line in the senate, I think youâre effectively voting for a preselected order of people, just in the way the party you chose wants it).
The issue is the integrity of the person changing parties. If they know they were practically voted in because of their party and not because of themselves, they should respect that vote unless it is genuinely no longer the party that was in place when the votes were cast.
No easy answers other than âdo the right thing dickheadâ
Actually the Greens senator has already represent the Greens this season so they shouldnât be allowed to register for an opposing party, unless an agreement is reached and then they shouldnât be allowed to take part in votes for specific legislative topics.
I think heâs talking about a Bosman rulingâŠ
The problem here is one of morality rather than legality. A candidate is sworn in in their name, not that of the party on whose ticket they were elected.
Accordingly, a person sworn in as a senator or member is absolutely free to leave a party on a matter of conscience. And if they are principled they will leave the seat. If they do not, people can form their own view as to how much to trust that person.
My bet is that Dorinda Cox was not going to be preselected top of the Greens ticket next time up and sheâs opportunistically seeing if she can land on the Labor ticket. Labor members may prefer someone else, and she may wind up then running as an indie.
I think the chances of her being a senator past the end of her term (30/6/2028) are about the same as Fatima Payman - absolutely fuck all.
Just had a call from the AEC wanting to confirm where I voted - I guess Bradfield is heating up if they are doing spot checks.
Well yes, thus the not sureâŠ
Bradfield has been called in favour of Nicolette Boele. The Liberal Party and MSM dirt unit failed their mission.
Final NSW count 28 Labor, 6 independent, 6 lib, 6 Nat.
National Labor 94
Libs 34 (including 16 in qld, a good chunk of which would be notionally Natâs)
Nats 9
Green 1
Other 12
Satisfying result.
Not sure if this belongs here or in ME pol more; weâve put travel bans on two of Netanyahuâs most pro-genocide ministers today, along with a coalition of other states.
Here, because itâs an issue here - Michaelia Cash has apparently gone berko
She stays berko
