Australian election

**adamwagg** · 08-23-2010, 06:14 PM

Yeah we wont know for a whlie with some of the close seats. Normally the ridiculously long counting times for postal votes doesn't matter but this time it does.

The AEC needs to figure out a better way of dealing with postals.

**bread man** · 08-23-2010, 09:13 PM

I'm always surprised when I turn up to vote and there aren't any computers keeping track of things. I suppose it'd be a difficult thing to fund, not to mention teach some of the officials to use. At any rate, I think we have 10 days or something until all the postals arrive.

**adamwagg** · 08-24-2010, 12:58 AM

Yeah there are computers used in the ACT election at a few polling places. Does ruin election night coverage though - as soon as it hits 630 you have about 30% of the vote in and pretty much know the end result (except like this election when its really close i suppose).

There's a few reasons for that. Partly people are scared computers will be mystically 'hacked', partly the AEC is way way stuck in the dark ages and partially even if they didn't want to be stuck in the dark ages they don't get the money to update themselves.

Bryan · 08-24-2010, 07:50 AM

but paper gives you a physical record. you can recount paper, you can't recount a computer.

**adamwagg** · 08-24-2010, 04:46 PM

Yeah that's been the biggest argument against it. Though conciveably you could have both - vote on a computer that prints a voting reciept that goes into a ballot box - but only opened if there are issues with the computer - or you need a recount etc.

**adamwagg** · 08-24-2010, 04:48 PM

And unless someone has 'hacked' the computer system - the vote counting would be both much faster and significantly less error prone!

**adamwagg** · 08-26-2010, 05:08 PM

Another day and still no closer to someone forming government - this could take a while.

**adamwagg** · 09-02-2010, 06:32 PM

Latest update.

Labor got 72 seats.
Liberal got 73.
You need 76 to form government and their are 6 independants or single minor party members.

So far the Green and the left leaning independent went with Labor, so Labor are 74 to LIbs 73.

It's all down to the three right leaning country independents - who haven't made up their mind yet.

Bryan · 09-03-2010, 08:17 AM

so is the issue here is that it takes 76 to have a simple majority which is required to select prime minister and other members of the executive?

**adamwagg** · 09-03-2010, 02:19 PM

Yeah pretty much. Our government is formed by whichever party controls the house of representatives (the lower house). So where the party forming government has less then 76 members outright, the Governor General invites a side (based on a bunch of unwritten rules) to form government, and then they must survive a no-confidence motion in the house.

So they don't need 76 people to join their party or to totally support them, just get enough independents to agree to support them in the initial no-confidence motion*, to agree to pass supply (budget etc.) and then to agree to not support future 'frivolous' no-confidence motions.

If they can't pass a the no-confidence motion, the other side has a shot. If neither side can form government then we go back for another vote (and keep trying till we get there). People think that is unlikely though, as it is in the independents best interests for their own power/electorates to make a decision, as with a re-vote they may become irrelevant again if one side gets a majority in their own right.

This will be our first minority government since 1941 apparently.

*There isn't actually a direct no-confidence motion initially as far as I understand it, its actually the vote for the election of the speaker of the house which if the government is defeated it is considered a no-confidence motion. The same for defeat of supply bills - automatically considered a no confidence motion.