I’m wondering if I’m the only Australian who is starting to recognise that we have reached the use by date of our current political system and maybe its time for an overhaul.

I’m sure it is not the worst system (for now) however, with all the technology that exists today, isn’t it time to come up with a far more improved, effective, transparent political system, that engages the population on a much deeper level and enables greater passionate participation.

This election has only highlighted that people don’t feel they have the choice they would like.
Forced to largely vote for political parties based on who is the best of the bad options, to run the country.

Political leaders that couldn’t spell the word passion if they tried.

Political leaders who are focused solely on being elected, then speaking their minds and saying what they really think?

Political advisors so focused on polls to have the leaders so scripted that even an off the top of the head speech by Gillard was actually completely scripted.

So my question is, why have political parties at all?

Are they the most effective way to implement policies to improve a nation?

Do they really unite the country, or simply divide and polarize people’s opinions?

The idea of a political party is to create and then debate policy for consideration, to be turned into law by sitting MP’s.

Can we not debate policy and vote on policies, without the need for political parties?

If a political party wins, they will say the Australian population has voted and given us a mandate to implement our policies.

True or false?  Generally false.

It means that people may have liked some of their policies, but no doubt not liked many others. However the voters didn’t get to vote on single policies, they had to vote for a group of policies, some that voters may be totally against but the individual choice of policy wasn’t provided.  Thus a distorted political process.

Why do voters have to vote for a party? With today’s technology, we could simply vote for policies we prefer.

Imagine if the election was voting for your preferred policies, not preffered political parties?

Would this then have focus on the best policies for the country, not the best political party?

How many voters like only some policies of a party but not all and would like a combination of policies from various parties, if given the choice?

i.e. Imagine if the vote was based on:-

Which Economic policy do you prefer for the next 3 years?
A
B
C
D

Which Broadband solution is the best value for money and the option you’d prefer?
A
B
C
D

What action should be taken against Climate Change, if any?
A
B
C
D

What Health Care policies would you prefer?
A
B
C
D

Which Work Choices system do you prefer?
A
B
C
D

What Education policy to you most prefer?
A
B
C
D

And so on….

There could be a criteria for the public to vote on key policy areas, every 12 months or so. This voting could be done largely online, hassle free!

i.e. Policies considered significant enough, could be put up for public vote.

Policy issues can be debated by the Politicians to decide the best – 2, 3, 4 or 5 policy options to make the cut for voter’s serious consideration.

Politicians could focus on policy not party politics… and align with politicians who have similar policy ideas, regardless of party alliance.

Smaller policy issues can be debated and voted on, by the politicians.  However, results after x period of time should be voted on by the public, as to whether the smaller policy initiatives and selected policies were considered the most suitable.

Imagine, if over the last 3 years, Australians had the choice to vote for some of the following policies:-

Which Economic Stimulus policy do you prefer?

A. $95 billion by the Labor party, which will increase debt levels significantly and may save some jobs, but at a cost of $250,000 a job which may be ineffective at the time it is spent. The recession could be over, thus high chance it will be wasted.

B. $45 billion by the Coalition, but targeted to be implemented when required, otherwise phased out, allowing reserve in case of a much expected Global double dip recession.

C. Greens Stimulus Package

D. Other….

Where would you like this Stimulus package spent?

A. $16 billion spent on shade cloth sheds at schools were largely wasted and deliver little return.

B. Put into areas that will deliver stimulus now when needed, but also generate a long term return for the country such as….

C.
D.

etc….

Would this not provide more accuracy to what Policies voters prefer?

Would this not provide Politicians the freedom to get passionate about policy and debate policy on its merits and would no longer have to toe the party line?

Would this not lead to Politicians being elected based on their own policy initiatives or the policies they support and wish to implement, not the policy agenda set by the major political party advisors.

To make this work, it would require fine tuning and a large education process re policies, so voters can make informed choices on policy

Which leads me to another point…..

Why force everyone to vote?

That’s not freedom of choice.
Sure, let everyone have the right to qualify to vote if they wish.  But let’s face it, how many Australians at this election would honestly say….

I don’t know enough re who to vote for.
Or, I don’t really care.
Or, I don’t wish to vote for either major political party as I’m not happy with either option.

Whereas, there are voters who are well educated re policies, passionately care and want their vote to count.

Why should their vote be devalued by other voters who would openly admit they are not in a position to make an educated vote. Therefore they will guess, based on who dresses better or some other insignificant issue, or who their family votes for, or what electoral bribes they receive.

Let’s assume 25% of the Australian population really did want to vote, enough to be prepared to go through a few hurdles to qualify?

Would we not have a better run country if these more passionate voters, who were educated re policy and who deeply care about the country’s future, were deciding on the future of the nation?

Would that not mean significantly reduced electoral bribing?

Would it not mean that the politician’s spin would be less effective and voters less likely to be misled, therefore being policy educated voters?

Would it raise the standards of politicians and raise the standard of accuracy in voting (based on more facts) than uneducated voters who are too busy trying to survive. Could politicians then dedicate their time to policy education and what is best for our country?

Many people would happily admit they don’t really qualify to make an educated vote.

Of course every Australian would always have the right to qualify to vote. However, a choice and to qualify could be to study the proposed policies in more detail. They could then be updated on what’s actually being debated, as opposed to two minute sound bites of policy, delivered via the 6pm news.

Also, a Political process that encouraged more policy initiatives and ideas from the public would certainly improve the country and empower individual voters. They really can and do have, the power to shape the direction of our nation.

Like all ideas, they need fine tuning and debating.  However if we continue with the current political process, can we expect things to change significantly, other than the current pattern of Labor and Coalition Parties taking their turns at running the country?

One getting us into debt, the other getting us out of debt, ready for another change of government to go back into debt and so on.

I’d love to hear your thoughts and other ideas of how the current political process can be improved?

Some may say the current process has served us, which is true to some degree. However, should we not continue to look at ways to evolve and improve current processes, especially when its debatable how well it has actually served us?