Election time prepares to leap

[aesmael]

    These, according to Wikipedia, are the major political parties in Australia. Their list seems accurate to me:

• Australian Democrats
• Australian Greens
• Australian Labor Party
• Country Liberal Party
• Family First Party
• Liberal Party of Australia
• National Party of Australia
  

    Since there will be a Federal election happening on the 24th of November it is past time I learned who stands for what. Hopefully those of you reading will not mind watching this process. If you do, please avert your eyes now.
    Right now this is just a list for my reference. Later I will try to find out what is up with each of them individually, and if possible the actual candidates for the seat in which I will be voting.

Comments

[jessie-c.livejournal.com]

Hey great! We hear so little about Australia on the top half of the world. I look forward to learning alongside you : )

[whimsical-esper.livejournal.com]

Seconded, I would also like to learn this. I would like to be a much more globally aware / knowledgeable citizen.

~S

[lost-angelwings.livejournal.com]

:O

I'm guessing that the National Party and the Family parties are both right wing parties? :\ It seems like nething with "National" in the title is racist and nething with "Family" in the title is religious/morally conservative. :(

I want to make a National Family party that is liberal :3

[aesmael.livejournal.com]

The National Family party sounds like the kind of name communists would use. Funny the way that happens when you add them together.

Family First

[(Anonymous)]

Why not check out the Family First website. You may be pleasantly surprised. I certainly was.

Re: Family First

[open-other-end.livejournal.com]

Oh, very funny.

my perspective

[open-other-end.livejournal.com]

The CLP aren't really a big player in the federal scene, though.

The Democrats are about social justice, LGBT rights, are more fiscally conservative than the Greens, interested in cooperation with the Government of the day, and are generally more honest "players" in Parliament.

The Greens are about environmental issues, social justice, LGBT rights, are more fiscally left-wing, but aren't necessarily more upstanding than the other parties out there (IMO).

Labor is about workers rights, though are still socially conservative and recently seem to be moving more right wing.

Liberal and National are about business interests, social conservatism, conservative economic managment.

Family First are about maintaining interests for heterosexual/"traditional" families, making sure that policy considers these groups, and are socially conservative.

Really, I think the only choice is to vote for the "major" minor parties, the Democrats and the Greens. It is in our best interests to keep these parties in larger numbers than they should, in order to keep a check on the other parties and to further improvement of bills in session.

Re: my perspective

[aesmael.livejournal.com]

That's about what I think too, although I don't yet know the parties as well as you seem to.

[aesmael.livejournal.com]

Cool. Good to know not everyone is rolling their eyes. ^_^

[aesmael.livejournal.com]

Heyyy, looks like this is more popular than I expected. Party!

[taraxoxo.livejournal.com]

I support that!