11 January 2006

Mate for Head of State picnic

11 January 2006 | Kerces

The Australian Republican Movement has gotten itself organised again and has a new campaign — “A mate for head of state”.

They have declared Sunday 22-JAN-06 to be “A Mate for Head of State Day”, with events around the country for anyone who thinks an Australian should be our head of state.

In Canberra there will be a picnic lunch in Commonwealth Place (an oddly named location for a pro-republic event) at noon with BYO picnic and drinks. Everyone is encouraged to wear a gold ribbon on the day as well, although I don’t know where you might obtain one of these (surely it would have to be a particular shade).

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simto4:14 pm 16 Jan 06

A Charnie Latte? Is that a Kalhua and milk?

bonfire4:09 pm 16 Jan 06

grey bar hotel = the pokie, gaol, the slammer etc

Maelinar2:19 pm 16 Jan 06

Now the Charnie Latte Set, that I’d have to see 🙂

Maelinar10:27 am 16 Jan 06

My response to nobody in paticular is that the siting of a hotel isn’t a federal issue.

(At least, it shouldn’t be a federal issue, but in present time Australia there’s a substantial overkill of whingemongering, enough to make any Pommie proud).

In any other Democratic nation in the world, if a constituent called up their local member to complain about the siting of a hotel, they’d be told to fuck off and call the council, as that’s what they’re there to do.

On that note, the council, being locally appointed, would listen to the complaint as the resident does have the electoral capacity to oust them.

bonfire9:33 am 16 Jan 06

it wouldnt work well, look at the present senate.

if i want to complain about issue X and its a specific locality based issue, its easier to find the representative of that locale and complain to them.

look at the whinging the jerrabombera residents are doing over the act grey bar hotel – no one they can punish electorally so they have no seat at the table in the decision process.

Maelinar8:38 am 16 Jan 06

Col, I wasn’t talking anything specific by my statement, as usual I was providing a suggestion and not an answer, as I’m sure that the intellectual crowd would come up with the dynamics behind the idea anyway, the idea being what counts.

I did however put thought into the process over the weekend, and have thought of a system of parliament where you as a voter register your vote with a representative that you think best represents your ideals and values (of which you can change at any time, to another member, or choose to abstain from having your vote counted – your democratic right to not vote)

The members wouldn’t be constrained to land boundaries, and represent the values that you have placed your votes upon, as they change, or you are dissatisfied with the service you are being provided, you may change your vote as you see fit.

The fluctuation of votes to and from your representatives would allow them to pass legislation based upon how many votes they wish to allocate to paticular issues, for instance it could be a nationalist representative voting on the issue of Gay Whale rights may wish to allocate 90% of their vote against, and 10% for.

Obviously a Social Welfare (Greens/Labour?) representative would go the other way, because they feel that the rights of the gay whale are pertinent to the wellbeing of it’s psychological makeup, even though a whale has a brain the size of 10 marbles, so it was probably just a little bit confused, and not gay at all.

The point being, your representative would allocate the vote that you have given them, based upon the ideals that you feel are important.

I think I would be satisfied, or at least feel more represented, under this form of governance.

Spitfire311:39 am 15 Jan 06

Haha, good idea colsim.

“Todays result for the SMS-based referendum on whether government regulations on Telstra should be reduced is: 100% yes, 0% no.”

colsim12:15 pm 13 Jan 06

The only thing I remember about Dundas is her support for a 12am curfew for youths in Civic on weekends. I still don’t know where that came from.

And as for Maelinar’s remark –

Anyway, in a true democratic society thereâ€™s no need for representatives, as the populace could vote through any given situation.

– I’m not entirely sure about the mechnanics behind this – are we talking sms polls like Idol?

bonfire11:56 am 13 Jan 06

an actual head that makes no decisions is probably better than one who makes bizarre ones. look at what happened to mad king ludwig.

for any representative system of govt to work you need interested actors, not seat warmers.

following the glorious revolution and the dissolution of the rump parliament, cromwell asked all congregations in england to nominate a representative for a new parliament. this temporarily ensured that a govt representative of its people existed, and avoided elections.

i doubt this tactic would work in a secular society, but when i look at some of the oxygen thieves in our parliaments i wonder if we can come up with a better system to select better peopel to represent us.

so many sheep just tick the lib or alp box with no thought or reasoning. i think thats how dundas got voted out. stack porters achievements next to dundas’s.

Maelinar11:38 am 13 Jan 06

Exactly Mr Evil, the comrade busies himself with matters of no importance to Canberra and then alienates himself from subjects close to home, and no wonder that we are now talking about the necessity to have him there at all…

Anyway, in a true democratic society there’s no need for representatives, as the populace could vote through any given situation.

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