From: brian@coombs.anu.edu.au (Brian)
Newsgroups: aus.politics
Subject: Re: Compulsory Voting
Date: 10 Nov 92 04:03:31 GMT
Organization: Australian National University
NNTP-Posting-Host: 150.203.76.2

suter@fawlty8.eng.monash.edu.au (Mr D. Suter) writes:

>In article <brian.721022231@coombs> brian@coombs.anu.edu.au (Brian) writes:
>>	As I said in another message David, you do have the right to abstain.
>>However you DO NOT have the right NOT to attend a polling booth.  When are
>>you going to see the subtle difference? 
>I see the difference. The electoral office doesn't (as far as their printed
>material goes.)

	Could it be that they are attempting to hoodwink people just a little?

>>
>>>>	David, the only person who is seeing conspiracies is yourself.
>>>Funny - I thought you were the one that suggested that making
>>>voting non-compulsory and/or allowing non-compulsory registration
>>>makes us open to such exploitation. 
>>
>>	Really?  Where did I make such a statement?  Unless you can produce 
>>such a statement from me I'd recommend that you apologise.  I do believe that you
>>have, in your zealous rush to attack all and sundry who have offered an
>>alternative opinion to your own, you have mixed me up with someone else. 

	As you don't seem able to offer such an example I presume that you
will apologise? 

>>
>>>					Must have been dreaming.
>>>Damn, some bastards are inserting conspiracy theories into your
>>>writings - y'now suggesting we've got all sorts of people
>>>waiting in the wings to swoop just in case we ever make voting
>>>optional.
>>
>>	Oh, please do grow up David.  First insults, now delusions of 
>>paranioa.  I'd recommend you stop and read what people are saying.
>OK so you tell me why you mentioned obstacles being put in the way
>of people voting in the US if you weren't trying to suggest the same
>was going to happen here? If you weren't suggesting the possibility
>of a conspiracy then why did you mention it?

	As a means to illustrate what could be the possible outcome of
your seeming headlong rush towards a voluntary voting system of the style
which is favoured overseas (and apparently by yourself).  You seem to
confusing several different things David.  Lets sort them out:

Compuslory Voting:	Doesn't exist here.  As I, Brendan and others have
pointed out, we don't, despite what you might like to believe, and what
the government and its agents (the electoral commission) might like to
portray it as.

Compuslory Registration:	Yes, we do have this, and it is handled by
a federally controlled and funded commission.  I used the example of the US
as a means of illustrating what some of the possible dangers could be if
we followed their example and made voting, attendance and registration 
voluntary.  You seem unable, or unwilling to understand that such systems,
as the US example shows, can be open to flagrant abuse unless tightly
controlled.

Compuslory Attendance:	Yes, we do have compuslory attendance at the polling
station.  You are required to have your name marked off.  You are not 
required to cast a vote if you don't wish to.

	Now, can you confine your remarks to these three items, rather than
lapsing into personal abuse of anybody who you don't agreee with?


--
Brian Ross_____Brian@Coombs.anu.edu.au________________________________________
	"Three discoveries are essential to the contented and civilised life -
sex, wine, and bookshops, by no means necessarily in that order."
_________________________________Tony Baker, Adelaide Review, October 1992____