Just Nicky

I Own a Dog (or 2) and I Vote November 24, 2007

I haven’t cast my vote yet today. I figure I’ll mosey on down to the local school and put the numbers in the boxes soon, but I’m not feeling overly enthused.

It’s not that I’m not confident that we’ll have a change of government. If any Opposition team can win 16 seats to take power than this one is it.

It’s not that I’m underwhelmed by what the major parties have to offer. I gave up expecting much from either of them elections ago.

It’s that I live in a safe seat. Julia Gillard’s seat to be specific. And I feel a bit neglected by all the parties.

Apart from a couple of leaflets from Julia, we’ve had nothing in the way of campaign material from anyone. Last time we heard quite a bit from the local Greens candidate. This time nothing. And the Liberal candidate is such a nonentity that I’m not sure why they bothered at all. It’s all very disappointing.

Even though I know it’s not possible, I sometimes wonder why they don’t let us off voting for the lower house in the safe seats. It just seems like a waste of everyone’s time. The people counting the votes must get very bored…

Of course there is still the upper house and I’m taking my vote there pretty seriously. I’m going to vote for the Greens as I think a minor party with the balance of power is the best way of keeping the major parties in line. For a long time the Democrats did a pretty good job of ‘keeping the bastards honest’, but they’ve all but died and it’s time for someone else to take up the baton. The Greens are a better option than the Raving Loony Right Wing Christian parties that seem to be proliferating around the place.

Hi-ho, hi-ho, it’s off to vote I go…