Only in Australia

[AccountDeleted]

Or maybe the UK and other parliamentary systems, I don't know, but the title sounded good.

I went to bed last night without watching or reading any news. I don't have a TV and didn't bother to check the Internet news. So I didn't know that a bitter struggle was going on in politics!

I woke up to a new Prime Minister. Yesterday, Tony Abbott. Today, Malcolm Turnbull.

I gotta start checking the news before I go to sleep at night!  

[dUSt]

I wish the U.S. had a president named Malcolm.

[Didacus]

I wish Donald Trump would run for Prime Minister.  

[Era Might]

This happens in the United States, but you have to shoot the president first. And he has to actually die, no John Hinckley stunts.

[Luigi]

I wish the U.S. had a president named Malcolm.

I have an uncle named Malcolm, but he goes by Mac, and he doesn't want to be president.

[Benedictus]

Hopefully it's an improvement

[veritasluxmea]

I think that's really interesting. Do you think switching prime ministers so easily makes for a better or worse political system? Which way do you prefer? 

[Benedictus]

Or maybe the UK and other parliamentary systems, I don't know, but the title sounded good.

I went to bed last night without watching or reading any news. I don't have a TV and didn't bother to check the Internet news. So I didn't know that a bitter struggle was going on in politics!

I woke up to a new Prime Minister. Yesterday, Tony Abbott. Today, Malcolm Turnbull.

I gotta start checking the news before I go to sleep at night!  

 I'd like to see a party expected to win an election have a leader who loses their seat. It's unlikely as they're always given a safe parliamentary seat but it would be an unusual situation. Do Australian party leaders have set terms or can they go on and on? Is there an unelected house? Any Bishops in the legislature? I'm curious how close to the UK it is in governance.

[AccountDeleted]

I think that's really interesting. Do you think switching prime ministers so easily makes for a better or worse political system? Which way do you prefer? 

I'm not really sure which way is 'better'. They are different. Nothing much really changes with a change of leadership as the same party is still in power. I did hear that some of the Independents who hold the balance of power in Parliament don't like the new guy, but whether they hate him enough to actually cross the floor is another thing altogether. If they do, then there will be big changes, but I imagine everyone is waiting to see how things work out with the new leader.

 I'd like to see a party expected to win an election have a leader who loses their seat. It's unlikely as they're always given a safe parliamentary seat but it would be an unusual situation. Do Australian party leaders have set terms or can they go on and on? Is there an unelected house? Any Bishops in the legislature? I'm curious how close to the UK it is in governance.

Both houses are elected but there is a third element- the Crown. In Australia, the Queen is represented by the Governor-General.

I don't really get too involved in politics although I do have to vote in elections - it is compulsory in Australia, and the US allows it for dual nationals in countries where it is obligatory. I voted in the last USA Presidential election from England via absentee vote. Since I am now residing in Australia, I don't think I will vote in this next Presidential election. I think the last time I voted in an Australian federal election was years ago though because I have spent a lot of time out of the country and it isn't compulsory when not actually resident. 

I agree with you, it would be good if the leader lost his seat as well, but since their constituency voted them in, I guess they can still represent their electorate. They just hang around the party, waiting for their chance to stab the new leader in the back and get back in power. It happened with Julia Gillard, who stabbed Kevin Rudd in the back, then he stabbed her in the back a few years later so they were in and out and in ... like a dance. Finally, everyone got sick of the dancing, and the Labor Party was voted out in 2013 and the Liberals got in (still in power). But now they are starting the whole leadership dance, so maybe they will get voted out when the voters get sick enough of the coups!

[Amppax]

I wish Donald Trump would run for Prime Minister.  

Well, then he wouldn't be running for president, I suppose that is an improvement.

[Didacus]

I guess President is a good consolation, kinda like getting silver at the Olympics.

I should take a drive down to Detroit and vote for him. You know-do my part for democracy.   

[Spem in alium]

I know, what a crazy week. I felt Tony Abbott acted quite graciously. Several people are discussing the fact that he was ousted only four days before he would have been eligible for the retirement benefits and pensions awarded to former PMs (the PM is eligible for pension after two years in office).  At least some fun puns have come out of it... "The tables have Turnbull-ed"; "Dethrone the Tone", etc.

 

Edited September 17, 2015 by Spem in alium

[Anastasia13]

Wasn't Australia the country that had a prime minister go to the beach and disappear? I seem to remember something about that.

 

Does Australia not do much of the election campaigning and get-out-the-vote work that the U.S. does? It seems like you can't help but know that a new president is coming a year in advance.

[AccountDeleted]

Wasn't Australia the country that had a prime minister go to the beach and disappear? I seem to remember something about that.

 

Does Australia not do much of the election campaigning and get-out-the-vote work that the U.S. does? It seems like you can't help but know that a new president is coming a year in advance.

Yes, Harold Holt went swimming in the ocean and no one ever saw him again. So, in his honour, Australians name swimming pool complexes after him (only here!  ) In the next suburb from me, there is the Harold Holt Swim Centre! 

As for election campaigning, this happens during an election, but it is about the party more than the person. They try to find a leader that people like, but in the end, they can change him or her any time they want - they just challenge the leadership and this is decided by a vote of the party members (not the general public). So what happens (and seems to happen a lot these days) is that someone else in the party decides they want to be leader - or the party decides that the current leader isn't doing a good job, and there is a challenge and a vote. Then they inform Malcolm Q Public who their new Prime Minister is. But the same party stays in charge.

When there is a general election, if one party doesn't get a win, then both parties start 'wooing' the Independents who have been elected (not affiliated with either party) with all kind of promises. The Independents can then choose to vote with either party, and this is what makes one party the government - they get enough Independents on their side to take government. If at any time the Independents change their mind, they can 'cross the floor' to the other side, and this is when the government gets a vote of no confidence and there has to be another general election. So the Independents can be really important in a close election. Of course, they don't have much power if one side or the other has a big majority.

When I told my brother, who lives in the US, about the new Prime Minister, he said that basically that news was ignored over there. Australian politics isn't of much interest to anyone except Australians!