Now we have to pay to vote!!

The “Lucky Country” – Australia – has lost its political marbles and its politicians are quite frankly acting in a grotesque and extraordinarily self-serving manner. They have now approved a payment, by the Australian Government, to their respective political parties, of $1.00 for everyone who votes for them.

Furthermore, and this sticks in the craw, democratic Australia (note that carefully) has a compulsory voting system wherein people are fined for NOT voting. So not only are we compelled to vote, we now have spectacle of seeing our taxation money (money we have no option but to pay to the Government) being paid to the very people we are forced (under threat of penalties) to vote for! So in effect they are being paid twice.

As it stands now, in this democratic Australia, I am forced to vote; I  am forced to pay my taxes (this is just and fair); my taxes pay politicians (also, I suppose, just and fair); without my agreement my taxes will now pay political parties because I am forced to cast my vote (not just and not fair); if by any chance I don’t vote, because I am uninterested in their policies or because I neither like nor trust them, I am penalised and fined (also not just and not fair)! Is this democratic?

If the politicians got off their fat butts, took their snouts out of the money trough and actually WORKED for their votes; actually door knocked and stumped their electorates; actually found out personally what their constituents needed, they might, just might, have a higher rating in the public esteem rates than they do.

As it is they totally rely on opinion polls with a sample base of around one thousand people.

A pox on the politicians I am forced to vote for (and pay for – twice).

Addendum: One major political party in Australia (the Liberal Party) has now bowed to public pressure and reluctantly decided to withdraw support for this payment and the respective legislation - even though they had previously indicated, in writing, that they would support it. Oh well!