cam . # .

Parties and Discipline: The AEC site is better than the Unity party\'s site , NSFW if clicking on the links on the page.

Australia needs some minor parties that are crucibles of ideas instead of the detritus of dead ideologies.

Very good point.

A party such as this would be useful in the States too - education, drug and prison reform are all achievable by robust state governments.

Howard just served notice to the states that government will be taking over education with his package that routes around the state governments for funding. And Latham put the states on notice that the feds will be taking health too with his over 75 health plan. Ironically with the latter the States agreed to it.

he points out that party discipline in Australian parliament is stronger than either the Washington or Westminster systems. I\'d noticed the US comparison but not really the UK one before.

I had thought the UK practiced internal party discipline the same as Au had. Didnt realise there was a difference there.

In the US House of Representives the Au style of party discipline is taking over. Senators are still independant but it is a matter of time for them too. DeLay and Hastert control the reps with an iron whip that is mainly based around DeLays ability to raise and choke off money.

They have also not been scared to break conventions such as keeping the voting open beyond 15 mins. They use that to identify who is being independant and thenn keep the vote open until they get them to change their votes.

Party discpline shows the limits of a representative system in relation to public good.

seriously if someone literally named \"Senator Scrymarch\" is ever elected

Your from Queensland so this gives you some latitude in your portfolio; you could be the \"Minister for Everything\".

cam