It pays to lie

[d2dave]

About 30 years ago I failed to vote at a federal election. I was busy that day and had full intentions of voting, but time got away and I missed the dead line.

I got the please explain in the mail. I told them a lie that I was sick in bed all day and could not get to a polling booth. This was excepted.

Fast forward to October 2012. We had council elections.

Now I have two sons, one 22 who is a pilot and the other a 20 year old uni student. His uni is three hours from home so he lives on campus. From time to time he comes home on weekends.

He was not going to be home on the weekend of the election and neither was his brother as his pilots job can have him away for weeks at a time.

So I rang the electoral commission a few days before to explain their situations. I was told that this would be fine.

It was for the eldest, nothing more came of it. The youngest one however got sent a fine for failing to vote. Apparently a please explain was sent which we never received, so they took it as though we have ignored it, so they then sent the fine.

We responded with a letter telling them that we never got the first letter and explained why he did not vote. We got a reply stating that they did not accept our excuse and that we have to pay the fine.

I rang them but this was a waste of time so we ignored it. The final notice came today with an extra $20 added for costs. Pay up or go to court.

I rang legal aide this morning to see if he would qualify for assistance, and after explaining it all they suggested we just cope it and pay, which we begrudgingly did. I reckon this sucks big time.

I said to my son, if this ever happens again, just lie and tell them you were sick. I was bought up being told to always tell the truth, and I have raised my own two with the same principle, but sadly it appears to not always be the best option.

[Disco Muppet]

Dealing with the political system, I thought lying was expected?

[roverrescue]

Dave,
I said to my son, if this ever happens again, just lie and tell them you were sick. I was bought up being told to always tell the truth, and I have raised my own two with the same principle, but sadly it appears to not always be the best option.

Pretty long bow to draw - I would be pretty sure you could have done a "postal vote" or some such prior to the council election. PPPPPP and all that.

S

[bob10]

Just a thought, Democracy is not a spectator sport, Bob


Postal voting - factsheet - Australian Electoral Commission (http://www.google.com.au/url'sa=t&rct=j&q=postal%20vote%20australian%20election&source=web&cd=4&cad=rja&ved=0CE8QFjAD&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.aec.gov.au%2FAbout_AEC%2Fpubl ications%2FFact_Sheets%2Fpostal-voting.htm&ei=pGjkUaKFNcmeiAfL3IDQBg&usg=AFQjCNGDYdeUtDRaacRIA8kaeCudsaoCTA)



Australian Electoral Commission (http://www.aec.gov.au) › ... › Publications (http://www.aec.gov.au/About_AEC/Publications/) › 2013 federal election fact sheets (http://www.aec.gov.au/About_AEC/Publications/Fact_Sheets/)‎

Cached (http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:wi0PZdkDz3kJ:www.aec.gov.au/About_AEC/publications/Fact_Sheets/postal-voting.htm+postal+vote+australian+election&cd=4&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=au)


Mar 18, 2013 - Postal voting overview. The AEC provides a number of alternative arrangements for voters who are unable to cast their vote on election day

[Eevo]

When I go to vote, I get my name signed off and walk out the door.

[87County]

.............. PPPPPP and all that.




one "P" short ?

just laughing at it :D - not being pedantic

[Ean Austral]

Guess you could look at it the other way....If you hadn't have lied and got away with it years ago, you would have made sure your son's voted. Maybe your son should make you pay the fine...:wasntme::p:p

Cheers Ean

[d2dave]

The thing is I rang them a couple of days before the election and was told that this would be ok.

[crispy]

Ean, Im laughing so much ,Im crying........

[numpty]

When I go to vote, I get my name signed off and walk out the door.

I hope you never complain about what the Government does or doesn't do then ;)

[d2dave]

Ean. I did pay the fine.:( He is a student with no money. $90 less I have for prawns at christmas.

[sheerluck]

I hope you never complain about what the Government does or doesn't do then ;)

Why? Given that you can only vote for a particular candidate, and not a whole government, surely you can only really not be entitled to complain about a local MP's performance or lack of it. The rest of it you have no influence over.

[Ean Austral]

Ean. I did pay the fine.:( He is a student with no money. $90 less I have for prawns at christmas.

Ahh, the joys of parenthood.:D.. know exactly what you mean.

Cheers Ean

[numpty]

Why? Given that you can only vote for a particular candidate, and not a whole government, surely you can only really not be entitled to complain about a local MP's performance or lack of it. The rest of it you have no influence over.

But if you cant be bothered to exercise your democratic right and dare I say privilege, it is, in my view at least, hypocritical to complain. By all means dont vote but dont complain either :D

[JohnF]

was in a different shire for the council elections. Tried to do a absent-T vote and was told council elections did not have Absent-T voting and so we could not vote.

I would have thought that 3 hours away would have put your son where he could not vote in those elections, so would have gone to court and told the magistrate they were wrong as voting was impossible outside the Council area.

They apparently accepted our excuse as we heard no more from the Electrol Commission.

[sheerluck]

But if you cant be bothered to exercise your democratic right and dare I say privilege, it is, in my view at least, hypocritical to complain. By all means dont vote but dont complain either :D

If it's a case of 'can't be bothered - politics doesn't apply to me' then I agree. If your refusal to vote is due to not being overly enamoured with the available candidates (where legislation forces you to effectively choose the least worst candidate) then complain to your heart's content as far as I am concerned.

[loanrangie]

If any one actually believes their vote counts then your kidding yourself, politics is about money and big financiers.

[Eevo]

I hope you never complain about what the Government does or doesn't do then ;)

why would I, they dont listen anyway.

[d2dave]

was in a different shire for the council elections. Tried to do a absent-T vote and was told council elections did not have Absent-T voting and so we could not vote.

I would have thought that 3 hours away would have put your son where he could not vote in those elections, so would have gone to court and told the magistrate they were wrong as voting was impossible outside the Council area.

They apparently accepted our excuse as we heard no more from the Electrol Commission.

Because he still has his mail sent to my place, they deemed he lives here therefore has to vote here. I could have gone to court and might have won, but for $90 it is not worth it. The authorities want it this way so that few will go to court.

And if I don't win? Cost a lot more. I believe in trivial cases like this there should we a VCAT type of referee that could be used.

[isuzurover]

Because he still has his mail sent to my place, they deemed he lives here therefore has to vote here. I could have gone to court and might have won, but for $90 it is not worth it. The authorities want it this way so that few will go to court.

And if I don't win? Cost a lot more. I believe in trivial cases like this there should we a VCAT type of referee that could be used.

2 words: postal vote

And FWIW, my sister (genuinely) forgot to vote one year (it was QLD state election I think). She was sent the please explain, told them she forgot and has always voted in the past, and that was that.



Why? Given that you can only vote for a particular candidate, and not a whole government, surely you can only really not be entitled to complain about a local MP's performance or lack of it. The rest of it you have no influence over.

In federal and state (except QLD) elections you get to vote for the senate and your local candidate. You can also control your flow of preferences if your preferred candidate does not get in.

Very few people vote at state and federal members based on who the local candidates are anyway, as they are either smart enough to see the bigger picture, or always vote on party lines.

[sheerluck]

.......In federal and state (except QLD) elections you get to vote for the senate and your local candidate. You can also control your flow of preferences if your preferred candidate does not get in.

Very few people vote at state and federal members based on who the local candidates are anyway, as they are either smart enough to see the bigger picture, or always vote on party lines.

Regardless of voting along party lines or preference voting, my point is still the same. You can only affect one small part, i.e. your local parliamentary seat only. You have no voting capability on the leader of the party (so actual or potential state premier or federal PM), you have no ability to control the party make up of the rest of the house.

[Cobber]

I used to be quite blasé about voting, but I have been to some countries where they would (literally) kill just to be able to fill out a ballot paper and have a their say. We are privileged to have that right - it's a shame to waste it :)

[Eevo]

it's a shame to waste it :)

voting is a waste in our current system.

our representative does not represent

[Chucaro]

voting is a waste in our current system.

our representative does not represent

And it even worse when the leader of the party does not know the name of one of the local potential member in his party when visiting the state:(
Which help we have?
Ops, this is turning political:censored:

[bob10]

Democracy explained, Bob

Monty Python- The Annoying Peasant - YouTube (http://youtu.be/rAaWvVFERVA)

[bob10]

A prime example of why everyone should use their democratic privilege and vote. Bob. [ the best part is the 2nd half]

John Cleese vs Sarah Palin - YouTube (http://youtu.be/blesmzddd38)