Bring on Tuesday, page-46

Frasier, thanks for your thoughts; we appear to agree on several points!

'Democracy in action' demands that we make our voting system work effectively; people must not be disenfranchised because their hand-writing is shaky, they're physically incapacitated or locationally challenged etc. Those people who do not wish to vote should have a robust mechanism for doing so. And I agree that we should move to an optional preferential voting system.

But the idea of five year terms appeals to me since it means the incoming government has to be ready to govern and must do its job properly or face at least five years in the wilderness. Likewise with the selection of PM, our pollies can't do it properly so that process must go back to the people and once determined, its for five years unless at least 60% of parliamentarians petition for their removal.

The concept of the Senate as the state's house has failed us badly and needs to end. Senators could be elected nationally based on a quota system and should they seek to reject HOR legislation required to join with the HOR for a joint sitting. Failing that, a DD should then be mandatory.

Which brings me back to Tuesday, our MPs need to vote for a leader who will tackle issues such as these instead of resurrecting knights and dames and awarding them to royalty in another country.