It is apparent to anyone who follows the political events and elections of governments all over the world that people are becoming more and more dissatisfied with how their political leaders are selected and how they behave. Recent elections indicate that political parties are not giving the people enough choice with regard to who they can vote for and the policies they have.
This indicates to me that political parties are becoming less and less able to give the people the choices they want. The major problem is that individuals do not agree with all the policies that one political party has. We may agree with some of what one party says, some of what another party says, and disagree with a lot that all parties say. This really leaves us the choice of the party that we disagree with the least. This is not the way to elect a government.
There is a better way to elect governments. The ‘no party’ system which I would like everyone to consider and debate. In this system, people in areas located around districts which have a school, a library, or some other central meeting place would talk about issues and make decisions affecting their district at regular meetings. These meetings would be open to everyone. They would elect a representative who would sit on a council similar to the councils most towns have now. They would look after the affairs of their town.
Each council would elect one or two representatives who would represent their area on a district body which would be like a county in the United States. These districts would be like the electoral districts now, except they wouldn’t divide towns, cities, and areas in half simply because the people there vote a particular way. Something that has happened a lot in the past.
The county governments would elect representatives for a state body, or a national parliament which would run the country. If we abolish state governments, as some people are advocating, then the counties would send a number of representatives to sit on the commonwealth government. Under this system, state governments would be more useful than they are at the moment.
This system would do away with expensive elections because most people would only have to vote for their representative at the local level. All other elections would be conducted by the representatives at their particular level of representation. Any dissatisfaction with a candidate would be solved by a debate which would be followed by an election if necessary. Representatives are only retained while those who elected them are satisfied with their performance.
Councillors and politicians will argue and vote according to their own opinions, but more importantly, the opinions of the majority of the people who elected them. They will be free to follow common sense and the choices of the people rather than decisions made in party rooms behind closed doors. People won’t have to tolerate politicians who they elected making decisions they had no opportunity to debate. Certainly a better formula for open and responsible government.
When issues arise, instead of being coerced into arguing the case a political party agrees upon, even if is against their own better judgment, councillors and politicians will be able to represent what the majority of their electors want. Decisions by governments would then reflect what the majority of people in the city, state, or country want. Hopefully, there will be less interference in government from corporations and big business.
Using internet communication, questions of national importance can be put to everyone almost immediately when enough public debate has been conducted. A system of checking to ensure everyone only votes once should be easy to create. The necessary systems and security would cost far less than referendums of the past. Libraries and other public places can be used by people who don’t have their own internet connections to vote.
This is a brief outline of an electoral and government system which could replace the antiquated and unworkable systems we have today. There would have to be adjustments made with regard to distribution of money and resources, but these can be worked out before the new system is introduced.
Now is the time to change before the dissatisfaction of the people with the current system leads to a revolt against those in power who use the system to increase their own wealth rather than serve the interests of those who elected them.
This debate needs to be separated from big business, political parties, parliaments, and councils so that the wealthy, the politicians, and the political parties do not hijack it, destroy it, or use it for their own purposes.
If you are interested in making our country really democratic, spread the word that there is an alternative to the system we have now. A lot of work must go into it to make a practical and realistic system which everyone will appreciate and support.
John Bright
[email protected]
28 Rubina Terrace
Irvinebank Qld 4887
