>>The more you think about it, the more impossible it seems to
>>achieve any meaningful reform of the US electoral system. Within
>>the system that is.
>
>Quite true. Which is why I am amazed that third party advocates are
>forever hopeful that their earnest efforts will amount to something.
>
>Third parties are basically, at their most successful, a kind of
>pressure group. And there are all sorts of pressure groups, some a
>lot easier to organize.
That may be so in the context of the US electoral system. But that is only because that system is undemocratic. Minor parties in Australia and elsewhere have regularly been part of government, in fact the present federal government is a coalition government, comprising the Liberal Party of John Howard and the National Party led by John Anderson. Twice in recent years Tasmania has also had minority governments, where the ruling party had to depend on the support of the Greens.First the Labor government of Michael Field, supported by the Greens led by Bob Brown and a few years later the Liberals held government dependent on the Greens led by Christine Milne. (Plus once back in the late 60's, with a lone independent holding the balance.)
Being in government, or having your foot on the throat of the government, amounts to more than being merely a pressure group.
However, putting aside actual minority or coalition governments, most the majority federal governments in this country for the last 20-odd years have depended on the support of minor parties in the Senate to get their legislation passed. A combination of Aust. Democrats, Independents, greens etc have had the balance of power there since the eighties, though that appears likely to end when the new Senate just elected is sworn in on July 1 next year.
Some good news today though, The Greens Christine Milne has prevailed against the religious nutcase party to win the final Senate seat in Tasmania. Thanks to the fact that a large number of Tasmanians vote "below the line" and allocate their own preferences, rather than go along with the dirty deals of the parties.
As can be seen from the report below, it was a close thing. Shane Murphey, a Senator elected on the Labor Party ticket who later resigned from the Party to sit as an independent obviously did a deal directing preferences to Family First (the religious nuts) directing all preferences to them, but because of the strong "below the line" voting, 1,777 of his preferences were directed to Milne (as well as 1,656 to Labor.) If that had not happened, and Milne had failed to achieve a quota at that stage, Labor's Ms Polley would have been eliminated and most of her preferences distributed to Family First (all of the "above the line" preferences going to Family First, under the Labor Party ticket and probably about 5% of the rest according to the individual preferences.)
Bill Bartlett Bracknell Tas
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,11191000%255E1702,00.html
Greens pip Family First for Senate
October 26, 2004
CHRISTINE Milne has won the battle for the final Senate place in Tasmania, making her the Greens' third member in the new Senate.
Ms Milne, a former state leader of the Greens, edged out Jacquie Petrusma of the Family First party.
Ms Milne won the spot after the 102nd and final count and allocation of preferences, the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) announced today.
Ms Petrusma failed to make up ground despite winning most preferences from independent Senator Shayne Murphy, who will lose his Senate seat.
Labor's Helen Polley was also eliminated in the final round.
Ms Milne finished with 45,707 votes after preferences, just above the 45,382 quota. Ms Petrusma ended with 26,102 after gaining 6986 preferences from Senator Murphy. Ms Polley's tallied 18,062 after gaining 1,656 preferences from Senator Murphy.
Ms Milne received just 1777 preferences from Senator Murphy. Ms Milne will join Bob Brown as the second Greens senator from the island state.
Three Liberal and two Labor candidates have also been elected.
The Greens' Rachel Siewert is favoured to win the final Senate place in Western Australia, but hopes are fading for the party in Queensland and Victoria.