Citizenship in Action
Tomorrow I get to cast my first Australian ballot. Labor looks headed for a landslide, and they’d be my preferred party, but pretty nearly everyone’s saying don’t do it. What’s most remarkable about the editorials I’ve read is that they don’t make much of a point of actively advocating a Coalition vote. And, of course, none of them endorse the Greens or Democrats. I’ve met the Labor candidate and read her literature, and there’s not much there there, and I’ve had dealings with the Greens candidate, who now, due to redistricting, finds himself head-to-head with Clover Moore (whom I’ve also met – she swore me in as an Australian; we fed each other lamingtons at the after-party. O.k., not that last part), and I like him. But he is going up against Clover, so he doesn’t have much of a chance, unless the new district puts more people into the electorate opposed to her having two seats, one in State Parliament and one in City Hall, where she also serves, as Lord Mayor. I have no idea who the Liberal candidate is, and don’t much care. While the Herald advocates change for change’s sake, I still have an ideology of my own. I’ll go into the booth juggling my preferences: Chris Harris or Clover Moore. That's if I can figure out the ballot.