A quick summary of my endorsements for the Federal Election:
House of Representatives: The Australian Labor Party to form government.
The Liberal-National Coalition has a long track record of impropriety in many areas, including dishonesty for electoral gain, macroeconomic incompetence, neglect and political exploitation of indigenous citizens, the erosion of parliamentary democracy in favour of the executive, selective over-ruling of states rights, and the predominance of radical neo-conservative ideology. The ALP, whilst their policies are not perfect, appear to present a competent and credible alternative.
Senate: The Greens to form the balance of power in the Senate (with one exception, see below).
It is important that the Senate's role as a house of review be restored and it is highly desirable that no one political group has control.
The Greens have shown leadership in environmental policy, and with the Democrats on matters relating to refugees, Iraq and Guantanamo Bay. They contributed to the Senate's censure of the Howard Government in 2003 - the only government in Australian federal history to be censured by its senate - and to the Senate's refusal to endorse the government's decision to attack Iraq in the same year.
Whilst the Australian Democrats have, for the most, performed an admirable role in the past three decades, they are currently in decline. Having said that, I support the re-election of Andrew Bartlett as a Democrat Senator in Queensland.
My own voting intentions (which I can now consider as final):
Grayndler - Saeed Khan (The Greens); second preference to Anthony Albanese (ALP).
Senate NSW - The Greens ticket, led by Senator Kerry Nettle.
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