# Australia goes to a federal election **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [March 28, 2025, 5:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australia-goes-to-a-federal-election/1016236 "2025-03-28T05:21:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![kambuckta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/53a042/32.png) [@kambuckta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kambuckta)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2025, 5:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australia-goes-to-a-federal-election/1016236/1 "2025-03-28T05:21:41Z")
Our current (liberal, small liberal) PM went to the Governor General this morning to call an election. Anthony Albanese has been the PM for the last three years, and according to our constitution, an election must be called. So, it’s in 6 weeks time. A far cry from you poor Usain’s having to deal with two years of campaigning. Ours is short, sharp and hopefully sweet, with the Liberal candidate (LARGE L, a trumpian sychopant) being beaten down in the polls. One hopes. One can dream. Heaven help us if Dutton gets in. ---
**Author:** ![kambuckta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/53a042/32.png) [@kambuckta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kambuckta)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2025, 5:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australia-goes-to-a-federal-election/1016236/2 "2025-03-28T05:40:57Z")
@penultima_thule@princhester @cazzle ---
**Author:** ![Cazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cazzle/32/75_2.png) [@Cazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cazzle)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2025, 6:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australia-goes-to-a-federal-election/1016236/3 "2025-03-28T06:08:42Z")
The Liberals have already sent me an unsolicited text message that I cannot, by law, opt out of. Resuming my standard response of donating to an opposing party for every spam I receive from them. ---
**Author:** ![Cazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cazzle/32/75_2.png) [@Cazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cazzle)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2025, 7:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australia-goes-to-a-federal-election/1016236/4 "2025-03-28T07:13:24Z")
> [@kambuckta](#): > > Heaven help us if Dutton gets in. I always thought I’d never meet a spud I didn’t like, but here we are. ---
**Author:** ![penultima\_thule](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/penultima_thule/32/3833_2.png) [@penultima\_thule](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/penultima_thule)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2025, 9:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australia-goes-to-a-federal-election/1016236/5 "2025-03-28T09:02:17Z")
Personally I blame the Teals for this dilemma. Last election a bank of small L liberals turned independents, mostly female, picked out a number of inner city electorates with above average income, fiscally conservative, socially progressive, environmentally conscience bleeding hearts and with sitting members being of the aging, white, establishment males demographic … and gave them one hell of a shellacking. Teals won seven seats and have generally played to their base and been credible and effective members. Where they didn’t poll well were in the poorer, regional, socially conservative seats. The consequence being the balance of the Liberal Party party room abruptly lurched to the right. So instead of the option of replacing ScoMo with the acceptable face of Josh Frydenberg, he lost his blue ribbon seat of Kooyong to the Teal’s Monique Ryan. So when the defeated and much reduced Libs caucused after the 2022 election loss, boofhead Dutton was the only leadership option available. In 2022 I campaigned for a friend who was standing as non-teal female independent last time. Caused barely a ripple. 🙃 Am looking at voting informal, unless there is a friend of Fred Nile or Pauline Hanson standing. Then I’ll thunk out some voting option to put them on the bottom of my ballot. ---
**Author:** ![Princhester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2025, 9:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australia-goes-to-a-federal-election/1016236/6 "2025-03-28T09:58:07Z")
> [@kambuckta](#): > > A far cry from you poor Usain’s having to deal with two years of campaigning. The Usains have Bolted. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2025, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australia-goes-to-a-federal-election/1016236/7 "2025-03-29T01:00:42Z")
> [@kambuckta](#): > > So, it’s in 6 weeks time. _Ha!_ my Commonwealth commonwealth friends! We’re doing ours in just over _ **4** _ weeks. Neener, neener! ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2025, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australia-goes-to-a-federal-election/1016236/8 "2025-03-29T01:44:20Z")
> [@penultima\_thule](#): > > Teals won seven seats and have generally played to their base and been credible and effective members. Where they didn’t poll well were in the poorer, regional, socially conservative seats. > > The consequence being the balance of the Liberal Party party room abruptly lurched to the right. ouefs, omelettes, etc. > [@penultima\_thule](#): > > Am looking at voting informal, So you won’t wear an evening jacket to the polls? ---
**Author:** ![penultima\_thule](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/penultima_thule/32/3833_2.png) [@penultima\_thule](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/penultima_thule)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2025, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australia-goes-to-a-federal-election/1016236/9 "2025-03-29T01:59:02Z")
There’s some pesky regulations involved: An election must be held on a Saturday not less than 33 nor more than 58 days after the issue of writ(s). So we can’t knock the proceeding over at quite the Canadian efficiency, though you can early vote 21 days from the issue of writs. But you lot almost all live bunched up along the US border, no? ---
**Author:** ![penultima\_thule](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/penultima_thule/32/3833_2.png) [@penultima\_thule](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/penultima_thule)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2025, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australia-goes-to-a-federal-election/1016236/10 "2025-03-29T02:01:35Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > So you won’t wear an evening jacket to the polls? In the 15 minutes on an early Saturday morning that it will take for me to cast my vote, wearing wearing slippers, PJs and a dressing gown is not outside the bounds of possibility. ---
**Author:** ![penultima\_thule](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/penultima_thule/32/3833_2.png) [@penultima\_thule](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/penultima_thule)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2025, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australia-goes-to-a-federal-election/1016236/11 "2025-03-29T02:08:04Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > ouefs, omelettes, etc. Tres grouse. But whilst Albo probably merits a wire brush being vigorously applied to his genitals, the prospect of [Temu Trump](https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/politics/temu-trump-dutton-sledged-in-wild-scenes/video/b5d06a27e79131316f34bf5715f98946) is not appealing. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2025, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australia-goes-to-a-federal-election/1016236/12 "2025-03-29T19:16:56Z")
> [@penultima\_thule](#): > > In the 15 minutes on an early Saturday morning that it will take for me to cast my vote, wearing wearing slippers, PJs and a dressing gown is not outside the bounds of possibility. Pix! We’ll want pix!! ---
**Author:** ![penultima\_thule](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/penultima_thule/32/3833_2.png) [@penultima\_thule](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/penultima_thule)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2025, 5:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australia-goes-to-a-federal-election/1016236/13 "2025-04-01T05:42:32Z")
Hasn’t democracy suffered enough? The Trump Bump. For the past few election cycles the democratic world has seen a pronounced shift both right and against incumbent governments. > [@](#): > > [Trump bump](https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-03-31/gen-z-millennial-voters-trust-politicians-populism-donald-trump/105098404) — incumbents that talk tough on Trump and lean into their own country’s sense of national pride are seeing political dividends. While incumbency was political kryptonite during the inflation crisis, Trump is giving incumbents their mojo back. Australian election 2025 will be first where Gen Z and Millennials outnumber the baby boomers in every state. So how to these misfits, of whom PT has contributed 3, view the prevailing political sways? In polls of Australian voters aged 18-44 across all the social, economic and political groups, a plurality in almost every single group said that Australia would not benefit from a leader like Trump. Well that sounds a reasonable start. But: 12 per cent say Australia would definitely benefit from a leader like Trump 11 per cent say it probably would 19 per cent undecided That many??!! You are kidding me? OK, 48 per cent say Australia would definitely not benefit from a leader like Trump 10 per cent say it probably would not. OZ’s GenZs and Millenials, not generally known for their respect of authority figures, with a deplorable perchant for making Tik Tocs of their genitals, and yet somewhere between a quarter and a third are nazi fantasists??? Once again, I applaud the Australian Founding Fathers who considered that voting was an act of civic duty and made it mandatory. ---
**Author:** ![penultima\_thule](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/penultima_thule/32/3833_2.png) [@penultima\_thule](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/penultima_thule)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2025, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australia-goes-to-a-federal-election/1016236/14 "2025-04-03T03:00:25Z")
Serial pest, mining magnate Clive Palmer, fifth richest Australian and variously described as Australia’s greatest egomaniac and an Olympic scale narcissist, is on the hustings again in 2025. Palmer, who listed litigation as amongst his hobbies in Who’s Who, is taking a break from suing the Commonwealth for AUD$296 billion over the alleged loss of iron ore contractual entitlements and is back on the political trail with his latest incarnation [Trumpet of Patriots](https://trumpetofpatriots.org/). link is provided as a placeholder, not something you should click as a reference. Clive started his eponymous Palmer United Party 2013, even winning a seat representing in the white shoe brigade, property shonks and spivs of Queensland’s Sunshine Coast. Rebirthed as the United Australia Party in 2019 he ran candidates for all 151 seats in the House of Representatives and totally flamed out winning none. Trying again in 2022 he won a single Senate seat on preferences. The party platform is the typical populous guff you’d expect from a glass jaw bloviator with too much money and too many Big Macs. You can promise anything when you know you’ll never be called to deliver. Yep … we have 'em too! ---
**Author:** ![kambuckta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/53a042/32.png) [@kambuckta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kambuckta)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2025, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australia-goes-to-a-federal-election/1016236/15 "2025-04-03T04:19:37Z")
Palmer is as charismatic as a fart in an old sauce bottle. His early morning ads on the commercial channels are an exercise in yawning boredom. He reads off a script in a complete monotone, extolling the virtues of Trumpism but without the fervour. I don’t understand how he’s gotten this far on the Aus political scene, but, there ya go. Yep. We got 'em too. ---
**Author:** ![Princhester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2025, 11:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australia-goes-to-a-federal-election/1016236/16 "2025-04-03T11:09:30Z")
> [@kambuckta](#): > > I don’t understand how he’s gotten this far on the Aus political scene, but, there ya go. Seriously? It isn’t complicated. He spends enormous amounts of money. And gets very close to nowhere. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2025, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australia-goes-to-a-federal-election/1016236/17 "2025-04-03T17:39:28Z")
Let’s hope the USA’s experience with know-nothingism serves as a salutory example that keeps Palmer going nowhere. Rather than the opposite. ---
**Author:** ![kambuckta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/53a042/32.png) [@kambuckta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kambuckta)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2025, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australia-goes-to-a-federal-election/1016236/18 "2025-04-07T05:16:32Z")
Our opposition leader, Liberal (right wingers), Peter Dutton is coming to seriously regret having attempted to align himself with the right-wing of the US during recent campaigning. After the kerfuffle of a clusterfuck with the tariff situation in the US, the Australian stock market is also getting a right-rogering, and our superannuation accounts (401k’s) are seeing considerable drops in balances. Thus, we’re also seeing drops in the popularity polls coming out; Dutton and our PM, Anthony Albanese, were neck and neck for the last couple of months, but now the gaps are widening. Yes, Dutton, if you lay down with dogs… ---
**Author:** ![Askance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/askance/32/8281_2.png) [@Askance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askance)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2025, 5:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australia-goes-to-a-federal-election/1016236/19 "2025-04-07T05:46:44Z")
> [@penultima\_thule](#): > > Once again, I applaud the Australian Founding Fathers who considered that voting was an act of civic duty and made it mandatory. Nitpick - compulsory voting [was not introduced in Australia until 1924](https://www.aec.gov.au/About_AEC/25/theme1-voting-history.htm). But indeed it, along with preferential voting, and a truly independent body that draws up electorates, has kept our elections free, fair, and generally fairly central. > [@kambuckta](#): > > Our opposition leader, Liberal (right wingers), Peter Dutton is coming to seriously regret having attempted to align himself with the right-wing of the US during recent campaigning. He’s also walked back promises to force people to work from the office not home, has shut up about nuclear power, went on holiday when there were floods in his own electorate, and has said he’ll live in Sydney if PM (300km from the capital Canberra where parliament sits and 2,000km from his electorate). He has one topic he has cred for in the public mind (wrongly, of course), cost of living. And he can’t even seem to land a blow in that space. ---
**Author:** ![penultima\_thule](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/penultima_thule/32/3833_2.png) [@penultima\_thule](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/penultima_thule)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2025, 7:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australia-goes-to-a-federal-election/1016236/20 "2025-04-07T07:55:50Z")
> [@Askance](#): > > and has said he’ll live in Sydney if PM If you were given the option of living out of [Kirribilli House](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kirribilli_House), you’d take it too. 🙂 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australia-goes-to-a-federal-election/1016236.md?page=2)