The Senate group ticket preferencing deals are out. These are the
preferences that apply for the majority of voters who vote
above-the-line. Some interesting things have popped up -- I'm looking
at the NSW tickets, you can see
the full list on the AEC site.
- The Liberal Party are preferencing the religious fascists (Fred
Nile, then Family First), but they aren't returning the favour.
- A vote for LaRouche nutjobs Citzens Electoral Council is
essentially a vote for the Coalition, with preferences going straight
there and likely to stay.
- Family First are pretty keen on the Liberty & Democracy Party,
with preferences going there straight after Carers Alliance. Have
they actually read and understood the LDP's policies? Not really
compatible with the heavily-regulated sexuality state they're keen
on.
- As I suspected, Climate Change Coalition are doing dodgy things.
They've preferences The Fishing Party ahead of The Greens! Family
First are well ahead in their list too.
- What Women Want have tried to screw Labor by giving their first
preference flowing to the party to the third person on the Labor
ticket. Not sure if this works though. Any amateur psephologists
care to comment?
The LDP's ticket shows their policies don't quite match their
actions. Family First benefit from their preferences, so it looks
like both sides have put aside their (substantial) ideological
differences for a grubby preference swap. Here we have a party that
wants top install a theocracy regulating all sexuality doing a deal
with a bunch of self-proclaimed libertarians. That's Catholic levels
of ideological contortion!
The Democrats have shown their true colours again, preferencing
LDP ahead of The Greens. I guess this probably tallies with the core
values of the party, given they were the small 'l' splinter group from
the Liberals, but I suspect most people voting that way wouldn't
realise they'd take libertarianism as far as the LDP!
No surprises that Conservatives for Climate and Environment
preferences essentially flow to and stay with the Coalition. So if
you're looking to give Howard a bloody nose, this isn't the way to do
it.
Democratic Labor Party, in case you don't know, were a hardcore
Catholic splinter from the Labor Party. No surprises, then, that they
preference Fred Nile and Family First. More interesting though is
that they preference the Coalition ahead of Labor. Given the effects
on families of the odious WorkChoices legislation, this is very
interesting.
The Fishing Party seems to have done some judicious deals.
They've got a lot of people preferencing in, so their outgoing
preferences seem quite erratic as they pay back the favours.
Certainly seems little ideological rationale behind it.
Fred Nile is definitely beind a shrewd player, similar to the Fish
Party strategy of harvesting a lot in, then repaying back out.
Non-Custodial Parents Party is a dark horse, with preferences
going straight to Pauline, into Fishing Party and Family First. I
doubt most single parents would want their preferences flowing to
parties like that.
Group V seems to just be harvesting votes for the Coalition.
Labor are honouring their agreement, with preferences going
straight to The Greens, having learnt their lesson in helping get
Steve Price elected for the religious fascists last time around.
Interestingly, they preference DLP quite highly -- some unrequited
love going on there.
Carers Alliance seem to have gone down the grubby preference
path. Surely preferencing CEC is a grubby step too far, and won't be
worth much in preferences anyway!
So lots of interesting deals in there, some extremely grubby. It's
hilarious hearing Family First talk about the (open and honestly
discussed) preference deal between Labor and The Greens as "grubby"
given their filthy deals with LDP and Non-Custodial Parents (surely
they'd be encouraging the parents to stay together?).