Is our 2 party system just a con?

[facthunter]

We don't HAVE a 2 party system to start with. Lib/NP are almost extinct.   WE DID have a 2 Party system but there were other parties from time to time, that came and went. Perhaps change the title?  Most forums are wrecked once discussing politics happens.  It even breaks up Families and some groups. A lot of people can't find any good at all in Politicians. I don't subscribe to that theory. Look a bit harder. Watch Question time. (It's often not easy.

  It's not a job I would seek and they are NOT ALL bad. Some are there for the spoils of office. The Best Pollies that Money can Buy. comes to Mind. None of them are overpaid. Their lives are not their own. The Media can destroy their career. Nev

[Siso]

On 14/06/2026 at 4:00 PM, Marty_d said:

That's kind of like saying "I'm sick of this rash, I'd rather have my arms amputated."

Maybe, they are pretty bad at the moment😆

[Siso]

Rash or gangrene

[nomadpete]

6 minutes ago, Siso said:

Rash or gangrene

If you are going to knock it, show me a realistic better option.

[Siso]

Thats the point. ON getting attention because of quality of the major players, weather it is right or wrong

[willedoo]

It seems like most of the political journos are writing and saying that the rise of One Nation has meant the end of the two party system as we've known it. It might come to that, where we have three main parties for a period of time. Or One Nation could flame out, the coalition eventually rebuilds, and we're back to the old two party system. I don't follow European politics much, but some of those countries seem to have multi parties and they try to cobble together a coalition of parties after the election to get a governing majority. It makes me wonder if that's the direction we're heading here in Australia.

[Marty_d]

Minority government has been fairly common until Labor's big seat haul.

In some ways I think it works better, they have to negotiate to get things done.  The problem is of course that if the LNP is in power they negotiate first with the far right parties. If Labor is in they usually negotiate with the Greens first which gives better outcomes.

While having a majority does give them the ability to make good reform, like these CGT discount changes, it can lead to complacency which then gets punished at the next election.

[willedoo]

Yes, John Howard found that out the hard way. He finally got a majority in the Senate allowing them to pass legislation at will, brought in work choices and got walloped for it. At least that's the way I remember it if someone can correct me.

[Jerry_Atrick]

Whoa.. There were a few spicy pages I just caught up on.  🙂

 

 

I think it is fair to say the two party system is in transition. To what - who knows?

 

I will leave the performance of Albo and his crew to the appropriate thread. However, it is clear that there is a perception that neither of the two majors are truly representing the majority of Aussies at the moment. And, from the polls, it is clear the libs at least (and possibly the Nats) aren't thought to be at all representing their traditional base. Labor, at least federally, seem to be not too far off their normal primary vote; I read it was somewhere around the 28% mark; not too much lower than the last federal election of, from memory, about 32%. 

 

At the same time, there is a perception (real or otherwise) that the gap is ever widening between the haves and have nots and that blame is being successfully laid at the feet immigration, which plays into both fear and bigotry. This is because more and more of what was the middle class is being squeezed more and more. For various reasons, which would take a book to go through, blame has successfully been laid at the feet of immigration. This results in a perception the immigrants are taking away previous little resources that the  majority of the population have to fight for, and along comes Pauline with her silver bullet fixes to everyone's problems. 

 

The Libs had their time and between Morrison and Dutton (with a little Littleproud thrown in), screwed things up so royally, they were booted out (Albo technically won, but in the famous words of Bill Hayden - a drover's dog would have won that election). To his credit, he took an early lump in the form of the Voice, licked his wounds, and then did a reasonable job. But hubris seems to be setting in (early) as it inevitably does, and he is no longer looking like he is really looking after the majority of the people he purports to represent. Having said that, the loss of primary vote is probably not much more than a protest vote - yet. 

 

The Libs seem to be so far removed from reality, that all but their most ardent supporters seem to have jumped ship. It's hard to understand precisely what they stand for. If I was a betting person, I would suggest in 5 - 10 years, without a complete about-face, they will fade into oblivion.  Which may leave a two party system - Labor and Phon.. Or more likely, some other party will spring up as the Greens seem to be marginalising themselves (or at least no one is covering them much anymore). Or there may be more parties, in which case it is likely to become lie some European countries where coalitions are formed and broken. 

 

Whilst I support the key budget changes on economic grounds, there is a lot more that can be done. And, people like David Pocock are using social media effectively to get a message across of what is wrong with Labor and the LNP. Just google or youtube him and you will see what I mean. 

 

 

[Marty_d]

Greens are fairly stable on 12% - according to a recent article about why they're not benefiting from the downturn in major party support, their support is increasing in the Gen Z cohort but simultaneously decreasing in the older generation.

Which, going forward, should be a net increase.

[nomadpete]

10 hours ago, willedoo said:

It might come to that, where we have three main parties for a period of time.

It's a big step to suggest ON is a 'main party'.

 

So far, they seem more of a lingering fringe party.

 

Sure, there is a possibility of it happening as protest votes get louder. 

 

The other parties don't show much desire to control their corruption, nor to get in touch with the electorate.

[onetrack]

The ABC has a very good and highly relevant article on the current death of democracy, brought about by a common failure to tax billionaires, which leads to autocracy, and therefore excessive concentration of important decision-making power, into a small number of unelected super-rich people.

 

What the article fails to include, is the point that concentration of wealth in just a few peoples hands, leads to a constant cost squeeze on the middle class and working class, who end up bearing the brunt of the taxation payments.

 

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-06-17/democracy-cannot-survive-trillionaires-gabriel-zucman-elon-musk/106798842

[facthunter]

Just finished watching Pauline Hansons Press Club speech . IF she's ever in POWER. God help this Country. She's a 100% Trump imitator.. Nev

[Grumpy Old Nasho]

Yeah, but that's all you keep sayin'

[Marty_d]

That's because it's true.

Her health policy is straight from the Trump administration and would wreck our world class health system.

[Jerry_Atrick]

7 hours ago, Marty_d said:

Greens are fairly stable on 12% - according to a recent article about why they're not benefiting from the downturn in major party support, their support is increasing in the Gen Z cohort but simultaneously decreasing in the older generation.

Which, going forward, should be a net increase.

On the basis that current aged voters would die out, yes. But it ignores two other things. First, and less likely, the new found popularity of one nation will result in those offspring and impressionable of those new found voters being conditioned into following... Of course, most of the new found voters probably have adult kds where it is too late (hence, less likely). But, as we age, our ideology tends to change - usually moderate more than flip.. But there are enough people on the boundaries that may keep PHON in popularity or even increase it (assuming every other factor stays the same). 

7 hours ago, nomadpete said:

It's a big step to suggest ON is a 'main party'.

 

So far, they seem more of a lingering fringe party.

 

Sure, there is a possibility of it happening as protest votes get louder. 

 

The other parties don't show much desire to control their corruption, nor to get in touch with the electorate.

I just mentioned it as a possible outcome, but if UK experience is anything to go by - and indeed US experience - the electorate may well have had enough that something really bad has to happen before they change their tune. On any other electoral system, Farage and UK Reform would possibly be the second or likely third party in the UK House of Commons today - straight past the post averted that. Chump is in because of the protest vote - the die-hard MAGA base is not enough to give them more than a few states (yes, Chump is Republican, but lets face it, their national elections are usually based on the presidential candidates). Pauline#s rise is not dissimilar to Farage's.. disenfranchised population, structural unfairness, immigration concerns, etc. And now, a rise in the polls; the difference is Reform are now polling ahead of anyone else. Both parties have the same issues - candidate vetting is terrible, controlled by billionaires and open about it, offering cheap solutions to difficult problems, etc. It is likely, unless Labour in the UK turn things around quickly, Reform will be the next government (Conservatives are in the same position as the Libs). Then the shit will hit the fan and as the British are less rusted on, Reform will hopefully implode before they can do too much damage, or will at least be booted out and we will never hear of them or their people again. 

 

Although Albo is far less unpopular than Starmer, it is plausible that without Labor turning it around, Pauline could make a decent go of it at the next election.. definitely not a majority, but with preferential voting, you may well see quite a few One Nation taken seats in the House of Reps. That would give her enough to make a dent, but not enough to extend them the rope to hang themselves (metaphorically to those sensitive to Pauline). If Labor continue, then as long as ON don't royally screw up, they could be in for a treat in 2031. It is not that far away (and assuming no early elections called). 

 

At the polls stand today, they look to be the majority party on a "two-party" preferred basis, where if one substituted them for the Libs/Nats in that race. As it is, they are polling well ahead of the Lib/Nats. Once they are in, if they are, like Reform, they would likely screw everything up and we will never hear of them again. 

So, while I agree, they are a fringe riding a wave of discontent, there is a more than tight probability they will become a major at the next election and the libs will pay for it. 

 

6 hours ago, onetrack said:

The ABC has a very good and highly relevant article on the current death of democracy, brought about by a common failure to tax billionaires, which leads to autocracy, and therefore excessive concentration of important decision-making power, into a small number of unelected super-rich people.

 

What the article fails to include, is the point that concentration of wealth in just a few peoples hands, leads to a constant cost squeeze on the middle class and working class, who end up bearing the brunt of the taxation payments.

 

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-06-17/democracy-cannot-survive-trillionaires-gabriel-zucman-elon-musk/106798842

Agreed. this is the major reason for voter discontent; it's just the billionaires are great at getting a manipulated message out to the population it is identity politics (pick whatever you like) that is the problem. 

 

44 minutes ago, facthunter said:

Just finished watching Pauline Hansons Press Club speech . IF she's ever in POWER. God help this Country. She's a 100% Trump imitator.. Nev

She had so many "I don't do policy on the run" responses to basic policy questions - I would put her more like Joe BP - "Don't you worry about that!"

[facthunter]

Did you watch it GON? At least I went to the trouble to inform myself while it was Live and unedited. I study Politics and have from a very young age.. Nev

[facthunter]

 Fuel Prices here seem to be Near Normal. Even better than the USA. Nev

[old man emu]

20 minutes ago, facthunter said:

Fuel Prices here seem to be Near Normal.

Don't forget that the fuel excise cut is still in force. You'd have to add 25 cents/litre if the old rate was returned. However, the crude oil price seems to have dropped since Trump's declaration of peace the other day.

[facthunter]

Even if Trumps deal works we still won't be Back to what we had before his Adventures in Iran Commenced .There's too much Infrastructural damage done for that to happen.  Nev