Today was polling day for the NSW State Election. I wont dive into the murky, muddied depths of NSW politics, but I thought overseas readers may like to see democracy in New South Wales. If you see it, can you let me know because I'd like to take a look myself!This was taken outside a polling booth in my street - a lawn bowls club. Just to clarify things for American readers, in Australia the Liberal party is traditionally the conservative party. The Greens of course are the same everywhere!
Anthony Roberts is my local MP, and though I am not a Liberal supporter at state level, I have to admit he is a pretty good member. Like any politician he has his faults, but at least he phoned my mother to hear her complaint about bus timetables - and any politician game enough to do that deserves to get elected!
Voting here is compulsory and non-voters face a fine of $500. If you want to know why it is compulsory, let's just say that the level of interest in this election was an all time low. The opposition admitted defeat about a week ago, and the Labor government of twelve years agreed they have stuffed things up. If voting was voluntary, I doubt even Barney the dog would have turned out to vote.
For the record, the Labor government won - a case of better the devil you know.
