A while ago we in Canada looked at alternative voting systems and I'm sure proportional voting was one of them. I thought it was a cool idea, as well as Australia's mandatory voting. What is it like, from your perspective?
I'm a big fan of both. I only wish Australians were more informed about the opportunities the proportional system can offer. At the moment voters still tend to vote according to the preferences set out by the two major parties, meaning the ALP and the Liberals maintain too much influence at the expense of the independents and minor parties. That said, the current government has depended on the support of the Greens and independents to maintain power and I'd like to see more of the same after the next election. I don't know anybody in Australia who doesn't support mandatory voting, even among people who've previously been fined for failing to vote.