One fifth of eligible voters, almost 3 million people choose not to vote according to the Financial Review.

It appears the land of compulsory voting is breeding non voters in large numbers.

Australians also have record disapproval ratings for both Gillard and Abbott.

Australia is only one of ten compulsory voting nations.

3 million people didn’t vote, or didn’t vote properly, at the last election in 2010.

1.2 million weren’t on the electoral role, 729,304 voted informally and 955,202 people on the role didn’t vote.

The turnout was the lowest, and informal votes the highest, since the advent of compulsory voting in 1925.

Political Professor, Andrew Hughes says, ” It will be even worse at the next election, which will again make the message against compulsory voting louder and clearer.”

The Government’s plan is to find the 1.5 million not on the electoral role.

Which misses the point that people are against being forced to vote for leaders or parties they simply don’t like.

In the coming fortnight, the Senate will consider a bill that will allow the AEC to use information from other sources – such as Medicare and Centrelink – to track down voters who have changed their personal details and re-enrol them.

Neilsen pollster John Stirton says, ” Voters are unhappy with politics and politicians, and the hung parliament hasn’t helped. The minority nature has damaged the government and it has damaged the system.”

It also shows the majority of voters want a change of leader on both sides.

62% prefer Rudd over Gillard (32%) and 61% prefer Malcolm Turnbull over Abbott (34%).

There appears to be an overriding trend against our political system, with only 60% of respondents supporting Australia’s democracy over other political systems, suggesting an alarming disconnection between voters and the political process that serves them.

Voters don’t seem to want Gillard or Abbott according to high disapproval ratings for both.

Voters want to be rid of Labor, but the huge collapse in Labor’s primary vote to record lows has not resulted in a stampede to the Coalition.

Labor’s primary vote, according to Neilsen Poll, has fallen 12% since the last election and the Coalition only increased 4.5%

The remaining 7.5% has simply been parked with minor parties and ‘don’t knows.’

According to Geoff Kitney of the Financial Review, “Party politics in Australia is now deeply uninspiring. Few bother making the effort to get involved, a turn- off that will be reflected in poorer quality parliaments.

Australia is sleep-walking towards a longterm , systemic disaster.

If the old parties can’t see their deaths approaching, then the time has surely come for someone brave enough to stand up and say we need a new party.”

I agree Australians are more open now than ever to not only a new major political party, ideally down the middle and led by someone like Malcolm Turnbull, but are also open to new political systems such as those proposed by the 21st Century Political System. For example, a system where voters get to vote direct on major policy and the eradication of political parties and compulsory voting.

Jamie McIntyre is the founder of the 21st Century Group of companies and CEO of 21st Century Education. He is also bestselling author, successful entrepreneur, investor, sought after success coach, internationally renowned speaker and world-leading educator. www.jamiemcintyre.com

Jamie McIntyre is the founder of the 21st Century Group of companies and CEO of 21st Century Education. He is also bestselling author, successful entrepreneur, investor, sought after success coach, internationally renowned speaker and world-leading educator. http://www.jamiemcintyre.com

Author Bio: Jamie McIntyre is the founder of the 21st Century Group of companies and CEO of 21st Century Education. He is also bestselling author, successful entrepreneur, investor, sought after success coach, internationally renowned speaker and world-leading educator. www.jamiemcintyre.com

Category: Politics
Keywords: 21st century,Articles,Australia,Blog,labor,liberal,political system,politics,voting