Humphries is back ...

VP, that is if Labor gets in and the marginal Senator is a Labor person. Otherwise it may be a bit of a wasted vote:

Labor mariginal senator: Liberal minority government that probably will go in the after next election anyway, so wont give a rats arse about pork barrelling Canberra to gain a few votes. More likely the Greens will squeeze the government for a few pet national projects like banning woodchipping etc.

Greens senator: Labor majority government likely. Greens senator impotent people vote the person out next election and the Liberals get the seat back.

Oh, the public service has grown under the Liberal government. So how has Humphries been a poor senator?

Androyd – and if we got rid of Sen Humphries, we would (a) create a marginal Senator who might give a rat’s and (b) encourage all manner of largesse our way, as happened with Brian harradine of blessed memory and more recently with Sen Joyce and Sen Fielding. And (c), it might stop the major parties from relying on the 1/1 assumption to our disadvantage.

GnT – no disagreement on that, though I don’t know the bloke. But it’s like voting for devon sandwiches when everyone wants laksa.

Don’t mind old Gary. I’d probably vote for him if he wasn’t a Liberal.

Kimba – unkind, unfair and untrue (as even a cursory look at the last para of my first post and the suggestion that the other Lib candidate might be preferable would demonstrate a conspicuous lack of ALP hackiness). An apology would be nice.

I loathe pollies on principle, regardless of party, race, colour and creed. The only worthwhile ones are those who make an effort to add something of weight and to act critically, rather than just voting like clockwork toys on divisions.

I enjoy exercising my right and obligation to vote at least as much as the next person, but find it easier to start at the bottom and work upwards to the least worst.

Sometimes that leads to a major party (and I have voted Lib and may do so again) and sometimes to a minor party or an independent. This time, in the Senate, it seems almost inevitable that Mr Humphries will be the most drone-like nonentity vying for the vote. He does not seem unpleasant or especially stupid, just lacking in any idea of, or interest in, what it is his constituents may want. And for that, despite his having been around for a few years, I will score him last. I suggest others do so, regardless of who they put first.

VP is obviously a left-wing (Labor or Green) hack.

VP – yep, the Dems ran Rick Farley. I’m not saying that a third party candidate couldn’t pick up the second seat. In fact I think this time around Tucker has as good a chance as anyone has, esp if the Fix the Senate Now idea gets traction (i.e. Canberrans could knock off the Howard senate majority overnight and fix the balance of power, as ACT senators take office immediately). Was just saying that a second ALP candidate or second Lib candidate seems pretty pointless, except in case of bus accidents. Though I guess it’s also a way for party hacks to pay dues, get visibility and brownie points and lay claim for future more winnable candidacies (see also under Williams, Troy ).

ps to previous.
Androyd – when the Greens (I think) ran the late Rick Farley, they came close to pushing Senator Reid below the critical 33.3%+1 level. A good candidate will do it sometime, and a seriously unpopular government and candidate might take out a sitting Senator.

I’d like to see a prominent and credible old codger get a run – someone with the nous to tee up exchanges with the other candidates. Anyone know any such?

In my view, Senator Humphries has been an abysmally poor representative for the ACT and especially for that part of its workforce that is in the public sector. Once – when it didn’t matter because everyone knew which way Sen Fielding would go – he stuck his neck out on a social issue. Almost invariably, he has voted uncritically on simple party lines.

Does anyone have the energy to run a “Put Humphries Last” campaign, encouraging people to vote ALP, Green, Democrat, Independent or for the other Lib? I’d like to, but I don’t have the time. Let’s just get rid of someone who is (in my view) a timeserving waste of space.

(Something similar can probably be said of Ms Ellis, the ALP member for Canberra. But she has enjoyed the general irrelevance of Opposition).

I always wonder why the main parties bother standing two Senate candidates in the ACT given it’s impossible Lab or Lib would ever get both seats. Only reason I can think is it’s in case the one candidate got run over by a bus before polling day, so they’d still have someone in the race?