My latest Therapy for News Junkies column is up at the recently returned New Matilda
Like the Americans, we exist in a two party adversarial system, where votes given to minor parties, even when they are given to candidates whose views are are much closer to our political ideals than those representing the bigger parties, are often classed as “wasted”.
Last month, as the dust settled on the election results, Australia was facing a new political landscape. For some time, the highest peaks on this landscape were three independents and a Green in the seat of Melbourne. A great deal of criticism and outrage was fomented and was then fired particularly at the three independents.
So what’s so scary about independents?