Barnaby Joyce is in advanced talks to defect from the Nationals to Pauline Hanson’s One Nation party.

Joyce, who represents the NSW regional electorate of New England, declined to comment when asked if he would change parties.

Hanson did not deny the ongoing discussions when asked by this masthead on Friday afternoon.

“If Barnaby wants to come to One Nation, I’d be happy to have him,” she said, also suggesting other MPs in the Coalition who were disaffected could join her party. [...]

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[–] Tenderizer@aussie.zone 1 points 1 week ago

This is obvious rot, preferential and compulsory voting allows votes to go to smaller parties, not the other way round. Just a random jab at one of the more democratic features of our system.

Compulsory voting means elections are actually won by winning over the center. UK and US centrist politicians like to believe their countries work that way, but in Austraila it actually does.

As for preferential voting ... the main reason Reform is on track for a majority is because of vote splitting between all the other parties. It's unlikely reform could win in a 1:1 contest against a half-way competent opposition. In the case of the US the Republicans rose to power because people hated both options and with preferential voting the normal people could've been persuaded to turn up.