Normally, I wouldn’t cover an election I can’t vote in.  This is not because I don’t love my interstate friends as much as my local ones, it’s a simple matter of time.  With so many political parties to read about at every election, and so many policies for each party (I must confess to a sneaking appreciation for single-issue parties – so quick to read and write about!), there just isn’t time to cover everyone else’s elections, too.  Arguably, between full-time work, part-time study, and far more time-consuming hobbies than any sane person should have, there isn’t time to cover my own elections.

However, this election is a bit special.  For one thing, it’s essentially the sequel to the 2013 Election (Senate Election Part 2: Attack of the Drones).  Or perhaps it would be more accurate to say that it is, in fact, a continuation of the same event.  The extra, final chapter that the author directed to be read only three years after her death.  The Secret of Hanging Parliament, as it were.  And boy, am I betraying my age as a child of the 80s…

The other interesting thing about this election, of course, is that because it’s part of the Federal Election, its results are going to effect everyone in Australia in a way that your standard election interstate would never do.  Which is kind of fascinating and appalling.  You have the power, my Western friends.  Use it wisely!  And to make it more fun, the Western Australian electorate gets to vote after they’ve already seen what the new government is doing.  There is a sort of surreal aptness to this.  I’ve heard friends from WA complain about the fact that, due to timezone differences, they can still be casting their ballots at a point when votes from the Eastern States have already decided the election.

Well, Western Australia, here’s where you get your own back!  We Easterners may have thought that we had decided the election, but it turns out that you get the final say after all.  And maybe, just maybe, you will change the entire face of politics in Australia for the next three years.  Which is a pretty cool superpower to have, really.

Anyway, in honour of this unique situation, I am going to undertake a more modest version of my usual tiny party policy-reading madness.  Looking at the Western Australian ballot, I can see thirty-three groups, plus two un-grouped Independents.  Most of these parties, of course, contested the Federal Senate Election last year, and had representatives in Victoria.  Given that it’s only been about six months, I’m not going to analyse all these parties again.  I can’t – I’m in the final throes of rehearsal for a big concert next weekend and will be out rehearsing virtually every night next week.

Instead, I will list all the parties who contested the last election below, with links to my commentaries on them, and will write new posts about the six parties and two independents that were not on the Victorian Senate ticket last year (new parties bolded).  If I have time, I will try to go back and quickly analyse group voting tickets for this election, to see if anything has changed, but honestly, I think that’s pretty unlikely to happen.  Not enough hours in the day.

Good luck, Western Australians – read up on your exciting smorgasbord of political parties, and use your vote wisely!  Australia is watching you…

NB: For some reason, my posts on the Socialist Alliance and on the Australian Sports Party have simply disappeared from this blog.  I have no idea how this could have happened – they existed, they posted across to my Facebook page just fine with their introductions, but the files simply don’t seem to exist any more.  I will contact WordPress to see if they have any idea how this happens, but I suspect they are gone for good.  I’m very sorry about this – though not quite sorry enough to write them again from scratch now that the election is over… 

Ticket A ~ The Wikileaks Party ~ Official website ~ My thoroughly biased commentary

Ticket B ~ The Nationals ~ Official website ~ My thoroughly biased commentary

Ticket C ~ Russell Woolf and Verity James ~ Official website ~ My thoroughly biased commentary

Ticket D ~ Australian Democrats ~ Official website ~ My thoroughly biased commentary

Ticket E ~ Pirate Party ~ Official website ~ My thoroughly biased commentary

Ticket F ~ Australian Labor Party ~ Official website ~ My thoroughly biased commentary

Ticket G ~ Australian Motoring Enthusiast Party ~ Official website ~ My thoroughly biased commentary

Ticket H ~ Freedom and Prosperity Party ~ Official website ~ My thoroughly biased commentary

Ticket I ~ Voluntary Euthanasia Party ~ Official website ~ My thoroughly biased commentary

Ticket J ~ Liberal Democrats ~ Official website ~ My thoroughly biased commentary

Ticket K ~ Australian Voice Party ~ Official website ~ My thoroughly biased commentary

Ticket L ~ Building Australia Party ~ Official website ~ My thoroughly biased commentary

Ticket M ~ Mutual Party ~ Official website ~ My thoroughly biased commentary

Ticket N ~ Family First Party ~ Official website ~ My thoroughly biased commentary

Ticket O ~ Sustainable Population Party (formerly Stable Population Party) ~ Official website ~ My thoroughly biased commentary

Ticket P ~ Palmer United Party ~ Official website ~ My thoroughly biased commentary

Ticket Q ~ Australian Sports Party ~  Official website ~ My thoroughly biased commentary

Ticket R ~ Liberal ~ Official website ~ My thoroughly biased commentary

Ticket S ~ Shooters and Fishers ~ Official website ~ My thoroughly biased commentary

Ticket T ~ Help End Marijuana Prohibition ~ Official website ~ My thoroughly biased commentary

Ticket U ~ Republican Party of Australia ~ Official website ~ My thoroughly biased commentary

Ticket V ~ Smokers Rights ~ Official website ~ My thoroughly biased commentary

Ticket W ~ Australian Fishing and Lifestyle Party ~ Official website ~ My thoroughly biased commentary

Ticket X ~ Australian Christians ~ Official website ~ My thoroughly biased commentary

Ticket Y ~ Secular Party ~ Official website ~ My thoroughly biased commentary

Ticket Z ~ Rise Up Australia Party ~ Official website ~ My thoroughly biased commentary

Ticket AA ~ The Greens ~ Official website ~ My thoroughly biased commentary

Ticket AB ~ Democratic Labour Party ~ Official website ~ My thoroughly biased commentary

Ticket AC ~ Katter’s Australian Party ~ Official website ~ My thoroughly biased commentary

Ticket AD ~ Animal Justice Party ~ Official website ~ My thoroughly biased commentary

Ticket AE ~ Sex Party ~ Official website ~ My thoroughly biased commentary

Ticket AF ~ Socialist Alliance ~ Official website ~ My thoroughly biased commentary

Ticket AG ~ Outdoor Recreation Party (Stop The Greens) ~ Official website ~ My thoroughly biased commentary

Ungrouped Independent ~ Teresa van Lieshout ~ Official Youtube Channel ~ My thoroughly biased commentary

Ungrouped Independent ~ Kim Mubarak ~ Official website ~ My thoroughly biased commentary