Should the Australian Constitution change to include the Democracy sausage?

Yesterday the Australian State of NEW SOUTH WALES had an election and decided by a majority to change Government. And at least in my seat the post polling included the customary and traditional Democracy sausage. The history of this sausage goes back to the bowels of our history when it was decided to make voting compulsory by punishment. This is sometimes looked upon with horror by other countries who argue that democracy and compulsory voting sits a bit uneasily. In any case, forgetting the pro and con of compulsory voting, the sausage was introduced to sweeten this issue of voting. It is now widely known as Democracy Sausage and has been a feature of Australian culture for decades.

Map of NSW and voting booths with democracy sausages.

However, in this morning news it wrote that not all polling booths provided the after voting Democracy Sausage. Not only was just the right of the Sausage denied, but at other venues the opposite, when this treat was selling at exorbitant prices with one venue asking $ 18.- for a single sausage on a white bun with some onions. That’s why more and more voices are being raised to recognize this Democracy Sausage into our constitution. This would make an end to speculative and uncertain conditions that raise themselves at each time a voting is held. We need to stop this laisse faire attitude.

People might have mixed feelings about it but in the America, they have enshrined the right of gun ownership into their constitution, and we are also letting them build our Nuclear Submarines so a recognition of the humble Democracy Sausage into our Constitution would not be too big a problem. It pales in comparison, Sausages don’t kill, do they?

Of course, it is no denying that adding or alter a constitution is a major task and will need expert constitutional lawyers and language experts. What defines a sausage just for example? Can it be a beef sausage? What about religious sensitivities? Just imagine if pork is allowed to make an entree in the constitution? And then there is the issue of additives. Mustards and sauces. American mustard! Just to define the word ‘American’?

It will be extremely difficult, but I am sure it will need to be achieved.

Australia will be a better country.

And now for the good News

 

The last few posts have been the work of the curmudgeon supreme. Jerimiah seems to have  reached a new level in delight and joy, highlighting the never ending stream of all that is going wrong. Sorry for the bleakness, but somebody had to do it. I don’t know why I watch the news. Relentless Trump and Turnbull. Neck on neck trying to outdo each other in a race to the bottoms-up, dehumanising their patch. Surely, there is something more cheerful to write about. Those grim purple faced bishops fronting the Royal Commission. Footage of one eminent church leader dipping a large feathered brush in Holy water sprinkling the congregation. Oh, such folly of voodoo and chicken feathers dressed with mitres and in flowing robes. Are there Technical tafe courses in becoming agnostic?  I am sure many are now queuing up.We need many more doubting Thomas’s.

 

The good news came from our National Library of Australia in Canberra.  ” Dear Gerard Oosterman.” “We would be DELIGHTED to receive a print copy of your book  ‘Almost there.’ Our records showed that this title is now published.”

Can you believe it? All this apart from both my books also having been entered in two of the State Library literary competitions. I am so happy that, after I posted the book at the Post office, I promptly shouted myself a nice  micro-wave heated up sausage roll. The word ‘delighted’ really did it. It was about time somebody got delighted.

I walked with my fat sausage roll to a park bench in Corbett Gardens, Bowral. The same park where the three elderly sisters were hit by  lightning  last week.  I sat down with Milo. He looked keenly at my poly-styrene package holding the sausage roll. It was a mini celebration. I would like you all to share in my joy.

I gave Milo about half my treat.

It was so lovely and good.

Sausage roll entitlements during local Government voting.

Lobelia

If you are on the electoral roll in Australia you must vote. It is compulsory under threat of punishment. If you don’t, the fine is $55,-. Today, is compulsory voting day in NSW, Australia. It is for representation for local shires and councils. Many shires are now joined into one which makes it a bit difficult. Some shires have disappeared or overlap, and other shires had voting some weeks ago. I don’t know why, but in any case I just voted.

All the political parties were vying for prime positions outside our Bowral High School to hand out ‘how to vote’ pamphlets. Voting in Australia is not without complications. If you thought working out all the apps on mobile phones are complicated, wait till you vote for the local municipal elections. Syria has a problem with all the warring parties but so do our voting methods in local governments. Each year complaints are lodged with the Electoral Commission about unscrupulous people handing out those ‘how to vote’ papers. Innocent voters are almost choked or tripped over into accepting those papers. Bribes and incentives are whispered about too.

But, that is not all.

Another illegal practise is handing out free barbequed sausage rolls. They cannot be given for free, especially not when the barbeque is within a couple of metres near the frenzied ‘how to vote’ mob of people. It could be seen as an enticement to vote for a particular party. At the Bowral school the sausage rolls were available AFTER you voted. You had to leave the voting hall through a separate door distinct from the door given entrée to the voters before they voted. Relieved voters now lined up for Sausage rolls. Political party favouritism and confusion was thereby avoided and it complied with all electoral rules. In any case, the whole venue smelled deliciously of fried onions and the sausages. The mood was cheerful and here and there some light banter escaped involuntary.

You have two ways of voting. One way is above a line and one below a line. Indeed, the ballot paper has a black line across, about two thirds from the bottom up. You mustn’t vote below the line if you voted above the line. This truth is rock solid. However the reverse or converse also applies. If you vote below the line than it is equally forbidden to also vote above the line. Most people that are literate and capable of reading ( about 67%) would probably get it over with quickly and vote above the line first and forget about the poor sods below. Which in my view is not all that unbiased or fair either, giving the above the line crowd a bit of an advantage. I mean if I was a councillor I would not want to be featured below a line.

Compared with the strict rules governing the barbequed sausages etiquette. I question why this voting option would not be better dealt with with a vertical line drawn down the middle. It would appear to be fairer. What do you think? Or, would this suggest left or right leanings. I mean would the Labor party member want to seen on the right side of the ballot paper and conservatives on the left?

Nothing is easy and Helvi reckons I stink of fried onions.