Right or Duty? Compulsory Voting in Australia
Podcast |
The Fifth Estate
Publisher |
The Wheeler Centre
Media Type |
audio
Publication Date |
Apr 17, 2019
Episode Duration |
01:02:08
Photo of Sally Warhaft, Kim Rubenstein and Judith Brettcentre-heracles.s3.amazonaws.com/aea/3c0/13f/aea3c013fa320dd2219473d90d086fd81bb0165113540e5c7b8a79f922ea/2019%2004%2016%20The%20Fifth%20Estate%20-%20Right%20or%20Duty%20%20Compulsory%20Voting%20in%20Australia%2025.jpg">

Sally Warhaft, Kim Rubenstein and Judith Brett

In a democracy, should voting be a citizen’s right or a citizen’s duty?

Australia is one of a small number of countries – including Argentina and Egypt – with mandatory voting. Australia is rare, within this small group of nations, in imposing penalties on citizens who fail to turn up to vote. Compulsory voting has been in place here since 1924 and it sets us apart from other advanced democracies. Less than 60% of the US voting-age population cast ballots in the 2016 presidential election.

For this conversation, we bring together citizenship law expert Kim Rubenstein and the eminent historian Judith Brett, author of From Secret Ballot to Democracy Sausage: How Australia Got Compulsory Voting. They trace the history of our voting system and examine how it’s shaped the tenor of our debates and our sense of ourselves and our representatives – plus, how the system may yet change. With Sally Warhaft, they discuss donkey votes, ballot boxes, barbeques and the wide-ranging implications of compulsory participation.

Related listening: Housekeeping

3 Jun 2016
Podcast episodeCover image for of Housekeeping #1: Sizzlecentre-heracles.s3.amazonaws.com/wheeler-centre/assets/26/9adfd03f2611e68381abffffafca86/29d104903f2611e696c83ba6b1827d9a_content_small_thumbnail.jpg">

The Wheeler Centre

Housekeeping #1: Sizzle  /  Australia

10 Jun 2016
Podcast episodeCover image for of Housekeeping #2: IDcentre-heracles.s3.amazonaws.com/wheeler-centre/assets/c3/7f97202ec611e6bda4a74bcac85686/c69dee202ec611e69a6c1b9c6ef09e56_content_small_thumbnail.jpg">

The Wheeler Centre

Housekeeping #2: ID  /  Government

17 Jun 2016
Podcast episodeCover image for of Housekeeping #3: No-Showscentre-heracles.s3.amazonaws.com/wheeler-centre/assets/52/4405c0344b11e6b5a9c35fcac179ee/56072840344b11e6875b1146435f961c_content_small_thumbnail.jpg">

The Wheeler Centre

Housekeeping #3: No-Shows  /  Australian politics

27 Jun 2016
Podcast episodeCover image for of Housekeeping #4: Scrutinycentre-heracles.s3.amazonaws.com/wheeler-centre/assets/1a/4487503c1411e699205f81ddee957f/1cf947103c1411e6bdf8c1e3b9d82fbf_content_small_thumbnail.jpg">

The Wheeler Centre

Housekeeping #4: Scrutiny  /  Government

30 Jun 2016
Podcast episodeCover image for of Housekeeping #5: Locked Outcentre-heracles.s3.amazonaws.com/wheeler-centre/assets/83/cffb203ebf11e6bee8ab59d2411001/85cf4d903ebf11e6b6c9af1006d60c05_content_small_thumbnail.jpg">

The Wheeler Centre

Housekeeping #5: Locked Out  /  Crime

For this conversation, we bring together citizenship law expert Kim Rubenstein and the eminent historian Judith Brett, author of From Secret Ballot to Democracy Sausage: How Australia Got Compulsory Voting. They trace the history of our voting system and examine how it’s shaped the tenor of our debates and our sense of ourselves and our representatives – plus, how the system may yet change. With Sally Warhaft, they discuss donkey votes, ballot boxes, barbeques and the wide-ranging implications of compulsory participation.

This episode currently has no reviews.

Submit Review
This episode could use a review!

This episode could use a review! Have anything to say about it? Share your thoughts using the button below.

Submit Review