NationStates Jolt Archive

For those not familiar with Australian television, The Glass House, here's the wiki-link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Glass_House_%28TV_series%29
There's probably a few Youtube vids out there too (don't know if this one (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Purq7rCik9U&mode=related&search=) will load).

I have been watching this show eversince I set foot in this country. It helped me understand this place, as weird as that might sound. It made me laugh every time I watched it.

And now they cancelled it. Not because of bad ratings...but because of political bias.

The ABC is a government-owned station. The board members who ultimately decide on the programming are put in place by politicians. The Glass House is a show that has routinely made fun of politicians, and the hosts being intelligent young people, they are not fond of John Howard and his gang.

Apparently this annoyed various right-wing talking heads so much that they started complaining about the ABC's "left-wing bias". And the politicians were only too happy to comply and put more right-wingers on the board. And because the right-wingers needed to make an example of something - The Glass House was axed.

It's ridiculous really. Cancelling a show because of perceived political bias is just the sort of thing that puts Australia on its rightful place on the press freedom list: Below Ghana.

And they made Corinne cry. So I dedicate this thread to the guys. One more wreath on the grave of normalcy as the world slides into fascism. :(

Yeah, i'm annoyed too. It was one of the few modern TV shows worth watching.

Poor Australia :(

That sucks :(

Is there a competeing network that might pick up on it?

That sucks :(

Is there a competeing network that might pick up on it?

One of the private stations might. But probably not a Murdoch owned one. ;)

Is there a competeing network that might pick up on it?
Maybe one of the commercial ones will. But I haven't heard anything about that yet.

To be honest, the show will bring in ratings, and the guys need something to do anyways. Unless all the other stations are also run by hypersensitive right-wingers who don't seem to notice when the show takes swipes at the labour party (which they are, of course), there's a chance it'll come back some day in some form.

But they still made Corinne cry, and I can't forgive that!

See, this is why I don't like Australia. Chaplains in the schools, the assassination of Steve Irwin, and now this?!

EDITSU: Did I say assassination? I meant stingray poisoning. Reading the Russian spy stuff lately has gotten me a wee bit confused.

The Glass House will be missed. Also all the other good ABC shows on Wednesday are over for the year, and the ABC arguably had the best Wednesday line-up.

*salutes*
Ye shall be sadly missed.

See, this is why I don't like Australia. Chaplains in the schools, the assassination of Steve Irwin, and now this?!

EDITSU: Did I say assassination? I meant stingray poisoning. Reading the Russian spy stuff lately has gotten me a wee bit confused.

Oh please, a Russian Stingray would have been so much more professional.
Though on that note:
http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q100/TheSteveslols/StingrayLOL.jpg

I'm watching the last episode right now.

R.I.P. Glass House. :(

See, this is why I don't like Australia. Chaplains in the schools, the assassination of Steve Irwin, and now this?!

EDITSU: Did I say assassination? I meant stingray poisoning. Reading the Russian spy stuff lately has gotten me a wee bit confused.

it was a stingray one
we been at war with them for years

bloody ABC take all the good shows off and leave the shit ones on

then again the only time i watch ABC is when i can pick it up

I'm watching the last episode right now.
Oh yeah, there's a time difference. I forgot about that.

Well, the end is sad.

Oh yeah, there's a time difference. I forgot about that.

Well, the end is sad.

Yeah, I figured it would be.

The government has been accusing everything and everyone of left-wing bias lately. It's sad that one of the few decent local shows on TV these days got hit by their political scattergun. :(

Yeah, I figured it would be.

The government has been accusing everything and everyone of left-wing bias lately. It's sad that one of the few decent local shows on TV these days got hit by their political scattergun. :(

*plans to blow them up and place a lot of poeple from WA in new government*

That's just incrediably sad and ridiculous. If there was such a strong perception of bias, the problem is easily fixed, chuck together a programe with an equal but opposite bias, then let the viewers make their own mind up.

Given the popularity of Howard (he does keep getting re-elected) either the programe wasnt as biased as alledged I've never seen the show concerned), or a programe of opposite bias would have facilitated balance without imposing censorship....or is the problem that there simply isnt enough material to produce an entire programe dedicated to making Howard and Co. look good? Certainly that's what the actions taken tend to indicate.

Yeah, I figured it would be.

The government has been accusing everything and everyone of left-wing bias lately. It's sad that one of the few decent local shows on TV these days got hit by their political scattergun. :(

Here's a question, Johnny boy Harper: Why is a left-wing bias a bad thing? Are politics opposing yours THAT inpalatable? Do you really want to be seen as a wannabe Hitler or Stalin?

Given the popularity of Howard (he does keep getting re-elected)...
It's a bit of a long story really. It's not that Howard is particularly popular (especially not with younger people), it's just that:
a) the opposition has fielded absolute jokes for the past few elections
b) old people like to vote for Howard
c) voters here are incredibly uninformed - since people are legally forced to vote in Australia, people who couldn't give a shit vote every election, having no idea and no interest. That way Howard can win an election by saying "if the opposition wins, interest rates will go up and your mortgages will cost you more!"

And I'm not even kidding. :(

It's a bit of a long story really. It's not that Howard is particularly popular (especially not with younger people), it's just that:
a) the opposition has fielded absolute jokes for the past few elections
b) old people like to vote for Howard
c) voters here are incredibly uninformed - since people are legally forced to vote in Australia, people who couldn't give a shit vote every election, having no idea and no interest. That way Howard can win an election by saying "if the opposition wins, interest rates will go up and your mortgages will cost you more!"

And I'm not even kidding. :(

All true.

Although i'm not sure whether compulsory voting has a positive or negative impact either way, even though i'm opposed to it in principle. If they took it away, I figure only about 20% of the population would bother to vote, and it would give the religious and racist minor parties a much bigger voice.

Sigh. Although there was the case of a mentally handicapped man at my workplace just last week loudly proclaiming he was voting for John Howard...in the Victorian state election.

I don't know what to think anymore. I think i'll just declare democracy dead either way.

I
c) since people are legally forced to vote in Australia
What?

THAT is undemocratic and completely ridiculous. Yet another reason not to like Australia...

What?

THAT is undemocratic and completely ridiculous. Yet another reason not to like Australia...

Yeah, Australia is starting too look like a not so good place to be.

What?

THAT is undemocratic and completely ridiculous. Yet another reason not to like Australia...

Yeah, Australia is starting too look like a not so good place to be.

yup its to keep poeple from US out

What?

THAT is undemocratic and completely ridiculous. Yet another reason not to like Australia...

Well, it's not like you're forced at gunpoint. In practice, you can probably get away with not voting by simply leaving yourself off the electoral roll.

If you're on there, it's a bit harder. A medical certificate from a friendly doctor stating that you were bedridden for polling day would probably do the trick. Although i'm not positive.

And if you really don't want to vote for anyone but be left in the clear, you can always deface the ballot paper as long as you get your name marked off.

Otherwise you can just pay the massive $20 fine.

Well, it's not like you're forced at gunpoint. In practice, you can probably get away with not voting by simply leaving yourself off the electoral roll.

If you're on there, it's a bit harder. A medical certificate from a friendly doctor stating that you were bedridden for polling day would probably do the trick. Although i'm not positive.

And if you really don't want to vote for anyone but be left in the clear, you can always deface the ballot paper as long as you get your name marked off.

Otherwise you can just pay the massive $20 fine.

What's the current conversion rate between American dollars and Australian dollars? I imagine an Australian dollar is worth more with the current state of our economies.

Well, it's not like you're forced at gunpoint. In practice, you can probably get away with not voting by simply leaving yourself off the electoral roll.

If you're on there, it's a bit harder. A medical certificate from a friendly doctor stating that you were bedridden for polling day would probably do the trick. Although i'm not positive.

And if you really don't want to vote for anyone but be left in the clear, you can always deface the ballot paper as long as you get your name marked off.

Otherwise you can just pay the massive $20 fine.

Do you guys not just have an abstain box?

Well, it's not like you're forced at gunpoint. In practice, you can probably get away with not voting by simply leaving yourself off the electoral roll.

If you're on there, it's a bit harder. A medical certificate from a friendly doctor stating that you were bedridden for polling day would probably do the trick. Although i'm not positive.

And if you really don't want to vote for anyone but be left in the clear, you can always deface the ballot paper as long as you get your name marked off.

Otherwise you can just pay the massive $20 fine.

You can just refuse on religious grounds. It's not at all difficult to avoid voting if you can't be arsed.

Do you guys not just have an abstain box?

Nope, but you could just put your blank ballot paper straight into the ballot box.

What's the current conversion rate between American dollars and Australian dollars? I imagine an Australian dollar is worth more with the current state of our economies.
Not a chance, USDs are about 150% more, iirc.
Bah. Just finished watching Glass House. To whichever figures got it cancelled: two words. Fuck you.

Nope, but you could just put your blank ballot paper straight into the ballot box.

That doesn't seem like a good idea. What would be to stop the person on the other end just filling it in for you?

That doesn't seem like a good idea. What would be to stop the person on the other end just filling it in for you?

Indeed. I say spoil it if you have no choice but to vote. Make up your own candidate and doodle him/her/it onto the ballot paper.

That doesn't seem like a good idea. What would be to stop the person on the other end just filling it in for you?

Nothing I suppose, except their innate honesty. If you don't trust them, just put a 1 in every box, which will invalidate your vote & ensure it can't be counted.

What's the current conversion rate between American dollars and Australian dollars? I imagine an Australian dollar is worth more with the current state of our economies.

Roughly 75 US cents to our dollar, I think.


You can just refuse on religious grounds. It's not at all difficult to avoid voting if you can't be arsed.

I didn't think of that.

But eh. I wouldn't waste my vote anyway. I get a smug sense of satisfaction from putting a nice "5" or "6" in the preference box for my least favourite parties anyway.

Nothing I suppose, except their innate honesty. If you don't trust them, just put a 1 in every box, which will invalidate your vote & ensure it can't be counted.

I don't like the idea of spoiling a ballot. It strikes me that the government who made it complusory to vote were just being a bucnh of pussies. After all, imagine the embarassment when 'Abstain' got more votes than any of the candidates.

In the words of Spike Milligan

"One day the don't-knows will get in, and then where will we be?"

That doesn't seem like a good idea. What would be to stop the person on the other end just filling it in for you?

Unlike a country( I shall leave up to the inciteful reader to guess who I mean) who's elections now have no credibility, and really should have UN observers to make sure the election is not rigged, Australia has very good quality controls on it's elections.

Also, voting is not compulsory. You have to pay a $20 fine if you don't turn up to lodge a ballot. You can wrote anything on the ballot. It makes it more, not less democratic. It means small, but highly politicial interest groups don't get an unreasonably high level of influence on an election.

Unlike a country( I shall leave up to the inciteful reader to guess who I mean) who's elections now have no credibility, and really should have UN observers to make sure the election is not rigged, Australia has very good quality controls on it's elections.

Also, voting is not compulsory. You have to pay a $20 fine if you don't turn up to lodge a ballot. You can wrote anything on the ballot. It makes it more, not less democratic. It means small, but highly politicial interest groups don't get an unreasonably high level of influence on an election.

Thats like saying not parking on double yellow lines isn't compulsory, after all you only get a fine if you do it :rolleyes:

All elections are open to fraud, I assuyme you are talking about the US in your first paragraph but what about the 2 guys from Burnley found guilty of election fraud in the UK this week?