A First Time Voter Makes His Choices: N.S.W. Election 2007

My Liam is 19 and is voting for the first time. We are all postal voters. The two forms duly arrived in the mail last week: the smaller one which requires only one number and the one with over 200 candidates for the Legislative Council which requires 15 numbers (Or one if you don't mind someone else deciding who you're voting for).

I could see he was putting a number here, a number there, very slowly and carefully while sitting at the kitchen table.

I said "Liam, did you check out the different parties and groups to see who you want to vote for?"

"No Mother," he replied. "I am just trying hard to find people who look completely harmless."

I noticed Number 1 was Robert Smith of the Fishing Party.

"So why did you vote for Robert Smith?"

"Well, I've never heard of anyone called Smith who caused trouble. How much mayhem can a bloke with a fishing rod create anyway?"

If any of you were having problems picking candidates, you could take a lesson from this method.

Find the candidates who look harmless.