The Nourisher - Editor’s Blog

But boy do I give a shit about this election! I’m even adopting a booth for Get Up. We’re giving out score cards for each of the parties in relation to the issues Get Up are working for.

Here’s what they say:

Ratify Kyoto?

Liberals and Nationals are crap
Labour, Green and Democrats are good

Set strong short term targets (5 years) to cut green house pollution?

Liberals and Nationals are crap
Labour is crap (Peter Garret is a sell out nigger - Ed)
Greens and Democrats get a tick

Repeal Work Choices?

Everyone agrees except Lib/Nats

Cover dental under medicare or a similar national scheme?

Everyone except Lib/Nats (Eat a traditional diet and the costs of dental care and health care drop - Ed)

Significantly increase funding for primary and secondary public education?

Everyone except Lib/Nats

Provide broadband to rural Australia?

Everyone (Yay! everyone in Australia can read Nourished Magazine - Ed)

Commit to closing the indigenous life expectancy gap?

Everyone except Lib/Nats

Withdraw our combat troops from Iraq next year?

Everyone except Lib/Nats

Gordon Rouse from the WAP Australia yahoo list recently checked out the food politics of each of the parties. Greens are the only ones who come any where near what we would call a Nourishing policy.

As for Preferences..

Apparently this is the most important aspect of this election. Let’s face it, the two major parties are both spineless scum so making sure they don’t just get pushed around by the big end of town is paramount. Making sure the Senate is not loaded with more spineless career politicians choose your preferences carefully.

Here is what Get Up says about their preferences.

• The Democrats have preferenced the Greens above the two major parties in every state, but in most states they have “split their ticket” between the major parties - meaning that if you vote above the line for the Democrats and the race for the last seat in your state comes down to Labor vs the Coalition, there’s a 50% chance your vote will go to the Coalition above Labor and a 50% chance your vote will go to Labor above the Coalition. (In NSW and Queensland, however, they registered a single ticket with Labor above the Coalition.)
• A new party called the Climate Change Coalition has preferenced Pauline Hanson above Labor in Queensland, and One Nation then Family First above the Greens and Labor in WA.(What a sham! - Ed)
• This election, Labor’s preferences flow directly to the Greens in every state. Looking only at parties that currently have Parliamentary representation, Labor’s preferences then go to the Democrats, then Family First, then the Coalition.
• In every state, looking only at parties that currently have Parliamentary representation, the Greens’ preferences go to the Democrats and then Labor before either Family First or the Coalition.
• In South Australia, independent candidate Nick Xenophon has split his ticket (meaning that if you vote for him above the line, your vote has a 50-50 chance of ending up in either pile) in the following way among parties the currently have Parliamentary representation: 50% of preferences will go to Family First, then the Greens, then the Nationals, then the Liberals, then Labor, 50% of preferences will go to the Greens, then Family First, then the Nationals, then Labor, then the Liberals
• Among parties that currently have Parliamentary representation, the Liberals’ preferences generally flow first to Family First, then to the Democrats, then to the Greens, then to Labor.
• In many (but not all) states, Family First sends its preferences to the CDP (Fred Nile), One Nation, and/or Pauline before any of the ‘major’ parties. Among major parties, they always flow to the Coalition before Labor, the Democrats or the Greens.

What about Climate Change?

The Big Switch have an interesting article rating the major political parties policies.

The Rating is out of 5

• GREENS - 4.8
• DEMOCRATS - 4.4
• LABOR - 1.9
• FAMILY FIRST - 1.2 (You’d think they’d be a little more lenient on the FUTURE! - Ed)
• LIBERALS - 0.8
• NATIONALS - 0.8
• COUNTRY LIBERALS - 0.8 (What don’t they know we’re having a drought? - Ed)

So make up your minds Nourishers but PLEASE VOTE and make your vote count. Fill out the preferences for the senate below the line to make sure your preferences don’t go down the wrong track.

About the Author...

Joanne Hay, Editor of Nourished Magazine, Chief Nourisher and Mother of three is very grateful to live in Byron Bay and be able to share all she has learned about Nourishment. She has trained as an Acupuncturist (unfinished), Kinesiologist (finished) and parent (never finished). She serves the Weston A Price Foundation as a chapter leader. She loves sauerkraut, kangaroo tail stew, home made ice cream, her husband Wes and her kids Isaiah, Brynn and Ronin (in no particular order…well maybe ice cream first).