Year 9 Civics & Citizenship · Government and Democracy · 9m read

Political Parties and Elections

Ever wondered why your vote gets counted in such a specific way, or why some politicians seem to have more power than others? Political parties are teams of people with similar beliefs who compete to lead the country, and Australia's electoral system is the set of rules that decides whose team wins. Learning how this works helps you see how democracy actually functions in practice — and why your vote genuinely matters when you turn 18.

Learning objective: Explain the role of political parties and the Australian electoral system.

By the end of this lesson you can:

I can name and describe the major political parties.
I can explain preferential and proportional voting.
I can analyse how media influences political choices.

Preferential voting is ranking your favourite ice creams. If your first choice is out of stock, your vote moves to your second choice — until one flavour has a majority.

Parties, voting and influence

POLITICAL PARTIES:
• AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY (ALP) — centre-left; workers' rights, public services.
• LIBERAL PARTY — centre-right; free markets, business, low taxes.
• NATIONAL PARTY — rural/regional interests; often in coalition with Liberals.
• AUSTRALIAN GREENS — environmental, progressive social policies.
• INDEPENDENTS and minor parties — no party affiliation; increasingly influential.

HOW GOVERNMENT IS FORMED:
• Party winning majority in House of Representatives forms government.
• PM is the leader of that majority.
• Coalition: two or more parties (Liberal + National) govern together.
• Hung parliament: no majority → minority government or new election.

ELECTORAL SYSTEMS:
• HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES — Preferential voting (rank all candidates 1, 2, 3...).
– Ensures winning candidate has majority support; no "wasted" votes.
• SENATE — Proportional representation (above/below the line).
– Smaller parties can win seats; reflects diversity of voter views.
• COMPULSORY VOTING — mandatory for all citizens 18+; ~95% turnout.

HOW MEDIA SHAPES POLITICAL CHOICES:
• Traditional media: newspapers, TV — set agenda (what issues matter).
• Social media: targeted advertising, echo chambers, misinformation.
• Political advertising — legal; must be authorised.
• SPIN: selective presentation of information by politicians and parties.

AARI TIP: Ask Aari to explain how preferential voting works with a worked example.

Voting systems

Preferential (HoR): Rank all candidates; eliminates last-place and redistributes.
Proportional (Senate): Seats reflect share of votes — small parties win seats.
Compulsory voting: Required by law; fines for non-voters.

Quick reference

| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Compulsory voting | 18+ citizens must vote |
| House of Reps | Preferential voting |
| Senate | Proportional representation |
| Political party | Group with shared policies |
| Majority government | 76+ of 151 seats |

Worked example (Medium)

How does preferential voting protect against a "split vote" problem?

The problem. In "first past the post" (USA, UK), two similar candidates split their vote, letting an unpopular third candidate win.
How preferential solves it. Voters rank ALL candidates. If your first choice comes last, your vote transfers to your second preference.
Result. The eventual winner always has majority support (50%+) from the pool of voters — the most representative outcome.
Example. A Green voter preferencing Labor means their vote isn't "wasted" if the Greens candidate loses — it helps elect their preferred mainstream candidate.

Answer: Preferential voting ensures the winner has genuine majority support by redistributing votes from eliminated candidates.

Worked example (Hard)

In the 2022 federal election, several "teal independents" won seats traditionally held by the Liberal Party. Analyse what this reveals about Australia's electoral system and the changing role of political parties.

What happened. Independent candidates (labelled "teal" for their climate-focused, socially progressive but economically moderate platforms) won seats in wealthy inner-city electorates previously considered safe Liberal seats — including Kooyong, Goldstein, Wentworth and North Sydney.
Electoral system factors. Preferential voting allowed teal voters to preference independents first without "wasting" their vote. If Australia used first-past-the-post, these candidates would likely have split the centre-right vote and Labor would have won instead.
Changing party dynamics. The teal movement suggests major parties may no longer adequately represent voter views on key issues (climate, integrity). Voters used the electoral system to send a message without switching to the opposing major party.
Implications. This demonstrates that Australia's preferential voting system allows for political change and new voices in a way that two-party-dominant systems like the USA cannot easily achieve.

Answer: The teal independent movement shows how preferential voting empowers voters to move beyond major parties, enabling issue-based representation and holding parties accountable.

Common mistakes

Saying that in preferential voting, only your first preference counts. If your first preference is eliminated, your vote transfers to your second preference, then third, and so on — every preference can matter. Fix: Explain the full redistribution process: "Votes transfer from eliminated candidates to the next preference until one candidate achieves 50%+ support."
Claiming compulsory voting forces people to vote for a party. Compulsory voting requires citizens to attend a polling place and have their name marked off. They can submit a blank (informal) ballot. Fix: Clarify: "Compulsory voting means you must attend and have your name marked off — you can still vote informally by leaving the ballot blank."
Treating the Liberal and National parties as one party. They are separate parties with different membership, leadership and policies, but they form a coalition agreement to govern together. Fix: Write: "The Liberal and National parties are separate organisations that form a coalition — they share government but maintain independent party structures and sometimes disagree on policy."

The Power of Compulsory Voting

Australia is one of only about 20 countries that enforce compulsory voting. This has profound effects on Australian democracy that are often underappreciated.

Turnout effects: Australia achieves ~95% voter turnout, compared to ~60% in the USA and ~67% in the UK. This means Australian governments are elected by a genuine cross-section of the population, not just motivated voters.

Policy implications: Research by political scientists suggests compulsory voting produces more centrist, moderate governments. When only motivated voters turn out (as in voluntary systems), extreme positions are over-represented because passionate supporters of fringe views are more likely to vote. Compulsory voting dilutes this effect.

Equity effects: In voluntary systems, low-income, young and minority voters are systematically less likely to vote — meaning policies tend to favour those who do vote (older, wealthier citizens). Compulsory voting significantly reduces this bias.

Criticism: Some argue compulsory voting violates individual freedom — the right NOT to vote is also a democratic right. Others worry it produces "donkey votes" (random numbering) that distort results. However, evidence suggests informal voting rates are low (~5%) and compulsory voting's benefits for representation outweigh these concerns.

Practice questions

Australia uses compulsory voting, which means:
1. You must vote for the Labor Party.
2. All citizens over 18 are legally required to vote.
3. Only adults with a job can vote.
4. Voting is optional but encouraged.
(1 marks)
Analyse how social media can both help and harm democratic participation.
(3 marks)

Summary

Name and describe the major political parties.
Explain preferential and proportional voting.
Analyse how media influences political choices.