[EM] preference swapping shenanigans in Australia

[LAYTON Craig]

The "preferential system" has recieved some scrutiny in Australia recently.
Here's the story;

First, some background on the Australian political system - there are three
main parties, Labor (social democratic), Liberal (urban conservative),
National (rural conservative).  National & Liberal are in constant
coalition, but maintain separate party structures.  The current Federal
government is Liberal/National.  Liberal are the senior coalition partners
(the Prime Minister's Liberal).

One Nation, Australia's resident nutty extreme right party (led by Pauline
Hanson, a semi-literate version of Le Penn or Haider) are gaining in
popularity, polling about 6% nationally, but up to 20 or 30% in some rural
areas.  Labor and Liberal have instituted a policy of putting One Nation
last on all how-to-vote cards.  The political and media pressure to maintain
this policy is significant.  One Nation has decided to retaliate by placing
incumbent candidates last on (almost) all of its how to vote cards.  This
significantly disadvantages the incumbent government, especially in rural
seats that the National party might have otherwise won, except for the flow
of One Nation preferences to Labor (the National Party is much ideologically
closer to One Nation, and the vast majority of rural One Nation voters would
probably vote National if One Nation wasn't running).  The National Party
doesn't have a strict policy of placing One Nation last (individual
candidates can decide), and some members have already folded and announced
that they'll swap preferences in the Federal election later this year (which
will be a very close election).

Last week's state election in Western Australia was the first in which One
Nation used this policy, and this looks like a major factor in the Labor
party winning government (over the incumbent Liberal/National party, who
pretty much stuck to a One Nation last policy during the election).  A
Queensland state election is to follow in the upcomming weeks, which also
looks fairly close, and it is the state in which One Nation and another
break off extreme right party have the highest level of support.

Some people are beginning to question the wisdom of a preferential system
because it appears to be conferring an inordinate amount of power onto this
lunatic party (the power to topple governments).