Abbott to Turnbull has been a disaster

[mantra]

Cods they were employing people in nursing homes 20 years ago who couldn't speak a word of English. I don't think society cares much about people in nursing homes. This is why no-one wants to go to one.

[Neferti]

No matter how hard the Greens try, they still only get about 10% vote.

Maybe, but that's only if Ozzies stick with the status quo, which looks unlikely.
At times Greens have got 20% and in certain seats 25%.
With more people abandoning the major parties and/or casting protest votes the Greens vote could very well increase.

Also, can ANYONE tell me what the difference is between "preferential voting" and "proportional voting". People state that "preferential voting" should stop as it allows All Sorts to get a seat.

Preferential voting is where when primary votes are exhausted (for a particular candidate) that vote goes to whoever that candidate/party preferenced as their next best option, and continues down the list of candidates until all votes are exhausted. This means a candidate with more primary votes can be beaten by someone with more preference votes, as is often the case. So even though more people voted for a certain candidate, they can lose to someone who a greater number prefer as their 2nd, 3rd or even 10th choice.

Proportional voting is where (with a minimum threshold) gaining only a small fraction of primary votes allows those who voted that way to be represented in govt.
Say hypothetically that a govt had 100 seats, and 5% of the electorate voted for the Moonbat Party, then the Moonbat party gets 5 MPs in that govt.

The Greens in coalition with Labor got it introduced in Tasmania.
NZ has had it for quite some time, forcing the Nationals John Key to appoint MPs from other parties to his cabinet. Which made things awkward and why he was said to be such a good negotiator.
Proportional voting is the system used to elect our Senate - the results speak for themselves, good or bad.

I did a quick Google but I got 2 different explanations ... are they the same thing or not?

Certainly not.

I don't support either concept. I advocate 1st past the post (only primary votes counted), and is a major part of my excuse for not voting ... as for the compulsory part, they can go copulate themselves.

Thanks, Yogi. I think we should get rid of "preferences" and go by the first-past-the-post as well.

I've been left off the Rolls many times over the years, even though I haven't moved or changed my name ... These days you can check online but before that you had to turn up to vote, find your name not on the Rolls and, rather than fill out a heap of papers to re-register, I've just walked out. If I am not on the Rolls they can't do anything. Strangely, the next time there was an Election and I turned up, my name was back on the Rolls. So I have missed voting at a few Elections through no fault of my own. In Canberra my vote isn't worth much anyhow, considering this is ALP Central and I vote Liberal***.

Edit.*** Except when Turnbull is the leader. I will NOT vote Liberal while he is there.