ALP, LIBs and Greens on the nose in Tassie.

[Rorschach]

Labor have been jettisoning Conservatives for years and now considers itself THE progressive party. How bad must Labor stink for this to happen....

Ex-ALP minister to head Tassie Nationals
* From: AAP
* 22 minutes ago November 28, 2013 11:32AM

A FORMER Labor state government minister will head up the re-registered Nationals in Tasmania.

Allison Ritchie, who was a Labor member of the state's upper house, has been appointed the Nationals' inaugural state director.

The conservative party recently re-registered in Tasmania after an absence of 15 years and will contest the state election expected in March next year.

Ms Ritchie was a Labor parliamentary secretary and minister for planning and workplace relations during her eight-year stint in the Legislative Council.

She joined the ALP as a 14-year-old but quit in 2011 and ran for an upper house seat as an independent earlier this year.

"I didn't ever envisage I would ever engage with (another) political party," she told local media.

"It is a rare opportunity to fashion a party from the ground up."

The Nationals have struggled to have an impact in the island state, which has had a Labor-dominated government for 15 years, but Ms Ritchie said voters were disillusioned with the major parties.

"People are telling us they are not excited by Liberals, Labor and the Greens," she said.

The 39-year-old, who now part owns a farming business, became the youngest member to be elected to the upper house in 2001.

Nationals federal president Christine Ferguson said the party could draw on Ms Ritchie's experience in politics.

"Her past experience in the operation of a political state office will ensure she is able to hit the ground running as we continue to build the National Party in Tasmania," Ms Ferguson said in a statement.

[Outlaw Yogi]

Public sentiment for the major parties will continue to get worse.

If the Nats want to survive, they must split from the Libs, otherwise go down with them.

While their ethoses may be polar opposites, the Nats and Greens members are very similar, and these days tend to have the same ideas concerning rural matters.

The Liberal and Labor parties will soon be desperate to send the Greens and other minor parties the way of the Dems, into oblivion.

Probably be interesting to see how it eventually plays out. Whatever the outcome politics is likely to be nothing like we recognise in a decade or so. With 200K+ new arrivals in OZ annually, the demographics will change dramatically in the near future.

[DaS Energy]

"Probably be interesting to see how it eventually plays out"

Todays generation are no longer sheep following the goat lead by the farmer, but are thinking for themselves and voting for the person who does the same.

[mantra]

Public sentiment for the major parties will continue to get worse.

If the Nats want to survive, they must split from the Libs, otherwise go down with them.

While their ethoses may be polar opposites, the Nats and Greens members are very similar, and these days tend to have the same ideas concerning rural matters.

The Liberal and Labor parties will soon be desperate to send the Greens and other minor parties the way of the Dems, into oblivion.

Probably be interesting to see how it eventually plays out. Whatever the outcome politics is likely to be nothing like we recognise in a decade or so. With 200K+ new arrivals in OZ annually, the demographics will change dramatically in the near future.

The major parties would like to send the minor parties into oblivion, but it's unlikely just yet. Labor and Liberal are so disappointing, even to those who vote for them and this should ensure the minor parties continue to attract votes.

The Nationals would probably like to split from the Libs, but aren't strong enough now to do it unless they find a decent leader. Joyce might have been OK, but he's turned out to be a two faced idiot.

Todays generation are no longer sheep following the goat lead by the farmer, but are thinking for themselves and voting for the person who does the same.

I'm not sure about that. Even those who would like to see different parties in place really don't have a choice. They listen to the bribes and lies spruiked by the major parties who as soon as they're voted in renege on their promises. The minor parties are continually denigrated and that helps to keep them subjugated.

It would be nice to think that in another 20 years there will be a change of representation for Australia - but it's unlikely. Labor and the Liberals have fixed it so no other party can replace either of them.