It's also worth mentioning that voting is mandatory in Australia, failure of which will result in a fine or legal action (if the fine isn't paid). The fine is paltry - I was fined $25 about 10 years ago when I was out of the country and didn't vote.<p>Couple mandatory voting with the vast disinterest in politics by the majority of the electorate, and you have the Australian government. I sometimes wonder why our society isn't in more disarray.