Cerberus1 Posted May 9, 2018 Share Posted May 9, 2018 $20 for federal elections,. State elections differ, QLD is $126, not sure for other states. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skani Posted May 9, 2018 Share Posted May 9, 2018 7 minutes ago, Saurer Pfirsich said: I wasn't aware that people got fined for not voting in Australia, is that a new thing? No...it's been compulsory to vote since 1924 in federal elections. State elections varied....but started with Queensland in 1915 IIRC. . Elections are always held on a Saturday....polling places all over the place with queues and sausage sizzles and fundraising stalls. Masses of posters all over the place beforehand too. You'd have to be blind or suffering dementia to forget. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skani Posted May 9, 2018 Share Posted May 9, 2018 On 5/3/2018 at 12:12, can1983 said: Only downside is compulsory voting which can be a pain if you need to go abroad at short notice and have to vote to avoid a fine As well as postal vote or proof of travel mentioned, it is possible to vote at Australian embassies overseas if you are in the area. In the 1988 referendum I voted at the Australian Embassy in Stockholm. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parley Posted May 9, 2018 Share Posted May 9, 2018 Youy would have to live your life under a rock to forget there is an election on. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saurer Pfirsich Posted May 9, 2018 Author Share Posted May 9, 2018 1 hour ago, Parley said: Youy would have to live your life under a rock to forget there is an election on. I pretty much do to be honest! I only learned that the budget was happening when my staff at work started talking about it! I don't even own a tv these days. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saurer Pfirsich Posted May 9, 2018 Author Share Posted May 9, 2018 9 hours ago, Skani said: No...it's been compulsory to vote since 1924 in federal elections. State elections varied....but started with Queensland in 1915 IIRC. . Elections are always held on a Saturday....polling places all over the place with queues and sausage sizzles and fundraising stalls. Masses of posters all over the place beforehand too. You'd have to be blind or suffering dementia to forget. My wife's just fessed up to forgetting to vote at the last one and copping a $75.00 fine for her trouble! Seems a bit harsh to financially penalise the electorate for forgetfulness or disinterest! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fisher1 Posted May 9, 2018 Share Posted May 9, 2018 8 minutes ago, Saurer Pfirsich said: My wife's just fessed up to forgetting to vote at the last one and copping a $75.00 fine for her trouble! Seems a bit harsh to financially penalise the electorate for forgetfulness or disinterest! I used to be a bit like that about elections in the UK. Then I wised up and realised that if I wanted a certain group of people to organise my country I needed to get out and vote. Then came the UK referendum in June 2015 in which Britain decided - on a majority of 4% - to leave the European Union. I really believe that if more people had got off their backsides and voted the vote would have gone the other way. So I now think that fining people for failing to vote is a necessary evil - like voting! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
s713 Posted May 9, 2018 Share Posted May 9, 2018 I pulled out of applying for citizenship once I saw the size of the forms. I mean, I worked out that the time I would save over a lifetime by being able to join the Australian Passport Holder airport queue would probably be less than it would take to fill the citizenship application form in, twice (as I'm the designated form filler-iner in our house). Plus, my wife would fail the test, she doesn't know the first thing about Australia (seriously, nothing). As for being able to vote, I've been here 11 years and they've had about 79 Prime Ministers, like it makes an absolute jot of difference. 1 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gbye grey sky Posted May 9, 2018 Share Posted May 9, 2018 On 03/05/2018 at 07:52, Saurer Pfirsich said: As I say, it's never occurred to me until now. It's never come up as an issue. Going back to Parley's post about being able to call yourself an Australian, that's really struck a chord with me. I'm British and don't feel Australian, so it would feel a bit like cheating to turn up at an airport somewhere with an Australian passport! There's also the issue of how long we continue to reside here. We're looking to head home upon retirement so that kind of colours my thinking too. Maybe I'm over-thinking it, and should just go ahead and do it! All the more reason for getting your citizenship in place I would suggest. You could return to live in the UK, then change your mind or need to come back for family reasons and have to jump through hoops to return. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marisawright Posted May 9, 2018 Share Posted May 9, 2018 21 minutes ago, s713 said: I pulled out of applying for citizenship once I saw the size of the forms. I mean, I worked out that the time I would save over a lifetime by being able to join the Australian Passport Holder airport queue would probably be less than it would take to fill the citizenship application form in, twice I don't know anyone who applied for citizenship to save time in a queue. People get citizenship because they want security against any changes the Australian government might make - citizens are secure, PR can be revoked (think of Windrush). People get citizenship because they want the freedom to go home to Blighty or take a job overseas for as long as they want, without worrying whether they'll be allowed back in. That's especially true if they've got children who are Australian citizens. People get citizenship because they don't want the hassle of applying for a RRV every five years - there's always the risk of forgetting, like the poor chap currently posting here (he left without a valid RRV and is now stuck in the UK while he tries to sort it out). 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marisawright Posted May 9, 2018 Share Posted May 9, 2018 3 minutes ago, Gbye grey sky said: All the more reason for getting your citizenship in place I would suggest. You could return to live in the UK, then change your mind or need to come back for family reasons and have to jump through hoops to return. Never mind hoops, they might find it impossible to return! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saurer Pfirsich Posted May 10, 2018 Author Share Posted May 10, 2018 9 hours ago, s713 said: I pulled out of applying for citizenship once I saw the size of the forms. I mean, I worked out that the time I would save over a lifetime by being able to join the Australian Passport Holder airport queue would probably be less than it would take to fill the citizenship application form in, twice (as I'm the designated form filler-iner in our house). Plus, my wife would fail the test, she doesn't know the first thing about Australia (seriously, nothing). As for being able to vote, I've been here 11 years and they've had about 79 Prime Ministers, like it makes an absolute jot of difference. Your post really made me chuckle! She's not alone. I took three of the mock citizenship tests online earlier today and failed one and just about passed the other two, and that was only achieved through guess work! I'm going to have to do some serious research before I sit this thing for real! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amber Snowball Posted May 10, 2018 Share Posted May 10, 2018 2 hours ago, Saurer Pfirsich said: Your post really made me chuckle! She's not alone. I took three of the mock citizenship tests online earlier today and failed one and just about passed the other two, and that was only achieved through guess work! I'm going to have to do some serious research before I sit this thing for real! I got sent a book to read when I applied some years ago. Glad I took the time to read it as not sure guess work would have got me over the line. Since then I have had to vote what feels like every 2 months. I feel like I spend my whole life in a polling booth. And so many boxes to tick, weird preferencing system where who you vote for can transfer that vote to someone you didn’t vote for. The last form was about 1.5 metres wide, couldn’t fit it in the booth if it was unfolded. Really miss the tick one box for the person you like best and that’s it done. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gbye grey sky Posted May 10, 2018 Share Posted May 10, 2018 In light of my validating my PR visa in 2014, arriving less than 12 months later and not left the country since I am eligible to apply later this year. However by then I will be just 2 years away from my 60th birthday and therefore would not then need to take the actual test. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phoenix16 Posted May 10, 2018 Share Posted May 10, 2018 (edited) 48 minutes ago, Amber Snowball said: I got sent a book to read when I applied some years ago. Glad I took the time to read it as not sure guess work would have got me over the line. Since then I have had to vote what feels like every 2 months. I feel like I spend my whole life in a polling booth. And so many boxes to tick, weird preferencing system where who you vote for can transfer that vote to someone you didn’t vote for. The last form was about 1.5 metres wide, couldn’t fit it in the booth if it was unfolded. Really miss the tick one box for the person you like best and that’s it done. I’ve been a citizen for the last 3 years and can only recall being required to vote once! Luckily in WA we have the choice to vote in local elections it seems it’s only the federal elections we have to vote in. However, I do recall a friend of mine who told me she had lived in NSW and didn’t vote in an election as she was out of the country only to receive a letter telling her she’d had her driving licence suspended for 28 days for failing to vote ??!, and yes, voting is a pain, I’m with you, why can’t we just tick one box! I smiled at all the candidates as I left and said yeah I voted for ya, cos I had to literally vote for everyone in order of preference!!! Edited May 10, 2018 by Phoenix16 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unzippy Posted May 10, 2018 Share Posted May 10, 2018 11 hours ago, Phoenix16 said: However, I do recall a friend of mine who told me she had lived in NSW and didn’t vote in an election as she was out of the country only to receive a letter telling her she’d had her driving licence suspended for 28 days for failing to vote ??!, Cheeky! Does that mean those without driving licences can ignore voting with impunity? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CeltInCaulfield Posted May 10, 2018 Share Posted May 10, 2018 Dunno... those with driving licences seem to ignore the rules of the road, though. 1 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vickyplum Posted May 11, 2018 Share Posted May 11, 2018 21 hours ago, Gbye grey sky said: In light of my validating my PR visa in 2014, arriving less than 12 months later and not left the country since I am eligible to apply later this year. However by then I will be just 2 years away from my 60th birthday and therefore would not then need to take the actual test. Off topic slightly, my understanding is that you need to have been resident here for four years... So I arrived May 2015 and am aiming for May 2019 to apply. Or have I miscalculated...? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gbye grey sky Posted May 11, 2018 Share Posted May 11, 2018 7 minutes ago, vickyplum said: Off topic slightly, my understanding is that you need to have been resident here for four years... So I arrived May 2015 and am aiming for May 2019 to apply. Or have I miscalculated...? I validated my visa in 2014 when we did our recce and returned within 12 months. Therefore for citizenship purposes I have been resident since 2014. So long as I have spent less than 12 months out of the country in total since validating my visa then I am eligible to apply this year as I understand it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gbye grey sky Posted May 11, 2018 Share Posted May 11, 2018 12 minutes ago, vickyplum said: Off topic slightly, my understanding is that you need to have been resident here for four years... So I arrived May 2015 and am aiming for May 2019 to apply. Or have I miscalculated...? Sorry, just re-read your post and looked at your timeline. As I understand it now your period of residence on the temporary visa 309 will not count towards the 4 years so you will not be eligible until April 2020. I may be wrong on this though so hopefully someone more knowledgeable will help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vickyplum Posted May 11, 2018 Share Posted May 11, 2018 4 minutes ago, Gbye grey sky said: Sorry, just re-read your post and looked at your timeline. As I understand it now your period of residence on the temporary visa 309 will not count towards the 4 years so you will not be eligible until April 2020. I may be wrong on this though so hopefully someone more knowledgeable will help. I'm pretty confident I'm good for citizenship application next year, as per below. But I will be sure to work it out carefully, closer to the time! https://www.homeaffairs.gov.au/trav/ente/retu/residence-calculator To satisfy the residence requirements you must: have been living in Australia on a valid Australian visa for four years immediately before applying which must include the last 12 months as a permanent resident, and not have been absent from Australia for more than one year in total, in the 4 year period, including no more than 90 days in the year immediately before applying. Lawful residence means living in Australia on a valid Australian temporary or permanent visa. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saurer Pfirsich Posted May 11, 2018 Author Share Posted May 11, 2018 22 hours ago, Amber Snowball said: I got sent a book to read when I applied some years ago. Glad I took the time to read it as not sure guess work would have got me over the line. Since then I have had to vote what feels like every 2 months. I feel like I spend my whole life in a polling booth. And so many boxes to tick, weird preferencing system where who you vote for can transfer that vote to someone you didn’t vote for. The last form was about 1.5 metres wide, couldn’t fit it in the booth if it was unfolded. Really miss the tick one box for the person you like best and that’s it done. Does spoiling your ballot paper (be hard not to, based on your description of it!) carry a financial penalty too? That might be an answer for the uninterested or apathetic if not. Spoil the paper and save yourself a bit of time! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amber Snowball Posted May 11, 2018 Share Posted May 11, 2018 4 minutes ago, Saurer Pfirsich said: Does spoiling your ballot paper (be hard not to, based on your description of it!) carry a financial penalty too? That might be an answer for the uninterested or apathetic if not. Spoil the paper and save yourself a bit of time! Mmmm. Don’t know to be honest. I try not to spoil it as I think voting is important but can’t be sure I haven’t ballsed it up inadvertently. Never had a fine though. I’ve probably managed to vote in someone by accident! I think I’m improving with practice! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gbye grey sky Posted May 11, 2018 Share Posted May 11, 2018 1 hour ago, vickyplum said: I'm pretty confident I'm good for citizenship application next year, as per below. But I will be sure to work it out carefully, closer to the time! https://www.homeaffairs.gov.au/trav/ente/retu/residence-calculator To satisfy the residence requirements you must: have been living in Australia on a valid Australian visa for four years immediately before applying which must include the last 12 months as a permanent resident, and not have been absent from Australia for more than one year in total, in the 4 year period, including no more than 90 days in the year immediately before applying. Lawful residence means living in Australia on a valid Australian temporary or permanent visa. I think the rules are changing this year so that you will have to have 4 years of PR. https://www.homeaffairs.gov.au/trav/citi/whats-new Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vickyplum Posted May 11, 2018 Share Posted May 11, 2018 28 minutes ago, Gbye grey sky said: I think the rules are changing this year so that you will have to have 4 years of PR. https://www.homeaffairs.gov.au/trav/citi/whats-new OH! I had forgotten about that little drama...will have to see what happens with it in July then. I was looking forward to applying in 2019!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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