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magic9mushroom  If you're going to downvote me, and nobody's already voiced your objection, please reply and tell me  3d ago (text post)   855 thread views

Australian Federal Election, 2025

So there's an Australian federal election today (the polls in the Eastern states close in 20 minutes), and apparently we have top-level posts for Five Eyes federal elections.

So, here's a top-level post for the Australian federal election. Polls are predicting a Labour landslide (thanks Obama Trump, we really needed all that friendly fire), but we live in the age of Shy Tories so one can never be 100% sure.

I just voted; below the line all the way (I would have voted above the line, except for the whole "I like the Nationals a lot more than the Liberals" thing), and I didn't even get to eat democracy sausage afterward. So now I'm cranky and miserable, though that might also be because I've been up for 24 hours or so.

One Nation didn't actually show up at the polling place I went to, which was odd; they did last time, though it moved a few streets over.

I think I voted lower on the Libertarian Party than I otherwise would have due to not realising they were the Liberal Democrats and/or vaguely recalling something about a joint ticket with Clive Palmer. Whoops.

I rate myself as like a 3/10 on engagement this election; I'm usually more active about pushing civil defence, even if it's basically yelling at a brick wall.

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Thanks for pointing that out. I should have been clearer. By regulatory structure, I meant the legal and institutional framework required just to begin considering nuclear power. That means repealing the current ban, signing a 123 agreement with the US, and getting alignment between federal and state governments (when even coalition-led states showed only tepid support during the campaign). These steps alone could take years.

That's not mentioning the harder part that comes next: building national public acceptance in a country broadly hostile to nuclear, gaining local backing at each proposed site, launching an international tender process because there's no domestic industry, and securing administrative and environmental approvals. All this unfolds under constant political friction and the risk of reversal with each change in government. Even under ideal conditions, these take years too.

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