Pride in our system

THIS editorial is an election column but it is not about swings or margins or which parties won or lost.

We should all put results to one side and, as one, take pride in our system of free elections.

Our system is not perfect. The role and function of the upper house, both federally and in states that have one, needs ongoing scrutiny.

And even our preferential system can throw up seemingly unfair results where candidates who get fewer first preference votes can triumph over those who get the most.

But take a wide view of the world, of failed states and brutal regimes, of places where comedians get imprisoned and journalists get executed, and we should be dancing in the streets about how good we’ve got it.

For every gripe we have about modern politics — about Canberra leadership shambles, about the slow pace of achievement — there is a cure, and it is called the ballot.

Don’t like what’s going on? Vote the other way.

Don’t like any of the available parties? Start one yourself.

We tend to cringe at US-style displays of nationalism, but it’s hard not to feel that we have a wonderful thing going when you queue up on polling day.

Here are people often with vastly opposing views, but there is no violence and only a sense of unity.

We’re all Australians and we’re polite to each other, jokes are made by scrutineers and everyone laughs.

We like to bag politicians but on some level we know this thing we’re doing is important. That people around the world would, and have, died for the ability to cast a free vote.

We also know that no matter what happens we’ll respect the result and get on with our lives.

Part of it is the democratic system, our compelled engagement in it through fines for not voting, and our Constitutional checks and balances

But another big part of it is our national character.

It is more than a cliche that we believe in a system that is fair. We live it and it should be celebrated.