1 00:00:00,040 --> 00:00:03,320 Speaker 1: This podcast is produced in partnership with the Australian Electoral Commission. 2 00:00:03,360 --> 00:00:05,120 Speaker 1: Camera already and. 3 00:00:05,320 --> 00:00:09,080 Speaker 2: This is the Daily This is the Daily OS. 4 00:00:09,080 --> 00:00:20,200 Speaker 3: Oh now it makes sense. Good morning and welcome to 5 00:00:20,200 --> 00:00:22,919 Speaker 3: the Daily OS. It's Sunday, the twenty seventh of April. 6 00:00:23,000 --> 00:00:24,400 Speaker 3: I'm belief, it's Simon's. 7 00:00:24,079 --> 00:00:25,479 Speaker 1: I'm Sam because losky Sam. 8 00:00:25,520 --> 00:00:26,119 Speaker 3: Can you smell that? 9 00:00:27,080 --> 00:00:28,360 Speaker 1: Is that a democracy? 10 00:00:28,760 --> 00:00:32,879 Speaker 3: It is the smell of democracy in action. And we 11 00:00:33,080 --> 00:00:36,120 Speaker 3: are so happy, aren't we, Sam, to be here on 12 00:00:36,200 --> 00:00:40,599 Speaker 3: another Sunday with another bonus episode, this time on all 13 00:00:40,640 --> 00:00:44,360 Speaker 3: of the questions that you have about Australia's election process. 14 00:00:44,520 --> 00:00:47,320 Speaker 3: Think of this as going right back to the basics. 15 00:00:47,360 --> 00:00:49,320 Speaker 3: We are doing politics one oh one. 16 00:00:49,479 --> 00:00:51,360 Speaker 1: It's a good time to tune in, isn't it. Because 17 00:00:51,479 --> 00:00:53,720 Speaker 1: we are going to the polls next Saturday. 18 00:00:53,880 --> 00:00:56,560 Speaker 3: It is a very good time to tune in all 19 00:00:56,600 --> 00:00:58,960 Speaker 3: of Australia. Like you said, Sam will be heading to 20 00:00:59,040 --> 00:01:01,720 Speaker 3: the polls on Saturday day, the third of May, when 21 00:01:01,760 --> 00:01:05,760 Speaker 3: the country will decide who will next form government. Now, 22 00:01:05,800 --> 00:01:08,920 Speaker 3: Sam over on Instagram, We asked our audience what they 23 00:01:08,959 --> 00:01:12,840 Speaker 3: wanted to know and we were completely inundated with questions. 24 00:01:13,160 --> 00:01:18,199 Speaker 3: So today we are answering all of those questions. 25 00:01:19,520 --> 00:01:22,840 Speaker 1: Let's start off with the first one from Sharane. She 26 00:01:23,000 --> 00:01:26,360 Speaker 1: asked what positions or roles are we actually voting for. 27 00:01:26,640 --> 00:01:29,120 Speaker 3: That's the perfect one to start us off because it 28 00:01:29,120 --> 00:01:31,800 Speaker 3: does take us right back to the basics and it's 29 00:01:31,840 --> 00:01:34,959 Speaker 3: really important for us to understand. So in this election, 30 00:01:35,240 --> 00:01:38,240 Speaker 3: we're all actually voting for a couple of things at 31 00:01:38,240 --> 00:01:41,319 Speaker 3: the federal election. So you're voting for who you want 32 00:01:41,360 --> 00:01:44,640 Speaker 3: to represent your local area in the House of Representatives, 33 00:01:45,000 --> 00:01:47,720 Speaker 3: and you're also voting for who you want to represent 34 00:01:47,800 --> 00:01:51,120 Speaker 3: your state or territory in the Senate. Now, I think 35 00:01:51,200 --> 00:01:54,960 Speaker 3: for this episode we will mostly focus on the House 36 00:01:55,000 --> 00:01:58,720 Speaker 3: of Representatives just because that is the house that determines 37 00:01:58,880 --> 00:02:01,000 Speaker 3: which party will be in government. 38 00:02:01,120 --> 00:02:01,320 Speaker 1: Cool. 39 00:02:01,600 --> 00:02:03,680 Speaker 3: So it's in the House of Reps that voters will 40 00:02:03,720 --> 00:02:06,800 Speaker 3: be electing someone from their area, which is also known 41 00:02:06,880 --> 00:02:10,280 Speaker 3: as an electorate, and that person will speak on their 42 00:02:10,320 --> 00:02:13,160 Speaker 3: behalf in Parliament. Now, Sam, do you know how many 43 00:02:13,240 --> 00:02:15,320 Speaker 3: electorates there are in Australia, Well, I. 44 00:02:15,240 --> 00:02:17,799 Speaker 1: Do know that you need seventy six seats to win. 45 00:02:18,160 --> 00:02:21,840 Speaker 1: That is true, So therefore there would be seventy five 46 00:02:21,919 --> 00:02:23,560 Speaker 1: times two, which is one hundred and fifty. 47 00:02:23,840 --> 00:02:27,200 Speaker 3: That is true and a great guest because last election 48 00:02:27,280 --> 00:02:29,920 Speaker 3: there were actually one hundred and fifty one electorates, but 49 00:02:30,120 --> 00:02:33,000 Speaker 3: now there's been a redistribution and now, yeah, did you 50 00:02:33,040 --> 00:02:33,280 Speaker 3: not know? 51 00:02:33,600 --> 00:02:34,120 Speaker 1: I didn't know that. 52 00:02:34,520 --> 00:02:36,960 Speaker 3: I love that you learned something new along with the audience. 53 00:02:36,960 --> 00:02:39,679 Speaker 3: That's so good. So now there are one hundred and 54 00:02:39,760 --> 00:02:42,919 Speaker 3: fifty electorates in Australia, and so that means that there 55 00:02:42,960 --> 00:02:45,600 Speaker 3: are one hundred and fifty seats up for grabs in 56 00:02:45,760 --> 00:02:49,360 Speaker 3: the House of Reps. And those electorates are based on 57 00:02:49,440 --> 00:02:52,600 Speaker 3: population side, so there are roughly about one hundred and 58 00:02:52,639 --> 00:02:55,480 Speaker 3: twenty thousand voters who live in each electorate. 59 00:02:55,760 --> 00:02:57,840 Speaker 1: And then I imagine that would mean that there's many 60 00:02:57,880 --> 00:03:01,720 Speaker 1: electorates in a metropolitan city, but then an electorate might 61 00:03:01,760 --> 00:03:05,040 Speaker 1: be really massive in the outback or exactly in some 62 00:03:05,080 --> 00:03:06,080 Speaker 1: of the more regional areas. 63 00:03:06,280 --> 00:03:11,000 Speaker 3: Yeah, definitely. And each electorate will have several different candidates, 64 00:03:11,520 --> 00:03:14,840 Speaker 3: usually one from each major party, so from the Labor 65 00:03:14,880 --> 00:03:18,000 Speaker 3: Party and the Liberal Party, and then some from minor 66 00:03:18,040 --> 00:03:22,400 Speaker 3: parties and others will also have independence running in that electorate, 67 00:03:22,560 --> 00:03:26,280 Speaker 3: which means that they just don't belong to a registered party. 68 00:03:26,480 --> 00:03:28,680 Speaker 1: So it's kind of like, there's one hundred and fifty 69 00:03:28,960 --> 00:03:32,600 Speaker 1: different races happening all at once, and the party or 70 00:03:32,680 --> 00:03:36,720 Speaker 1: the coalition of parties that wins the seventy six number 71 00:03:37,000 --> 00:03:39,960 Speaker 1: across the races is going to be the next government exactly. 72 00:03:40,320 --> 00:03:43,160 Speaker 3: So there literally are one hundred and fifty different races 73 00:03:43,320 --> 00:03:46,720 Speaker 3: happening at once. Plus there's also the eight Senate races. 74 00:03:46,760 --> 00:03:47,880 Speaker 3: I know, we said that we were just going to 75 00:03:47,920 --> 00:03:49,520 Speaker 3: focus on the House of Reps, but you can't forget 76 00:03:49,560 --> 00:03:52,920 Speaker 3: about the Senate, so there are also eight Senate races. 77 00:03:53,120 --> 00:03:55,200 Speaker 3: But yeah, I think that's important thing to point out 78 00:03:55,240 --> 00:03:57,680 Speaker 3: because often you just focus on kind of the one 79 00:03:57,800 --> 00:04:02,240 Speaker 3: big federal election race, but in reality, there are so 80 00:04:02,440 --> 00:04:05,560 Speaker 3: many different races all happening at once, which determines that 81 00:04:05,680 --> 00:04:07,280 Speaker 3: one overall big. 82 00:04:07,160 --> 00:04:10,480 Speaker 1: Race, which makes Saturday night, when everyone's counting one hundred 83 00:04:10,480 --> 00:04:12,520 Speaker 1: and fifty races at once or trying to figure out 84 00:04:12,520 --> 00:04:15,119 Speaker 1: what the numbers mean and where and why, it makes 85 00:04:15,160 --> 00:04:17,479 Speaker 1: it such a chaotic, bit exciting night. 86 00:04:17,400 --> 00:04:21,159 Speaker 3: All the more exciting. Yeah, and it's because of this, 87 00:04:21,320 --> 00:04:23,880 Speaker 3: of what's happening in all the different electorates that you 88 00:04:23,920 --> 00:04:28,000 Speaker 3: won't actually see either Labor leader Anthony Albanesi or Liberal 89 00:04:28,040 --> 00:04:31,839 Speaker 3: Party leader Peter Dunden on your ballot paper unless you 90 00:04:31,960 --> 00:04:35,680 Speaker 3: are in their actual electorate. And it's also why when 91 00:04:35,760 --> 00:04:38,440 Speaker 3: you know you're walking around your area and you see 92 00:04:38,520 --> 00:04:41,560 Speaker 3: lots of posters up for the election, you're probably not 93 00:04:41,680 --> 00:04:45,320 Speaker 3: seeing Albanesi or Dudden's faces. You're seeing the faces and 94 00:04:45,400 --> 00:04:48,520 Speaker 3: names of the local candidates in your electorate, which. 95 00:04:48,279 --> 00:04:50,200 Speaker 1: Is one of the big differences we have with the 96 00:04:50,240 --> 00:04:53,440 Speaker 1: American presidential system. Yeah, where it's all about kind of 97 00:04:53,480 --> 00:04:55,640 Speaker 1: the two leaders. We've got that one hundred and fifty 98 00:04:55,760 --> 00:04:59,159 Speaker 1: race system. And when you said the House of Representatives 99 00:04:59,200 --> 00:05:01,680 Speaker 1: is where the government's formed, tell me a little bit 100 00:05:01,720 --> 00:05:03,839 Speaker 1: more about how that actually works, Like how do you 101 00:05:03,920 --> 00:05:04,679 Speaker 1: form a government? 102 00:05:04,880 --> 00:05:07,400 Speaker 3: Well, you kind of just answer that by saying that 103 00:05:07,440 --> 00:05:10,120 Speaker 3: they need to have at least seventy six seats. So 104 00:05:10,160 --> 00:05:12,920 Speaker 3: to just take a quick step back, so to form government, 105 00:05:12,960 --> 00:05:15,680 Speaker 3: a party needs to have at least seventy six of 106 00:05:15,720 --> 00:05:19,719 Speaker 3: their party members winning their electorate. You kind of already 107 00:05:19,720 --> 00:05:21,720 Speaker 3: did the mass for us, sam be I'll do it again. 108 00:05:21,760 --> 00:05:24,520 Speaker 3: So seventy six is the magic number because it is 109 00:05:24,560 --> 00:05:27,200 Speaker 3: a majority of the one hundred and fifty seats up. 110 00:05:27,040 --> 00:05:30,400 Speaker 1: For grabs, And I literally picture a pigraph of the 111 00:05:30,440 --> 00:05:32,240 Speaker 1: House of Reps in my head, and see that kind 112 00:05:32,240 --> 00:05:34,840 Speaker 1: of middle point. And if you can sneak over a 113 00:05:34,880 --> 00:05:37,520 Speaker 1: little bit into the other side, you're forming government. 114 00:05:37,680 --> 00:05:41,000 Speaker 3: You're in government. And it's the Labor Party and the Coalition, 115 00:05:41,080 --> 00:05:43,520 Speaker 3: which is made up of the Liberal and National Parties, 116 00:05:43,839 --> 00:05:46,960 Speaker 3: who are usually the two groups who are able to 117 00:05:47,080 --> 00:05:50,599 Speaker 3: form that majority. So they're trying to reach that number 118 00:05:50,640 --> 00:05:53,560 Speaker 3: of seventy six seats at the election next Saturday. 119 00:05:53,800 --> 00:05:57,200 Speaker 1: And that might happen on Saturday night if they've got 120 00:05:57,240 --> 00:05:59,440 Speaker 1: heaps of seats, but it might take a little bit longer, 121 00:05:59,800 --> 00:06:02,960 Speaker 1: and they might have to kind of figure out deals 122 00:06:03,400 --> 00:06:06,960 Speaker 1: with smaller parties and independence to form a minority government. Right. 123 00:06:07,240 --> 00:06:10,559 Speaker 3: Yes, And that is another question that we got a lot, 124 00:06:10,760 --> 00:06:13,279 Speaker 3: which is what exactly is a minority government. 125 00:06:13,560 --> 00:06:16,360 Speaker 1: I hear that term thrown around a lot every couple 126 00:06:16,360 --> 00:06:18,679 Speaker 1: of elections. I feel like it's kind of an almost 127 00:06:18,760 --> 00:06:22,000 Speaker 1: predicted result every so often. Can you explain exactly what 128 00:06:22,040 --> 00:06:22,479 Speaker 1: that means? 129 00:06:22,600 --> 00:06:25,599 Speaker 3: Yeah, So if no one reaches that magic number of 130 00:06:25,680 --> 00:06:29,200 Speaker 3: seventy six seats, then that's when our attention turns to 131 00:06:29,560 --> 00:06:33,640 Speaker 3: a minority government, which is also known as a hung parliament. 132 00:06:34,080 --> 00:06:36,839 Speaker 3: And it means that the major parties will need to 133 00:06:36,960 --> 00:06:42,440 Speaker 3: negotiate with minor parties or independents to form government. Now, 134 00:06:42,640 --> 00:06:46,760 Speaker 3: this doesn't mean that those parties formally join forces or 135 00:06:46,760 --> 00:06:51,200 Speaker 3: that the minor parties and independence become part of the government. Rather, 136 00:06:51,400 --> 00:06:55,000 Speaker 3: they kind of just agree to guarantee something called confidence 137 00:06:55,080 --> 00:06:55,600 Speaker 3: and supply. 138 00:06:55,839 --> 00:06:56,880 Speaker 1: Explain what that means. 139 00:06:56,960 --> 00:06:59,440 Speaker 3: Yeah, So that means that they agree to keep the 140 00:06:59,440 --> 00:07:02,800 Speaker 3: government in power and to vote to pass the budget 141 00:07:02,880 --> 00:07:05,440 Speaker 3: so that money can be allocated to keep the country 142 00:07:05,640 --> 00:07:10,000 Speaker 3: essentially running. And in exchange for that support, minor parties 143 00:07:10,000 --> 00:07:14,160 Speaker 3: and independents will likely impose some sort of conditions which 144 00:07:14,200 --> 00:07:18,320 Speaker 3: could look like support for particular policies that are important 145 00:07:18,360 --> 00:07:18,680 Speaker 3: to them. 146 00:07:19,040 --> 00:07:21,600 Speaker 1: I remember it would have to be maybe fifteen years 147 00:07:21,640 --> 00:07:24,120 Speaker 1: ago or so. Now we went through one of these 148 00:07:24,120 --> 00:07:26,600 Speaker 1: scenarios and it was down to a group of three 149 00:07:26,720 --> 00:07:29,720 Speaker 1: independents to pick who they were going to back for 150 00:07:29,800 --> 00:07:31,480 Speaker 1: that confidence and supply. 151 00:07:31,400 --> 00:07:34,280 Speaker 3: You're talking about when Julia Gillard was Prime Minister exactly. 152 00:07:34,400 --> 00:07:36,440 Speaker 1: Yeah, and I remember it almost feeling like a little 153 00:07:36,440 --> 00:07:39,600 Speaker 1: bit of an Australian Idol style press conference when they 154 00:07:39,600 --> 00:07:42,000 Speaker 1: were announcing who they were going to back, and it 155 00:07:42,040 --> 00:07:43,920 Speaker 1: was incredible that we have this big system with all 156 00:07:44,000 --> 00:07:46,400 Speaker 1: of these races all over the country, and because of 157 00:07:46,400 --> 00:07:48,840 Speaker 1: the dynamics of that election, it all came down to 158 00:07:48,880 --> 00:07:50,840 Speaker 1: who those independents were going to back. 159 00:07:51,200 --> 00:07:54,120 Speaker 3: I'm picturing like ten year old Sam or twelve year 160 00:07:54,120 --> 00:07:58,680 Speaker 3: old Sam when that was going on TV. So excited. 161 00:07:59,080 --> 00:08:00,520 Speaker 1: But it can be really confusing. 162 00:08:00,840 --> 00:08:02,760 Speaker 3: It can be confusing, and so I want to just 163 00:08:02,800 --> 00:08:05,320 Speaker 3: give you an example, and I'm going to use made 164 00:08:05,400 --> 00:08:08,080 Speaker 3: up parties and policies here to just explain how a 165 00:08:08,160 --> 00:08:12,200 Speaker 3: minority government works. So, Sam, let's say the Orange Party 166 00:08:12,280 --> 00:08:15,600 Speaker 3: is a major party and they after the election has 167 00:08:15,640 --> 00:08:18,480 Speaker 3: been held, only have seventy four seats. 168 00:08:18,560 --> 00:08:21,160 Speaker 1: So on my pigraph, in my head, they're not over 169 00:08:21,160 --> 00:08:21,840 Speaker 1: the halfway line. 170 00:08:21,840 --> 00:08:24,800 Speaker 3: They're not over the halfway line, and so they need 171 00:08:24,920 --> 00:08:27,960 Speaker 3: two more seats to form government and to get over 172 00:08:28,000 --> 00:08:31,120 Speaker 3: that halfway line. And then let's say that we have 173 00:08:31,280 --> 00:08:34,600 Speaker 3: the Pink Party, which is a minority party, and they 174 00:08:34,640 --> 00:08:38,120 Speaker 3: have won two seats. So if the Orange Party and 175 00:08:38,240 --> 00:08:41,040 Speaker 3: the Pink Party came together, then that would mean that 176 00:08:41,080 --> 00:08:44,840 Speaker 3: they have seventy six seats and that's enough to form government. 177 00:08:44,920 --> 00:08:47,840 Speaker 3: So Sam, in your paragraph, that's about fifty one percent 178 00:08:48,000 --> 00:08:50,520 Speaker 3: or maybe a little bit over if my mass is correct, 179 00:08:51,120 --> 00:08:53,880 Speaker 3: and that could mean that they could then form government, 180 00:08:54,320 --> 00:08:56,880 Speaker 3: but in exchange for it support the Pink Party, which 181 00:08:56,880 --> 00:09:00,280 Speaker 3: is the minor party. They might say, I can a 182 00:09:00,280 --> 00:09:03,560 Speaker 3: lot about every person getting a free puppy, and I'll 183 00:09:03,600 --> 00:09:06,840 Speaker 3: only support you if you make that law. And so 184 00:09:06,960 --> 00:09:09,520 Speaker 3: then it's up to the Orange Party, the major party, 185 00:09:09,880 --> 00:09:12,760 Speaker 3: to decide whether or not they're actually willing to make 186 00:09:12,800 --> 00:09:17,000 Speaker 3: that compromise, since giving everyone free puppies wasn't actually part 187 00:09:17,160 --> 00:09:20,000 Speaker 3: of what they wanted to do when they were campaigning 188 00:09:20,120 --> 00:09:21,160 Speaker 3: to be in government. 189 00:09:21,440 --> 00:09:24,480 Speaker 1: It's such an interesting way that power can kind of 190 00:09:24,520 --> 00:09:27,080 Speaker 1: evolve in those situations. I mean, it's a quirk of 191 00:09:27,120 --> 00:09:27,600 Speaker 1: the system. 192 00:09:27,720 --> 00:09:30,600 Speaker 3: Yeah. And so basically, if you're kind of listening to 193 00:09:30,600 --> 00:09:32,600 Speaker 3: this and a little bit lost, all you need to 194 00:09:32,600 --> 00:09:35,240 Speaker 3: know is that when it comes to the House of Representatives, 195 00:09:35,240 --> 00:09:38,960 Speaker 3: which is where government is formed, minor parties and independents 196 00:09:39,040 --> 00:09:42,480 Speaker 3: are most important. When there is a minority government. 197 00:09:42,880 --> 00:09:45,880 Speaker 1: Can you imagine a country where everyone had a free puppy. 198 00:09:46,120 --> 00:09:48,040 Speaker 3: That's why I use that example because I think it 199 00:09:48,080 --> 00:09:49,599 Speaker 3: would be a happier country. 200 00:09:49,640 --> 00:09:52,360 Speaker 1: I would try and figure out how to be selling 201 00:09:52,559 --> 00:09:59,360 Speaker 1: like leashes or you've got that's incredible. Let's let's stick 202 00:09:59,400 --> 00:10:02,280 Speaker 1: to a more real, listic scenario. Though. The next question 203 00:10:02,360 --> 00:10:05,080 Speaker 1: came through. It's a really interesting one. Tell me about 204 00:10:05,120 --> 00:10:06,320 Speaker 1: a marginal seat. 205 00:10:06,880 --> 00:10:10,920 Speaker 3: Okay, so a marginal seat is basically an electorate where 206 00:10:11,080 --> 00:10:14,920 Speaker 3: it's not clear who's going to win because it appears 207 00:10:14,960 --> 00:10:16,959 Speaker 3: to be a really close race. 208 00:10:17,240 --> 00:10:19,079 Speaker 1: But it's worth noting that we don't actually know who's 209 00:10:19,080 --> 00:10:21,280 Speaker 1: going to win in any seat though, right. 210 00:10:21,160 --> 00:10:24,319 Speaker 3: No, that's true, But the AEC has a formal definition 211 00:10:24,559 --> 00:10:27,920 Speaker 3: of a marginal seat, so they define it as one 212 00:10:28,040 --> 00:10:30,720 Speaker 3: where the winner last time, So at the last election 213 00:10:30,880 --> 00:10:34,720 Speaker 3: in twenty twenty two received less than fifty six percent 214 00:10:34,960 --> 00:10:38,880 Speaker 3: of the final vote. Now, last election, they were actually 215 00:10:38,920 --> 00:10:41,240 Speaker 3: about a third of the seat, so a third of 216 00:10:41,280 --> 00:10:43,960 Speaker 3: the one hundred and fifty one remember last time, it 217 00:10:44,000 --> 00:10:46,080 Speaker 3: was different. A third of the one hundred and fifty 218 00:10:46,080 --> 00:10:49,760 Speaker 3: one seats that fit that description of being a marginal seat. 219 00:10:49,800 --> 00:10:52,360 Speaker 3: So that's quite a few. So that tells us that 220 00:10:52,400 --> 00:10:56,880 Speaker 3: there were lots of really tight races at the last election. Now, 221 00:10:56,960 --> 00:11:00,640 Speaker 3: anything above that fifty six percent vote is considered a 222 00:11:00,720 --> 00:11:02,720 Speaker 3: safe seat. So those are the ones where we can 223 00:11:02,760 --> 00:11:06,840 Speaker 3: pretty confidently say who will win that race, got it. 224 00:11:06,880 --> 00:11:09,240 Speaker 3: But it's the marginal seats that tend to get a 225 00:11:09,280 --> 00:11:12,880 Speaker 3: lot of the attention because they are ultimately the ones 226 00:11:12,920 --> 00:11:15,240 Speaker 3: that will determine who wins government. 227 00:11:15,920 --> 00:11:17,840 Speaker 1: Okay, that's really interesting and it kind of gives you 228 00:11:18,160 --> 00:11:20,560 Speaker 1: a little bit of guidance. If you're sitting on the 229 00:11:20,559 --> 00:11:23,800 Speaker 1: couch next Saturday night watching the election, what you should 230 00:11:23,840 --> 00:11:26,959 Speaker 1: be focused on is how some of those marginal seats 231 00:11:26,960 --> 00:11:29,440 Speaker 1: are going to fall. Definitely, Billy, we've got time for 232 00:11:29,520 --> 00:11:33,240 Speaker 1: one more question. What if the leader of the winning 233 00:11:33,360 --> 00:11:39,520 Speaker 1: party doesn't win their seat, So Anthony Aberenezi or Peter Dutton, 234 00:11:39,679 --> 00:11:43,080 Speaker 1: whoever wins, they're one of the one hundred and fifty races. 235 00:11:43,640 --> 00:11:46,480 Speaker 1: If they don't win their seat locally, what happens then? 236 00:11:46,800 --> 00:11:50,480 Speaker 3: So in theory, that could happen because, like you just said, Sam, 237 00:11:50,559 --> 00:11:53,079 Speaker 3: the leaders of the parties they don't just need to 238 00:11:53,120 --> 00:11:55,720 Speaker 3: win the election, they also need to win the race 239 00:11:55,800 --> 00:11:58,800 Speaker 3: in their electorate. Now, I do think it's worth mentioning 240 00:11:58,840 --> 00:12:01,199 Speaker 3: that this is rare that it would happened, but it 241 00:12:01,360 --> 00:12:05,120 Speaker 3: can happen. So the most recent example which I only 242 00:12:05,160 --> 00:12:08,400 Speaker 3: learned about this whilst researching for this podcast, and I 243 00:12:08,400 --> 00:12:10,959 Speaker 3: couldn't believe. I didn't know it was so interesting. You're 244 00:12:11,000 --> 00:12:12,040 Speaker 3: a political not so you're. 245 00:12:11,920 --> 00:12:15,160 Speaker 1: Absolutely eleven year old Sam soaked this up. 246 00:12:15,840 --> 00:12:18,840 Speaker 3: Okay, So for those who don't know, the most recent 247 00:12:18,960 --> 00:12:22,000 Speaker 3: example of something slightly similar happening is in two thousand 248 00:12:22,040 --> 00:12:26,079 Speaker 3: and seven when John Howard, who was the incumbent Prime 249 00:12:26,080 --> 00:12:28,480 Speaker 3: Minister at the time, and he was also the leader 250 00:12:28,520 --> 00:12:32,400 Speaker 3: of the Liberal Party, he lost his electorate during the 251 00:12:32,440 --> 00:12:35,600 Speaker 3: two thousand and seven election. He lost it to Kevin 252 00:12:35,720 --> 00:12:38,160 Speaker 3: Right at Kevin O seven. How could we forget? But 253 00:12:38,640 --> 00:12:40,760 Speaker 3: the difference with the question that you asked is that 254 00:12:40,840 --> 00:12:44,240 Speaker 3: he didn't just lose his seat. His party, the Liberal Party, 255 00:12:44,640 --> 00:12:46,440 Speaker 3: also lost the entire election. 256 00:12:46,760 --> 00:12:48,520 Speaker 1: Do you know who he lost his seat to. 257 00:12:49,559 --> 00:12:51,760 Speaker 3: I think it's a female journalist. 258 00:12:51,280 --> 00:12:54,960 Speaker 1: Maxine McHugh, a former ABC journalist. 259 00:12:55,200 --> 00:12:57,200 Speaker 3: Interesting who's no longer in politics. 260 00:12:57,240 --> 00:13:00,160 Speaker 1: No longer in politics, But for an eleven year old 261 00:13:00,280 --> 00:13:02,360 Speaker 1: Sam aspiring journalist, that was pretty cool. 262 00:13:02,520 --> 00:13:04,400 Speaker 3: Eleven year old Sam is getting so much air time. 263 00:13:04,400 --> 00:13:06,320 Speaker 3: He would be so proud, he would be so proud. 264 00:13:06,600 --> 00:13:09,080 Speaker 3: But just quickly to answer your actual question of what 265 00:13:09,160 --> 00:13:11,880 Speaker 3: would happen if a leader of a party lost their 266 00:13:11,920 --> 00:13:16,640 Speaker 3: seat but the party won the entire election. If that happened, 267 00:13:17,080 --> 00:13:20,400 Speaker 3: then the party would simply need to decide who the 268 00:13:20,440 --> 00:13:22,280 Speaker 3: new leader of their party would be. 269 00:13:22,800 --> 00:13:25,920 Speaker 1: Right, So it's unlikely, but there is a process of 270 00:13:26,000 --> 00:13:28,160 Speaker 1: what could happen should that be the case. And it 271 00:13:28,200 --> 00:13:32,320 Speaker 1: does just remind us all that we operate in this party. 272 00:13:31,960 --> 00:13:34,040 Speaker 3: Structure and it is That's what I was going to say. 273 00:13:33,880 --> 00:13:35,280 Speaker 1: It's less about the prime minister. 274 00:13:35,440 --> 00:13:37,480 Speaker 3: It is much less about the prime minister because in 275 00:13:37,480 --> 00:13:41,280 Speaker 3: Australia we are voting for which party we want to govern, 276 00:13:41,760 --> 00:13:44,840 Speaker 3: not which leader we want to be our prime minister. 277 00:13:45,080 --> 00:13:46,640 Speaker 1: I feel like we were all taught that in school, 278 00:13:46,640 --> 00:13:49,880 Speaker 1: but it's always worth reminding ourselves that that's how our 279 00:13:49,920 --> 00:13:51,160 Speaker 1: system actually works. 280 00:13:51,360 --> 00:13:54,000 Speaker 3: Yeah, and you mentioned the differences with the US before. 281 00:13:54,120 --> 00:13:57,800 Speaker 3: That's again the key difference. We are voting for the party, 282 00:13:57,840 --> 00:13:59,480 Speaker 3: We're not voting for the leader. 283 00:14:00,000 --> 00:14:02,640 Speaker 1: It's really important to get familiar with the mechanics of 284 00:14:02,679 --> 00:14:05,280 Speaker 1: the election and I think it's a point of pride 285 00:14:05,280 --> 00:14:09,480 Speaker 1: always for me when we dive into how our democracy works, 286 00:14:10,360 --> 00:14:13,839 Speaker 1: all the different tools available to politicians to get over 287 00:14:13,880 --> 00:14:16,920 Speaker 1: the line get that magic seventy six seat number. Billy, 288 00:14:17,040 --> 00:14:19,080 Speaker 1: thank you so much for taking us through that, Thank 289 00:14:19,120 --> 00:14:21,760 Speaker 1: you so much, and we'll be back in your ears 290 00:14:21,800 --> 00:14:26,320 Speaker 1: tomorrow morning for the final countdown towards the federal election. 291 00:14:26,440 --> 00:14:29,960 Speaker 1: It's only six days away now. That is super exciting, 292 00:14:30,200 --> 00:14:32,400 Speaker 1: a huge week for news, a huge week for the 293 00:14:32,440 --> 00:14:34,800 Speaker 1: Daily os. We can't wait to be there with you. 294 00:14:34,840 --> 00:14:41,280 Speaker 2: See then, my name is Lily Maddon and I'm a 295 00:14:41,280 --> 00:14:46,080 Speaker 2: proud Arunda Bunjelung Kalkotin woman from Gadigl Country. The Daily 296 00:14:46,120 --> 00:14:49,160 Speaker 2: oz acknowledges that this podcast is recorded on the lands 297 00:14:49,160 --> 00:14:52,400 Speaker 2: of the Gadighl people and pays respect to all Aboriginal 298 00:14:52,480 --> 00:14:55,400 Speaker 2: and Torres Strait Island and nations. We pay our respects 299 00:14:55,560 --> 00:14:58,600 Speaker 2: to the first peoples of these countries, both past and present.