Is a vote for an independent a wasted vote?

What if everyone voted informal? More importantly, what if everyone voted for independents? “True” independents, not candidates lurking behind the veils of the two major parties while calling themselves independents on the ballot papers.

In 1910 the Sydney Morning Herald wailed that “nothing is more dangerous than that the balance of power should remain in irresponsible hands”. It was referring to Storey’s coalition of independents preparing to work together in the NSW Legislative Assembly.

Storey’s ideas were based on the successful 19th century model of small parties and independents working to form government. Similar groups have formed during the past 100 years but nothing has changed for the media.

The two-party system is institutionalised, just as the mainstream media is, so it is natural for them to wish to maintain the balance.

Why then do we bother voting for independent and minor parties? Why don’t we “do a Latham” and vote informal?

We do it because we believe in the same philosophy as David Storey exactly 100 years ago - that the party machines of Labor and Liberal prevent public policy discussion and that the controlled preselection of candidates is undemocratic.

A similar idea was attempted by the independent for Calare, Peter Andren, former Prime Television news anchor and later independent federal MP in 2005: he would be turning in his grave.

Sadly, Andren succumbed to cancer two years later and was unable to pursue the matter which, for want of a true champion, fell apart.

This does not mean that we should abandon the possibility of a government of independents and minor parties.

The most recent United Kingdom election result proved that the electorate is unhappy with the idea of two dominant parties and their narrowly-defined representative structure.

The present election campaign here in Australia has demonstrated that the two major parties, along with their gravitational moons, the Nationals and the Greens, are seriously out of whack with the socioeconomic and cultural structure that is Australia after a decade of the 21st century.

The mainstream news media is equally out of whack.