WHEN THE WHOLE TOWN GOES TO SCHOOL

It is very rare that the Astonisher goes anywhere near politics, but as our local newspaper doesn't cover any local news except contributions from other groups and unedited press releases it Is up to us to fill the towns information void. This year 322 people voted in Linton down from 350 in the last election. Does this reflect the electoral boundary change or a few more casting their vote by post or as absentee in other booths? That is something we will probably never know.

First we have to have illustrations of the figures for those who prefer charts and cartoons. Despite the fact there was a significant change to the electoral boundaries the village of Linton does not appear to have shifted its preferred candidates as much as one might have expected.

According to just the Linton Booth at the school, the variations between parties were very small, the most significant change being the large group of 34 Linton voters swinging away from Ben Taylor (Liberals) and even 8 away from Geoff Howard (Labor). We believe this shows a total dislike of the two main parties and a swing to minor/micro parties.

New candidate Sonia Smith (Nationals) gained a little with 3 Linton voters moving her way, and despite the advice to her from our political correspondent, that the Nationals should 'go it alone with country-centric policies', they are getting very little out of their sleeping arrangements with the Liberals. She spent a lot of her time in the area, the only candidate that we know of, lobbying and trying to present herself as a minor rebel in the National ranks. It didn't work, despite lots of country perfume she was unable to overcome the metropolitan stench making the voters hold their nose.

The Greens seemed to have benefited from Linton wanting a new aroma picking up 11 more votes and going by their win in Melbourne CBD, populated apparently by Vegan Cyclists, could be a force to be reckoned with if they can convince country people that they are not just tree huggers. They could do that by aligning themselves closer to the Ford/Toyota Farmers than the Yodelling Hikers who freak out when their Range Rovers pick up a bit of mud.

What the results show is that there is still the same 20 people who stroll up to the school with no intention of doing any more than buying cakes rather than exercise their democratic right to put numbers in boxes. If you don't vote or are too stupid to know how to vote then you have no right to whinge and carry on about what our government is doing. We believe it’s a case of vote or shut up.