There has been some political intrigue over the last little while over Mr. Latham, including some juicy gossip over his personal life (Sydney Morning Herald, possible registration, blah blah blah). Of course, this rehashes the argument over the role of a member's personal life in his/her ability to govern.

But enough about that. The reason for this post is that I was chatting with one of my Aussie colleagues about the (Australian) General Election (likely to be held in October). The conversation drifted towards voter participation rates in Canada, when he blurted out, "Y'know, voting is compulsory in Australia."

I nearly spit out my coffee. I actually didn't believe him, until I checked with a second source. And, indeed, one can be fined if one does not vote (from the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC)):

Is voting compulsory?

Yes, voting is compulsory. If you do not vote and do not have a valid and sufficient reason for failing to vote, you may be fined.

What happens if I do not vote?

Initially the Australian Electoral Commission will write to all apparent non-voters requesting that they either provide a reason for their failure to vote or pay a $20 penalty.

If, within 21 days, the apparent non-voter fails to reply, cannot provide a valid and sufficient reason or declines to pay the penalty, then prosecution proceedings may be instigated. If the matter is dealt with in court and the person is found guilty, he or she may be fined up to $50 plus court costs.

But, it's not completely draconian:

What happens if I don’t vote - will I be penalised?

If you are not in Australia on polling day you will not be fined for not voting.

In due course the AEC will write to you, asking you to explain why you did not vote. This is your opportunity to explain that you were overseas on polling day.

(And, as one sees on these pages, Australia uses the Instant-Runoff-Preferential Style ballotting process for their MP's.)

Well, I dunno. I appreciate that voter participation is a key part of democracy, but punishing folks for not voting seems a little harsh. Of course, I'm not sure that bribing voters is the right approach, either. Is a "compulsory" voting process a "good thing" for democracy?