Comments on: Party discipline in the Republican Party http://barrdear.com/john/2010/02/03/party-discipline-in-the-republican-party/ Thoughts about economics, politics and life in general Wed, 25 Jan 2012 15:10:21 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: cam http://barrdear.com/john/2010/02/03/party-discipline-in-the-republican-party/comment-page-1/#comment-2798 cam Thu, 04 Feb 2010 01:35:01 +0000 http://barrdear.com/john/?p=963#comment-2798 John, I think it was Labor's pledge in the early 1900s that led Australia to be that way. When Labor won seats they quickly got bundled out, wedged, etc by the experienced parliamentarians. So the Labor executive came up with the pledge - where parliamentarians would vote exactly as the external party executive had decided. So they were a voting bloc. The Liberal/Conservatives responded with absolute party discipline though they have in their constitution or charter the right to conscience vote. Labor does not. Giorgou covered the history of it in <a href="http://www.southsearepublic.org/article/660/read/Petro_Georgious_Speech" rel="nofollow">a speech</a>. I think it is sad to see the US system gain absolute party discipline. I admired that aspect of it over the Australian system. John, I think it was Labor’s pledge in the early 1900s that led Australia to be that way. When Labor won seats they quickly got bundled out, wedged, etc by the experienced parliamentarians. So the Labor executive came up with the pledge – where parliamentarians would vote exactly as the external party executive had decided. So they were a voting bloc. The Liberal/Conservatives responded with absolute party discipline though they have in their constitution or charter the right to conscience vote. Labor does not. Giorgou covered the history of it in a speech.

I think it is sad to see the US system gain absolute party discipline. I admired that aspect of it over the Australian system.

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