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Both major political parties have been criticised for running online advertisements which direct users to websites to find out where they can vote early in the WA election, without disclosing their links to either site.

An ad for the website VoteWA.com.au appears as the first or second result under a number of Google searches, including "vote early Perth".

A similar ad for WhereCanIVote.org.au appears on some searches, including "vote early Liberal WA".

VoteWA.com.au is run by WA Labor and WhereCanIVote.org.au was setup by the Liberals.

In some cases, the websites appear above links to official pages run by the WA Electoral Commission (WAEC).

In both instances, it is not until users are on the websites that they are presented with a small disclosure at the bottom of the pages revealing the sites' owners.

Supplied

WhereCanIVote.org.au also contains the Liberal Party's logo as the site's icon.

It comes as a record number of Western Australians vote early, with the WAEC reporting yesterday that about one in five electors, or 343,796, had already cast their ballot.

VoteWA website

That is compared to the 214,242 people who voted early in the 2017 state election.

It is not suggested that either party is breaking WA's electoral laws or regulations.

Once on the VoteWA.com.au site, users are asked to enter their home address, which the site uses to display a page showing their nearest early voting centre and a photo of Mark McGowan with their electorate's Labor candidate.

Further down the page, alongside how to vote cards, are options for users to have "free directions" sent to their mobile phone or email address.

The politics, the policies and the people. We've collected all our coverage on the election campaign here.

Both require the user to enter their first and last names to receive the instructions.

A link to WA Labor's privacy policy, which was until last week only accessible from the site after entering an address, states any information provided to the party "will only be used for the purpose for which it was provided".

WA Labor did not directly answer questions from the ABC about how the website collected data, or about its failure to disclose the ownership of the site in Google ads.

"The VoteWA.com.au website is an easy way for people to access how to vote material for WA Labor candidates, and to find their nearest early voting centre," a party spokesperson said.

Similarly, the WhereCanIVote.org.au website asks users to enter their postcode, which it uses to display their Liberal candidate, as well as polling places open before and on election day.

There is also an option to download a how-to-vote card, which is the first time the Liberal Party logo clearly appears in any of the site's content.

Supplied

In response to questions from the ABC, a Liberal Party campaign spokesperson said the site did not track the postcodes entered by users.

"The website WhereCanIVote.org.au is provided as a service to electors to assist them in finding local polling places and Liberal candidates," they said.

"It is authorised in accordance with electoral laws."

The websites have raised the eyebrows of internet and political experts, who said their links to their respective parties should be made more clear.

Supplied

"These purport to show how-to-vote sites, which look like public utilities, but they're actually effectively advertising websites for the state political parties," professor of internet studies Tama Leaver said.

"It really wouldn't be difficult to make it clearer on either page that this is a website designed and run by a political party.

"I think it would do a great deal for peoples' trust in political parties if they were more upfront with what they were doing."

Mr Leaver said the situation was another example of why WA needed to better regulate internet advertising during elections.

ABC News: Gian De Poloni

"I think both parties are being as transparent as currently required by law and not a single step further," he said.

"We've got incredibly clear rules around when you can and can't advertise in print and on television, we've got quite clear rules about what you can and can't say and how much you need to disclose.

"Tightening up political advertising regulations so that it clearly applies online and clearly applies to social media would certainly make it a more transparent, and a more democratic system."

Political analyst Peter Kennedy agreed that while the websites appeared to comply with WA's Electoral Act, their affiliations could have been more obvious.

Google

He said the parties would not have created the websites unless they believed they could affect how individual voters might cast their ballot.

"They might be influenced by a party's how-to-vote card, or they could ignore it," he said.

"The political parties do it because they think their might be an advantage in it, and there may well be some political advantage.

"I don't think it would be a very marked advantage though."

Check out our quick 5-minute guide to what all the parties in the WA election actually stand for.

Data from Google reveals the WA Liberals have spent $33,450 on political advertising since the middle of November last year, making them the highest-spending organisation in the nation among those listed.

That accounts for more than half of the total amount spent on political advertising through Google and its other services, including YouTube, over that period.

Most of it has been spent on ads since February 7 around $20,000.

The WA Greens spent the second highest amount, forking out $23,700 for their ads.

WA Labor does not appear in the data.

See the article here:
Labor and Liberal parties criticised for running WA election online ads without disclosing links - ABC News

One of the only surviving Liberal members admits he knew from the middle of last year the party would be in serious trouble when WA voters went to the polls.

At this stage the party has only secured two seats in the lower house, and might retain a third.

Member for Cottesloe David Honey told 6PRs Liam Bartlett he conducted his own polling last June.

I knew this was a tough election, the toughest election we will ever have faced, he said.

I knew from the middle of last year that we were in the most serious trouble.

He also admitted the partys green energy policy received mixed feedback.

There was a campaign committee, that campaign committee decided what the policies were, he said.

There is no doubt whatsoever that renewables are the future for a new industry in the state.

In terms of going for a hard stop on collie, it was my personal view that, that was not a politically wise move to do.

Mr Honey said once counting is complete the party will meet to decide on a leader between him and Member for Vasse Libby Mettam.

He said discussions will also be conducted with the National party to form a coalition party.

Whatever happens we will be working hand in hand to keep the government to account.

Nationals Leader Mia Davies also wouldnt speculate on whether the party will bail out the Liberals and form a coalition, until all votes are counted.

We need to make sure we know who is sitting in each party room before we make decisions like that, she said.

But both of us are very clear on the fact that we need to find a way to hold the government to account.

Click play to hear the full interviews.

More:
David Honey admits Liberal party was in 'serious trouble' last year - 6PR

On March 19, 2019, I wrote an opinion piece in the Standard-Examiner about the fear espoused by former President Trump and Utah Rep. Chris Stewart of the emergence of socialism, when Sen. Bernie Sanders talked about his philosophy of democratic socialism. Even though I am not impressed by Sen. Sanders philosophy, I do think that there are certain areas of social and economic activities that require government involvement. It appears that this fear of socialism is raising its ugly head again in the political arena. Many GOP politicians, who we expect to be more educated to know the difference between capitalism and socialism, are trying to convince voters that the vote for politicians in the Democratic Party will bring about socialism in the country. This threat is repeated every time some GOP politicians have the occasion to speak to the media and their supportive crowd.

Let me first clarify the confusion some of the GOP politicians have about socialism and capitalism. Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy states that under socialism and capitalism labor has control over their labor services, but in socialism, as opposed to capitalism, production workers control the means of production and the output of goods and services, and their allocation. We have nothing even close to this feature in the U.S. economy. In capitalism, capitalists control the means (inputs) of production and their allocation, and markets are used to distribute the output. This is the dominant feature of the U.S. economy. Also, there is a class division between workers and capitalists, and capitalists are entitled to the profits they earn and their allocation.

Some GOP politicians and former President Trump, who are constantly blaming Democratic politicians for advocating socialistic ideology and policies for supporting government expenditure programs, have themselves not done away with many such programs. Similar to past decades, total government expenditure from 2016 to 2019 in the Trump administration had remained somewhat more than one-third of the value of the output (GDP) of the economy. In 2020, it increased to 44% due to the COVID-19 pandemic emergency and severe recessionary mass long-term unemployment, especially among women and minorities. The government, since the Great Depression of the 1930s, has taken an active role in the recovery process of the economy, and it is implementing the same policies now. I am sure that GOP politicians, who are always pushing for supply side tax policy, despite its failures, do not think about socialism when implementing those policies which have primarily benefited high-income earners.

GOP politicians do not question the fact that close to two-thirds of the mandatory spending is on Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. However, discretionary spending can be controlled. This type of spending is for subsidies such as those to oil companies, farmers and ranchers, and corporations such as Boeing, Alcoa, Intel and Nike (some call it welfare to corporations). However, when it comes to spending on some programs to help low-income and working-class Americans, there is an outcry of socialisms threat. This duality of thinking fails the logic test.

In a market economy, the government has an important role in the provision of public goods, such as national defense, environmental quality and education, including early childhood education affecting the development of human capital. Early remedial investment in education and child care (especially emotional nurturing) pays higher dividends in the future development of cognitive and noncognitive abilities of disadvantaged children, thus leading to success in socio-economic adjustment and in the labor market in adult life. Continuing this investment in later stages of life keeps its effectiveness (see F. Cunha and J. Heckman, American Economic Review, May 2007). Human capital has spillover effects, hence its development requires government involvement.

To increase productivity of the economy, the government, in cooperation with the private sector, must also encourage the development of new technologies. In fact, it was the government that was instrumental in the development of the internet that has produced the remarkable growth in the technology sector of the economy. Mr. Trump, who was addicted to the use of Twitter, an outgrowth of the internet, for his communications, should be thankful to the government. I wonder if he ever thought about socialism while using Twitter.

Deceptive information on socialism is divisive and distracts from policy debates. Efforts should be made by all politicians to implement policies that increase the productivity of the economy and to make sure all Americans share in it.

Vijay Mathur is a former chairman and professor in the economics department at Cleveland State University, Cleveland, Ohio. He resides in Ogden.

See more here:
Guest op-ed: Rhetoric of socialism is raising its ugly head again - Standard-Examiner

Edwin Lyngar Published 11:15 a.m. PT March 12, 2021

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Edwin Lyngar(Photo: Provided by Edwin Lyngar)

RGJ columnist Edwin Lyngar isa freelancewriterliving in Reno.

I hear bleating accusations of socialism every five minutes, from right, center, and even some moderate lefties. From the just-passed COVIDbill, to minimum wage, to library funding, and in every Democratic Party squabble, someone is just waiting to scream socialism, like retirees yelling bingo. Yet when Nevada filled Elon Musks pockets with more than a billion dollars in free money, I didnt hear so much about socialism then, nor do I hear socialism hurled at Comrade Berns of Blockchain, as he attempts to corner the means of currency production by forming his own government. Accusations of socialism are situational and always dishonest.

President Joe Biden just passed the COVIDbill supported by 70% of Americans, while opposed by 100% of D.C. Republicans. They call it you guessed it socialism. The early actions of the Biden administration shows that it sees the scam clearly. They passed a bold law with broad American support, further destroying both the false claims of socialism and the damaging neoliberalism of the Bill Clinton era. Its good policy and smart politics.

More: President Joe Biden's COVID stimulus bill explained in 6 charts

If Democrats solve real problems, accusations of socialism lose power. Americans are tired of massive subsidies for the wealthy and businesses in hopes of trickle-down promises that never materialize. COVID-19 blew the doors off our broken system, but changes started much earlier. For years, progressives like Bernie Sanders have relentlessly pushed for more opportunity and fairness in Americas economic system. Sanders helped birth the popular COVIDbill and has been an animating force behind a $15 minimum wage, immigration and criminal justice reform, and marijuana legalization. These ideas all started as liberal pipe dreams but now enjoy broad bipartisan support, even as they are blocked by Republican politicians.

With every bold demand for change, Americans are told to wait, just another year, election cycleor presidential election. Whats the hurry? Im tired of waiting for our leaders to do the right thing, and too often its Democrats who tell themselves they cant win with popular ideas. Democrats should do everything possible to muscle through popular provisions without apology, just as Sanders has pushed for years. We can never rerun the 2016 election, but I argue Sanders would have beaten Trump.

The role of Sanders supporters in the broader Democratic Party has taken on new relevance here after a recentintraparty fight. Other than an undying fondness for Tick Segerblom, who lost to Judith Whitmer, I have little opinion on the contest. Both candidates are longtime Sanders supporters and neither are socialists, despite the dozens of dishonest headlines that attempt to weaponize the word. The Democrats had a competition, and the establishment didnt like the outcome.

More: Sanders backers take over Nevada Democratic party leadership; staff resigns

Democrats feel understandable pride over the past few Nevada elections, but I argue they still have room to grow their single-digit victory margins as the Nevada GOP descends further into a trashy Gong Show remake. Democrats dont need any more barriers to winning, and I hope the party can find a way through the rift.

America already has too many excuses to inaction; were in crisis, by golly. From the dot-com bust to 9-11 to the 2008 housing collapse to COVID-19, were always in some crisis, and most of them hit Nevada harder than other states. These predicable challenges give politicians an excuse to punt on solving problems. Sorry, no cheap college for you, were in a crisis. After every crisis of my adult life, rich people ended up with more money, while everyone else was working harder for less. The inability of the American political system to tackle everyday problems is the real threat to our national unity.

Many of our political problems predate Joe Biden, and thats saying something. Yet Im so encouraged by the progress in Washington. I was hard on Biden in the primary, but I was wrong Biden gets it. He might be the only person with the heft, experienceand history to thread the needle. Nevada leaders should follow his example Americans support bold action on hard issues, and they crave fearless, honest leadership. Nevada needs more bold ideas to help regular people and fewer proposals to establish company towns that give special treatment to the communists at Blockchains.

More: Nevada bill would allow tech companies like Blockchain, LLC to create governments

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Read or Share this story: https://www.rgj.com/story/opinion/columnists/2021/03/12/covid-relief-party-politics-and-socialism-blockchains-lyngar/4667656001/

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COVID relief, party politics and the socialism of Blockchains | Edwin Lyngar - Reno Gazette Journal

As I considered the changes in America since January 20, a thought came to me; with all the presidential executive orders being signed, our rights have been taken away with the stroke of a pen. America is becoming a socialist country right before our eyes. The government refers to herd immunization concerning the vaccines, but what they really are looking for is herd indoctrination into socialism, and they use the left-wing media to promote their agenda.

Many of our freedoms are now under attack by the Socialist Democratic Party. Even Dr. Seuss isnt safe anymore. But I have a plan to remedy our situation. Americans should move to Mexico, giving up our citizenship and then come back across the border as illegals. Well then be able to get all the perks Americans have paid for through hard work and capitalism. Social security will be paid to us even though we didnt work or pay into the system. We can get driver licenses and be able to vote without proper identification. Well be able to go to the hospital and receive free medical services. We can get more handouts and privileges from the government than we ever thought possible. All we have to do is give up our citizenship in the greatest country in the world, the United States of America.

Im proud to be an American citizen; however, as a Christian, my real citizenship is in heaven. Jesus Christ paid for my citizenship with His death on the cross and his resurrection on Easter Sunday. Where is your citizenship?

Read more:
Socialists are taking away our rights | Letters to the Editor | tullahomanews.com - Tullahoma News and Guardian