HONOUR ROLL OF POLITICIANS

Australian Federal Parliament - November 2007

Independents, Democrats & Greens respond best - study.

Voters often complain that politicians don't respond to their concerns or take up their issues with government.

A three year independent study just released shows that Independents, Democrats and Greens MPs respond to voters far better than the major Labor, Liberal and National parties.

The assessment of how politicians respond to voters over a three year parliamentary term has been conducted by independent community advocate, FairGO prior to each federal election since 1988.

Because voters use FairGO's Votergram system which takes each message simultaneously to every politician in parliament who provides an email address, this is the only assessment able to accurately compare one politician against the other, one party against the other.


Star Performing Federal Politicians 2004 - 2007

Windsor wins again. He did it in 2004 and he has done it again in 2007. New England (NSW) Independent Tony Windsor scored best by a country mile. His Helpfulness Score of 211 compares with the best Labor MP on 27 and the best Liberal on 17.

Politicians score 1 for a standard reply, 2 for a helpful reply or referral to the minister and 3 for an exceptional reply with important information.

Two Australian Democrats senators scored second and third highest. They were party leader Lyn Allison on 100 and Natasha Stott Despoja on 73.

Relating the total Helpfulness Scores on a party basis to the number of MPs in each party is equally revealing. Independents (3 MPs) scored 70 points per politician (PPP); Australian Democrats (4 MPs) scored 45 ; The Greens (4 MPs) scored 10 ; Liberals (108 MPs) scored 1.1 ; Labor (88 MPs) scored 0.8 and Nationals (17 MPs) scored 0.6 .

The three best responding MPs in the House of Representatives were Tony Windsor followed by two Labor MPs, Tanya Plibersek and party leader Kevin Rudd.

Best three in the Senate were Democrats Lyn Allison and Natasha Stott Despoja followed by Greens leader, Bob Brown.

The Top Ten Federal Politicians were, in descending order, Mr. Tony Windsor (Ind New England), Senator Lyn Allison (AD, Vic), Senator Stott Despoja (AD, SA), Ms. Tanya Plibersek (ALP, Sydney), Mr. Bob Brown (AG, Tas), Mr. Kevin Rudd (ALP, Griffith), Hon. Dr. Brendan Nelson (LP, Bradfield), Senator Kerry Nettle (AG, NSW), Mr. Gary Humphries (LP, ACT), Senator Marise Payne (LP, NSW).

FairGO's National Director, Mr. Greg Bloomfield, speculated that the results might indicate major parties currently being more interested in the power of governing whilst independents and minor parties were more interested in the Australian people.

The issues raised by Australian voters through FairGO's Votergrams over the 3 year period were :-

• Affordable housing
• African nation debt forgiveness
• Anti-Terror Laws
• Appropriate health warnings on alcohol containers

• Autism specific pre-school funding
• Australian Government corporation bribes to Saddam Hussein's administration
• BCOF veterans entitlements

• Hospital care and safety crisis

• Child care and pre-school funding
• Citizenship
• Crime and Domestic violence prevention

• Disability services

• False information circulated to doctors and patients by government authorities and refusal to correct same.

• Fair trial for David Hicks
• Fuel prices, fuel taxes and price rise since the Iraq invasion
• Iraq invasion, war and death toll
• Need for honest and balanced media reporting

• Mental health services failing to provide necessary care.

• Migration and fair treatment of genuine refugees
• MPs' resources for servicing voters
• Overseas disaster aid
• Parenting
• Political influence that is kept secret
• Public transport
• Preserving remnant urban bushland
• Rail favoured over road freight
• Rural broadband services
• Road safety
• Same sex marriage
• U.S. Free Trade Agreement
• Young people "imprisoned" in aged care nursing homes

Other Members of Parliament who responded well for Australian voters everywhere were, in alphabetical order:-

Hon. Tony Abbott (Lib)

Hon. John Anderson (Nats)

Late Mr. Peter Andren (Ind)

Hon. Kevin Andrews (Lib)

Hon Bob Baldwin (Lib)

Mr. Andrew Bartlett (Dem)

Hon. Bruce Bilson (Lib)

Hon. Julie Bishop (Lib)

Mr. Russell Broadbent (Lib)

Hon. Mal Brough (Lib)

Hon. John Cobb (Nats)

Hon Peter Costello (Lib)

Hon. Alexander Downer (Lib)

Hon Peter Dutton (Lib)

Sen. Hon John Faulkner (ALP)

Mr. Martin Ferguson (ALP)

Sen. Steve Fielding (Fam)

Sen. Concetta Fierravanti-Wells (Lib)

Ms. Jennie George (ALP)

Mr. Petro Georgiou (Lib)

Mr. Steve Gibbons (ALP)

Ms. Julia Gillard (ALP)

Hon. Greg Hunt (Lib)

Dr. Dennis Jensen (Lib)

Sen Barnaby Joyce (Nats)

Sen. Ross Lightfoot (Lib)

Mr. Peter Lindsay (Lib)

Mrs. Louise Markus (Lib)

Sen. Jan McLucas (ALP)

Sen. Brett Mason (Lib)

Sen Christine Milne (Grn)

Hon. Judith Moylan (Lib)

Sen. Fiona Nash (Nats)

Sen. Stephen Parry (Lib)

Sen. Hon. Kay Patterson (Lib)

Hon Chris Pyne (Lib)

Mr. Kym Richardson (Lib)

Hon Philip Ruddock (Lib)

Mr. Ken Ticehurst (Lib)

Hon. Malcolm Turnbull (Lib)

Hon Mark Vaile (Nats)

Mr. Ross Vasta (Lib)

These are the 50 most responsive Members of Federal Parliament when it comes to ordinary voters living anywhere in Australia.

Although elected and paid by the Australian people as a whole, many of the remaining federal MPs were not interested in ideas, issues or complaints raised by anyone who did not vote for them, act as a paid lobbyist or donate to them or their party.

Media Contact: Greg Bloomfield, National Director, FairGO in Sydney on 02 9988 3312 or 0428 417 496.

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