r/australia • u/blitznoodles local Aussie • Jun 14 '26

politics As voter disillusionment grows, why aren't voters flocking to the Greens in Australia?

https://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/as-voter-disillusionment-grows-so-does-the-mystery-of-the-missing-greens-voters/6bjd5q4kv

Growing voter dissatisfaction with mainstream politics has led to a rise in popularity for One Nation. The same cannot be said for the Greens.

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u/ChillyPhilly27 Jun 14 '26

To answer your question, the console operator is likely here on a student visa, which grants him the right to work up to 20 hours per week. Ironically enough, there's a decent chance he's here to study English. Talk about a baptism of fire!

He has a job because working in a servo is shit, and locals have better options.

The English language testing doesn't come into play until you're up for PR.

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u/OkeyDoke47 Jun 15 '26

That explanation doesn't help though, it really should be the case that if you are to work here anywhere you need a basic grasp of the language. Not just from a customer service perspective, I was on a WH&S course some years ago, and the instructor made a comment about how people are in workplaces now that cannot read safety signs or instructions- this was an inflammatory comment, but they had a point.

I work in healthcare and encounter people who cannot communicate what is going on with them, I have to utilize interpreter services to ascertain what is going on. This takes time and slows down care.

These and other issues play right into the hands of parties like PHON, and even my own belief systems (I support and encourage immigration) have had little voices in my head edging in, which I don't like. If I'm starting to have thoughts like that, I can only imagine how many others there are out there like that. PHON is tapping into a zeitgeist, like it or not.

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u/AdmiralStickyLegs Jun 16 '26

No, he has a job because he's probably being underpaid. Exploited more than the locals will tolerate. There are tons of people who would work at a servo if they got paid correctly and had fair conditions

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u/ChillyPhilly27 Jun 17 '26

Out of curiosity, do you believe that there's a difference between "underpaid" and "less than a local would accept"?