SOL News
- Political party launches the iSenator - Bigpond News
- 12 July 2010
- Senator Online, Australia's first internet-based political party, announced it has secured its first Senate candidate for the upcoming federal election. Wes Bas, a police officer from Surry Hills in Sydney, was selected as Senator Online's New South Wales candidate following a successful online campaign, which spanned across both Facebook and Twitter. In a statement released on Monday, Senator Online founder Berge Der Sarkissian said that Bas was chosen as a result of his passion for local issues and his commitment to the community. 'Wes exemplifies the type of candidate we would like to see in the Senate,' Der Sarkissian said. 'In addition to serving as a member of our Police Force since 2002, Wes has demonstrated a strong sense of community in his volunteer work, which includes being a cadet instructor and sitting on a Board of Directors for a charity.' Mr Bas, who has served as a police officer for eight years in both central and regional NSW, says that his interest politics emerged from wanting to ensure that all Australians have their voice heard in the federal political system. 'I see my involvement in Senator Online as my opportunity to be a vehicle for Australians to voice their opinions on Government policy and direction,' Mr Bas said. 'Independent Senators like Nick Xenophon have proven how effective individual voices can be in the Senate. My role is a consultative one - it's about knowing what Australians believe and want done, and acting accordingly to be their voice.'
- SOL Announces First NSW Candidate - Wes Bas
- 12 July 2010
- Australia’s first internet political party, Senator Online, has announced its inaugural candidate in New South Wales, police officer Wes Bas. Dedicated to giving everyday Australians a direct voice in Parliament, Senator Online is committed to providing constituents balanced and unbiased information on all issues, bills and policies in Parliament via its website, and seeking constituent feedback on how its Senators should vote. Senator Online founder Berge Der Sarkissian says Bas was selected to run in New South Wales due to his community-minded work and commitment to his country. “Wes exemplifies the type of candidate we would like to see in the Senate,” says Der Sarkissian. “In addition to serving as a member of our Police Force since 2002, Wes has demonstrated a strong sense of community in his volunteer work, which includes being a cadet instructor and sitting on a Board of Directors for a charity.” A police officer for eight years Bas has served his community at locations including Wol longong and several Sydney based postings. “My interest in politics has spawned from my community work and wanting to be able to make a difference on a national platform,” says Bas. “I see my involvement in Senator Online as my opportunity to be a vehicle for Australians to voice their opinions on Government policy and direction. “Independent Senators like Nick Xenophon have proven how effective individual voices can be in the Senate. My role is a consultative one – it’s about knowing what Australians believe and want done, and acting accordingly to be their voice.” Through Senator Online, at the click of a mouse Australians will be able to directly engage with the development and formation of policy; with the opportunity to have their say on issues they feel passionately about. “Senator Online’s aim is to make the often detached political process more accessible, transparent and engaging,” says Der Sarkissian. “Community consultation and inclusion is an important part of any democratic process and with the internet now available to over 80% of Australians, it’s now possible for these ideals to become a reality. “The internet can be the most powerful democratic tool there is.
- Senator Online seeks candidates for Federal election
- 07 July 2010
- Registered in August 2007, SOL claims to be Australia's "first and only internet-based political party", promising to conduct online votes on major issues and act in Parliament accordingly. If elected, SOL senators will engage with the public via a website that allows constituents to vote on which issues should be raised in parliament, and how the senator should vote on particular Bills. Any issue receiving over 10,000 endorsements will be included on the website alongside what the party claims to be unbiased information, expert opinion and analysis. SOL senators will vote in accordance with voters in their state - even if this means voting against another SOL senator - and only vote on Bills if a "clear majority view" is determined by at least 100,000 votes and a 70 percent majority view. "The very vast majority of senators are just told what to do by their party," SOL founder Berge Der Sarkissian told iTnews. "Decisions are very rarely left up to a conscience vote ... When do you hear about senators actually crossing the floor? "We're not talking about running the country; we're talking about representing a majority view to parliament," he said.
- SOL's public candidate selection process closed.
- 28 June 2010
- SOL brought forward the closing date of its candidate selection process to 2pm today. In response to the dramatically changed political environment and anticipated early election SOL will be now looking to appoint candidates in the next few weeks. The 'public candidate selection' campaign SOL was running was not due to complete until 21st August and was therefore considered not able to be effective in the current political environment and anticipated election timing.
- "Voting on Party Lines" - Aus Financial Review
- 07 June 2010
- Australia's online political party is hunting for candidates. Senator Online says it is Australia's only internet-based political party. Senior party figures Berge Der Sarkissian and Nick Debenham say they formed the party before the 2007 federal election but they will have a bigger assault this time. Potential candidates must find 100 people to support their bid. A national poll - online of course - will then decide the successful candidates, who the party will back with $10,000 for their campaigns. If elected, those candidates would be able to provide their thoughts on issues on the website. But the idea is that Senator Online MPs would be guided in their voting by continual online polls. The polls would be reviewed to see how many people voted and the winning percentage, Der Sarkissian says. An executive committee would review the online results. "It's been tried at local government but it's the first at the national level, Our preferences will be split 50/50 Labor and Coalition."
- Senator Online seeks Australia’s first Facebook iSenator.
- 18 May 2010
- Political party Senator Online (SOL) today launched a national search for its senate candidates. For the first time senate candidates will be chosen by the Australian public rather than the “Party” and there is “No experience necessary”. A major requirement to qualify is getting a minimum 100 endorsements which can be Facebook Fans! “SOL challenges the traditional Australian political process by offering voters a way to engage with issues now and beyond election time. Federal senators costs the tax payer in excess of $500,000 each year – yet all major party senators in the main simply follow the party line. SOL senators will be the clear voice of the people and return the Senate to a house of review rather than a house of rubber stamps” says SOL founder Berge Der Sarkissian
