Political exhibit opens in run up to election

The Majority Rules exhibition features state and federal election advertisements, cartoons, stickers, mail-outs and how-to-vote cards.

Political commentator David Black, of Leederville, said the free exhibition shows the processes involved in the Australian democracy.

‘It doesn’t just tell you how the system works, there are so much visual and hard materials that it shows you the system,’ he said.

‘It also raises issues about why you vote for people at certain times.’

He said while the 2013 election campaign was different in many regards, there were also similarities to previous campaigns. For the record, he believes Prime Minister Kevin Rudd should call the election for some time in August.

Culture and the Arts Minister John Day said the exhibition showed how political campaigning had changed since the 1880s.

‘Many of the items on display tell a story that has significantly changed our path in history. For example, the 1967 referendum, which asked voters whether Aboriginal people should be included in the census, and to allow the Federal Parliament to pass laws specific to Aboriginal people,’ he said.