What’s all this got to do with Australia, readers may well ask? At a time when Australians are becoming increasingly annoyed by the practices and (lack of) policies offered by the major parties - Liberals, Nationals and the ALP and dreadful leadership, that comes with them - we might learn and prosper by Japan’s electioneering methods and rules.

Anything has to be better than what Australians are currently enduring from the major parties.

ABC News, a week ago, ran a story about electioneering methods in Japan, some of which our future legislators might consider, dated (but effective) though they may be; but the essential ingredient behind them is what DA letters correspondent, Gretchen Sleeman, wrote (and was also quoted in this column) that Australians are “totally over being told what to think” particularly by large corporations, councils and politicians (especially those retired or defeated and still hounding us with their diatribe).

In Japan, television campaigning is restricted and billboards are banned. The ABC’s story commented: “So politicians resort to wearing out their shoe leather and pressing the flesh. Everything has to be in accordance with a very strict set of laws which define everything down to how big the leaflets you put through people’s doors have to be”, Rob  Farley of Tokyo’s Waseda University political science school said.

In 2013 Japan’s electoral laws were changed to allow campaigning through social media - but here’s an interesting fact - major parties appear loath to adapt to the new ways anyway; more credit to them especially, as Farley wrote: “Japan is the biggest consumer of social media in the world”. Interestingly, Farley observed, older politicians “used social media to invite young voters to attend the local supermarket to hear them give a speech on top of an orange box”.

Therein lies the column’s view, backed by readers who want to see rules invoked in our elections that restrict media advertising (especially television and social media), the amount parties or individuals are allowed to spend on campaigns but improved provisions by which candidates are encouraged to meet with voters. The Japanese “home-spun” campaigns are one positive example; the Brits still do it to some extent.

The encouraging sign for Australian voters is that major parties are being put on notice as by-elections in Murray and Cootamundra showed. Disillusioned voters need to continue, as they have done in recent elections, to vote for fresh candidates.

SPORTS MADNESS

A COUNTRY RL official, quoted in The DA, said Wagga council should be more proactive to help attract NRL matches to the city. It is not the council’s job to do this; has the NRL not heard the word, promulgate? Barry Briggs, whose performances for the Leeton Greens I enjoyed covering and broadcasting for many years, told me the Samoa versus Country under 23s match last Friday in our city was the first time he had seen fans stand and applaud both teams as they left the field, is an example of promotion. More is needed.

The NRL and CRL have to set the example, not the council. Sport gets enough financial support from governments and taxpayers.