Nigel Farage Fails Basic Fact Check With Misleading Statement About Voting In Australia

Farage Fails Most Basic Fact Check With Misleading Australian Voting Claim

Nigel Farage has been widely mocked after using a very suspect a example to justify claims that bad behaviour by MPs in parliament doesn't alienate young people from voting in elections.

During his highly anticipated Question Time fight with Russell Brand, Farage said Australia had a very healthy electoral system despite the low tone of what is often said in their parliament.

Farage said: "Australia is a very healthy, functioning democracy where there's high voter turnout"

Voter turnout Down Under is high because voting is compulsory and failure to do so is punishable by a fine - or even jail.

This is a fairly fundamental aspect of Australian politics - and something anyone with a passing knowledge of international voting habits could tell you.

But even worse perhaps, was that not a single person on the Question Time panel appeared to know either - or they'd just stopped listening to the Ukip leader.

Farage wasn't the only one to struggle with facts during the programme.

One audience member said that Canterbury Prison was full of immigrants, reflecting the levels that have come to Britain.

Twitter's fact checkers jumped into action again - pointing out this could not be true.

Because the prison closed 18 months ago.

It was however, "full of immigrants" when it was open - because it was specifically for foreign nationals.

The panel

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