00:00The best ingredients can make the best sausages.
00:02I think it's just sunshine, waiting in line, smelling the onions and smelling the sausages.
00:08Soft bread, not white, it's wholemeal.
00:10This is the secret. It has to be a bit healthy, but not so the kids still like it.
00:15It's the biggest day in Australian democracy where we exercise our constitutional right to vote
00:19and our national obsession with grilled meat and bread.
00:23Yes, forget policies, promises and preference stills.
00:26What really gets Aussies to the polls is the promise of a piping hot democracy sausage.
00:30Welcome to the Democracy Sausage Digest,
00:33the only political coverage that skips the spin and goes straight to the sizzle.
00:37First on today's agenda, our rating system, the Snag Score.
00:40That's the standard national assessment of Australian grilling.
00:43It rates democracy sausages out of 25 points across five sizzling categories.
00:48First, the sausage itself.
00:50Taste, temp, bread, onion, sauces.
00:52Second, number of people in line.
00:54Fewer people, more points.
00:55Third, ambience.
00:57Buskers, bake sales, how to vote cards.
00:59All make a difference.
01:00Fourth, affordable.
01:01Card accepted, onions extra.
01:03And finally, the greeting.
01:05Is sausage served with a smile?
01:07Bonus points for costumes.
01:0925 is perfection.
01:10Five means your democracy's a bit undercooked.
01:13My democracy sausage is a plain sausage with tomato sauce.
01:18I have a lovely piece of white bread with a nice beef-looking sausage and some mustard sauce on it.
01:26Ah, it's got to have loads of onion.
01:28You can't skimp on the onion.
01:29Well, you know, normally we use onions, but this year we decided to cut back on those.
01:33There are a lot of opinions on what makes an ideal democracy sausage.
01:37So I took it upon myself to create a list of the region's best.
01:42Of the 11 polling booths I went to, only five had the celebrated sausage sizzle.
01:47So in that vein, last place, Amela's Flat Hall, Lady Help of Christians, Wanderthal East, St. Pius, and St. John's Primary School.
01:54No sizzle, no bake sale, nothing but democracy and disappointment.
02:00Woodford Primary School gets an honourable mention for a delicious chocolate stall in lieu of the beloved snag.
02:06Now, onto our official list.
02:09In fifth place, Warrnambool Primary School.
02:11A back-to-basic approach saw the sizzle ditch the onion, a no-go in my book.
02:17However, it was one of the few stalls with sauce variety.
02:20Bold move.
02:21Next up is Allensford.
02:23Now, this group was hindered by being so successful, they were shutting up shop as I arrived.
02:28Nonetheless, the sausage was an acceptable taste of democracy.
02:32Still no onions, though.
02:33In third place, we have Port Ferry Consolidated School.
02:36Australian Classics, blaring out of a speaker while I was in line, was a big plus.
02:40Locally sourced sausages and a friendly team also helped.
02:44However, it wasn't enough to topple our runners-up.
02:47St. Joseph's Primary.
02:48Despite being my fifth sausage of the day, it still managed to surprise me.
02:53The organisational system of the grill was to be admired, and the sausage was piping hot.
02:58But there can only be one winner, and for 2025, that goes to Koroit Primary School.
03:04While there were plenty of meaty contenders in this race, Koroit ended up on top.
03:08Although originally sceptical of the wholemeal bread, perhaps their secret really is the recipe for success.
03:15Congratulations.
03:15This has been the Democracy Sausage Digest.
03:20Remember, governments may come and go, but a good sausage sizzle is forever.
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