But my three issues of concern were queer rights (gay marriage), climate change and the ridiculous boat people stuff. And Labor had very dissapointing policies on all of these. It makes me angry when people say that this is a clear sign that the ‘bloody coup’ (AAARGH) made people move away from Labor. PERHAPS it’s that Labor was moving away from their base and to the right? And that made people on the left, rational people like myself who rationally care about issues of human rights, unable, in all good conscience, to support them?

No, it must be That Bitch Julia.

End of bitter rant.

I wonder though…what does he do when there is no election?

I hope when the Labor party stop eating their young and playing the blame game they realise that abandoning the left of the party to gain the middle is a big mistake. Of course people who support the humane treatment of asylum seekers and refugees and gay marriage are going to go elsewhere.

I still really wish for a Labor led minority government. I think the independants are all worried about the NBN, education and health and considering it is a conservative party platform to cut costs or ‘stop the waste’ it seems a better fit with Labor. Also given how they feel about the National party I don’t think they are going to make it particularly easy for Tony to deal with them (or Julia for that matter). Tony Windsor and Rob Oakeshott are particularly well and plain spoken and Bob Katter welll….he is funny but I get the sense he might be a loose cannon.

I think it is exciting. I kinda wish to move away from the cult of personality type politics that it seems to be moving into. Additional checks and balances are always useful and both sides are now going to have to deal with the Greens holding the balance of power in the Senate anyway. I think Australia is moving forward but probably not in the way Julia or Tony thought it would.

Another example: Anna Bligh is now getting the blame for Queensland’s mess- but in reality, she’s still cleaning up the mess left behind by Peter Beattie.

NSW is in a similar position.

it’s so infuriating to watch australian values swing further to the right.

Ms Campbell won the leadership when Brian Mulrooney got dropkicked by his party when his approval ratings were at an all time low with an election leading up. The cynical of us believe that a woamn was chosen to lead the Progressive Conservatives in hopes of increasing the percentage of women who vote PC – this failed dismally. The party was pretty much destroyed in the next election. Ms Campbell held the big seat for only a few months.

Mind you Canada has a history of that sort of thing – same thing happened to Rita Johnston when the Social Credit party booted Bill Vander Zalm from the Premiership of BC (conflict of interest scandal, low polls, and yes, looming election).

The fact that the Greens party split the ALP vote will hopefully indicate to the ALP that they have to stop pandering to the middle and try and reconnect with their original left wing past.

Abbott did not win over all of Australia, in South Australia, Victoria and Tasmania there was a swing to the ALP. So as much as he will try and spin it as a Coalition victory, it is in reality far from it.

It will be very interesting to see where the independents will take us in the next couple of weeks! They seem to be indicating that a stable, ethical government is what they are aiming for, which is difficult to disagree with.

in part, I think the Chaser’s song sums up how I felt about the election..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dV-inAzEleE

Also, via Leslie Cannold 9http://www.facebook.com/?ref=logo#!/profile.php?id=592994207&v=info) the parliamentary method by which a government will be formed. Hint! By our female Governor General, Quentin Bryce: http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/governor-generals-job-to-choose-next-leader/story-fn59niix-1225908600975

Sorry for all the links. Forgotten how to embed, feel free to fix.

In part I think it was overreach, and I think in a war of advertising attrition, that the coffers the mining lobby group had to fight the proposed changes outweighed any federal government spend.
Also, the government ads defending its position bypassed the usual probit checks that Labor put in place for govt advertising.