Election Day II

The previous post started off as a few bits of whimisical prose, and grew. (I don't think I'll be giving up my day job anytime soon!)

Anyway, as you might have heard, Australia had an election last Saturday.
To summarise the results:

• The Lib/NP incumbents increased their vote noticeably, and will probably get control of the senate for the first time in twenty years.
• Labor is left looking decidely silly as a result (expect a few internal dogfights in the next few days)
• the Australian Democrats imploded. No surprise there (and no relation to Kerry!). They used to have an air of credibility but, when their own leaders defect to another party, or go independent, or go on the booze, you know they've got an image problem!
• the greens did OK with a slight increase in votes. They probably picked up a few disaffected Democrats
• One Nation died, as did Pauline Hanson (she seems to have got a few more votes than her old party, though!)
• 'Family First' may get a senate seat and hold the balance of power in the Senate
  

A disappointing result, from my view: I guess my concerns aren't those of others.

Still, it's done! Live with it!

Actually, the outcome was not really surprising. What was surprising was that the coalition incumbents increased their vote noticeably, and will probably get control of the senate...possibly with the help of 'Family First'.

I think you can guess at the agenda of people who preach about family values! Something of the right wing Christian persuasion? Not that there's anything wrong with family values, of course. Just so long as you take a peep under the caring, sharing image occasionally, to see what cockroaches are lurking.

But this is just cheap insinuation. I should (and will) let FF actions speak for themselves, because that's what a democracy's good for: get the protagonists up on stage, give 'em enough rope and see what they do with it. If they hang themselves, well and good. If they can swing it, that's OK, too!

And, if what they manage to swing is accepted by the audience come the next election, it's as much a reflection on the audience as anything else.