Election 2010 (2)

Australia now has two People's Choices arguing that they are the clear new winners and should govern for the next three years. The Liberal/National Party argues that they received the largest primary vote (even though Australia doesn't operate under a first past the post system). The Australian Labor Party argues that it got the largest overall vote after preferences were distributed (even though there was a heavy swing away from them). While there was over a 5% swing away from the ALP, only 1.8% went the L/NP way, and 3.7% went to the Greens (ie a leftwing party) so it could also be argued that the Australian people wanted a more socially progressive government.

EoR thinks the obvious solution is for the L/NP and the ALP to form a coalition. They'd control around 143 seats in the Parliament. Their policies, politicians and poll-driven reactiveness are the same. They're both right-of-centre parties.

At least there was one pleasing result: the Climate Sceptics Party only polled 3,486 primary votes. Even the Australian Sex Party polled better, gaining 8,728 votes. In Western Australia, the Greens polled 14% of the vote in the Senate, the Australian Sex Party 2.14%, and the Climate Sceptics Party a paltry 0.14%. The Australian Sex Party generally outpolled Family First, leading The Register to comment:

The party was born out of a sense of grievance that national politicians were playing to the moral grandstanders and quite failing to represent the views of the majority of Australians, who are on the whole fairly laid back about sexuality.

Of course, being laid back is only one position.

Bob Katter, though, is back as an independent. He is on record as denying climate change, arguing forcefully and clearly:

"I mean, if you could imagine 20 or 30 crocodiles up there on the roof, and if all that roof was illumination, and saying that we wouldn't see anything in this room because of a few croco-roaches up there."

Bob Katter also understands the important things for Australia's future. Like promoting the building of a giant illuminated statue of Jesus on Queensland's highest mountain.