Epilogue (probably)

With the decision on the leadership being decided tomorrow (or rather, today) this is the end of my election coverage for a while. Years, probably. However, before I hang up my wild-guess-o-meter and burn by notes, I would like to direct my reader (in the singular - you rock [Editor: name redacted]) to a couple of interesting points I stumbled across today.

http://www.businessspectator.com.au/bs.nsf/Article/Will-Labor-protect-the-independents-pd20100906-926D6?opendocument&src=rss

Ted Mack makes a good point.

Although I previously (and still) favour a Labor victory by 0.0001%, I did not discuss the point that these are all strong Nationals seats that the independents are sitting in. While I might have guessed this might push them to side with the coalition to appease their ellectorate, Ted Mack takes the opposite view. If the Coalition comes to power they will work on taking these seats from the independents, while Labor has no hope of winning them and will work to keep the independents in.

http://www.abc.net.au/unleashed/stories/s3001596.htm

Tim Dunlop makes a hilarious point.

What would politics be without hypocrisy, lies and double standards? An effective method of rulership probably, but also a lot less fun. This article gives a more indepth analysis of Abbotts efforts to avoid treasury scrutiny than I did, and raises some very goop points. My highlights:

While he was not doing both these things, a key plank of his election pitch was that his side were better economic managers, a claim not at all undermined by his unwillingness to test it before Treasury or the Australian people.

I mean, why would he make something like that up?

In another act of fiscal rectitude he offered Tasmanian independent Andrew Wilkie, amongst other payments, $1 billion for a new hospital, which an ungrateful Mr Wilkie rejected merely on the grounds that Mr Abbott failed to account for where the money would come from.

No pleasing some people, I guess.

and

Oh, and somewhere in amongst all this, a senior Liberal Senator rang one of the independents and declared himself to be the devil when he thought it was the MP's young child who had answered the phone.

Insider journalists cooly revealed that the Senator does this a lot and that it is therefore nothing to worry about.

A relief all round.

It's moments like these that I love Australian Politics.

A Happy Government to All,
PsephologyKid.