Labor and Liberal are both so incredibly shit in their offerings, that no one could tell the difference and no one REALLY wanted either of them, but were forced to choose.

So now the greens and independents will try to pick the slightly less horrifying party based on the best offerings or 'bribes' if you will.

That is my opinion.

This sums it up the best...

I dunno, I think it's a fluke that we've ended up in this predicament - but I do agree that it came at a time that no-one liked the offerings (i.e best coincidence ever)

this definitely gives more hope to a previously hopeless situation, for me - mainly because I think it's unlikely that the indies will side with Abbott (NBN!!) and the Greens would hold Labor to task over environmental issues.

but who knows. we just have to wait. which sucks.

Maxine McKew needs to stop sooking.

That is my opinion.

Elections are a fantastic form of entertainment. I will be a little lost without the live tweets streaming while people are watching the elections. Sadly i suspect Abbott will be made top dog.

I hate the waiting game...LETS PLAY HUNGRY HUNGRY HIPPOS!!!

My opinion has not changed. Labor to get up with Greens in the senate. But holy shit I never thought this close. Hopefully, a small price to pay to finally get rid of Stephen Fielding.

And it seems Queensland are dickheads afterall, with no capacity to distinguish between state and federal matters. Christ.

And it seems Queensland are dickheads afterall, with no capacity to distinguish between state and federal matters. Christ.

NSW too... the rail link murdered Bennelong, but it is Gillard's fault on that one...

an observation: the balance of power may possibly end up being held by people who were too right-wing for the national party. gonna be an interesting couple of years...

a small price to pay to finally get rid of Stephen Fielding.

.....and Wilson Tuckey, don't forget ol' Iron Bar.

an observation: the balance of power may possibly end up being held by people who were too right-wing for the national party. gonna be an interesting couple of years...

Did you watch the 7:30 Report just then? Two of these, at least, are not right wing. I strongly recommend watching it. It's going to be very interesting, that's for sure!

queensland may help abbott win, but at least we haven't elected the DLP and Family First to the senate in the last 6 years. shame victoria shame. vote below the line you lazy cunts.

I don't think you can really lump the independents from NSW and QLD into the tradiational left-right spectrum. The guy from the central coast (forget his name) claims to be socially progressive.

These guys broke away from the nats because the nationals were too much in the pockets of the mining companies and under the thumb of the liberals in Brisbane and Sydney. There going to try to get the best outcome for their constituents and it looks like their priorities are infrastructure such as the NBN and taxing imports higher. On the basis of this the ALP are in a much better position to bargain with these guys than the Liberals. Also the ALP only need one of the independants to side with them to form a government with Adam Bandt and whoever wins the seat of Denison (green, left leaning independant or Labor).

Did you watch the 7:30 Report just then? Two of these, at least, are not right wing. I strongly recommend watching it. It's going to be very interesting, that's for sure!

Yeah, they came across as pretty reasonable people and the fact that Joyce has his knickers in a twist over the situation has to count for something.

7:30 Report interview was AMAZING. so inspired, after being so despondent. these dudes look like the right guys to be caught up in this kind of conundrum. let's hope they are.

One of them (I forget which) also said that the greens having the balance of power was a good thing. I grew up in the country and while I don't always agree with them I have alot of respect for the common sense down to earth reasoning of rural independants.

i reckon there will be a lot of pundits gushing over oakeshott in the papers tomorrow, he's talked a good talk today

Informal improved its share of the vote more than any other party. They outpolled the greens in lots of seats

Informal improved its share of the vote more than any other party. They outpolled the greens in lots of seats

the mark latham party?

ISDN FTW

because 128kbps is cutting edge!

It was in 1994, you nit.

yes it probably is where you are located email. but it's patchy - the telcos only service the areas they have to and do so well, but if you're not in that area you get ignored. my parents haven't got a working landline phone. I complained to the TIO about it last year after 2 years ofwaiting. and THEN telstra acted within days - someone visited my parents on their farm. but not to organise the installation of a phone, instead to take photos for telstra headquarters. CRAP. still no action. it's now been years.

Fan-fucking-tastic!

Is Julia Carol or Marsha here? And who is Greg?

Which one is Alice?

brandt = bobby. oakeshott = cindy (because he seems sweet and idealistic)

wayne would have to be mike?

no i think bob would be mike

i think tony abbott would be alice. but if so there might be an usc between alice and jan....

i cannot offer up a solution. it will take me 17 days and I will release 20 points before I can decide

I apologise deeply and tearfully for that slur. it was thoughtless and careless but I can assure you when I made that comment that I never intended to offend anybody. i have learnt a lot in the last two minutes.

I've learnt I must think before I write and this has been a very important lesson. I owe it to those who I have offended to publicly say, I am sorry. I've also learnt that some things you say can mean more to others than they do to you. It is not me to give offence to other people no matter who they are. I am not a person who judges others or speaks in a way that hurts others. I felt I've let a lot of people down. I hope to gain your trust back and show how out of character it was.

i'm sorry: carol not jan. therefore julia is mike

MA.. have you gone bonkers on us?

i am losing my shit.

I apologise deeply and tearfully for that slur. it was thoughtless and careless but I can assure you when I made that comment that I never intended to offend anybody. i have learnt a lot in the last two minutes.
I've learnt I must think before I write and this has been a very important lesson. I owe it to those who I have offended to publicly say, I am sorry. I've also learnt that some things you say can mean more to others than they do to you. It is not me to give offence to other people no matter who they are. I am not a person who judges others or speaks in a way that hurts others. I felt I've let a lot of people down. I hope to gain your trust back and show how out of character it was.

Andrew Wilkie is definitely Greg. Forbidden fruit that swings every which way.

http://www.facebook.com/#!/posted.php?id=13561467463&share_id=106982146029655&comments=1#s106982146029655

The Liberal party facebook page, makes for some good reading. Bunch of fucking sooks.

that's great fun luke. although i can imagine there would be equal & opposite sooking on the ALP page should abbot have gotten up.

incidentally, people refering to julia gillard as merely ''julia'' is rapidly becoming one of my least favourite things.

Albrechtsen in yesterday's Oz was pretty sour - some tepid bullshit about the Indies being undemocratic. Can't stand that double standardism that News Ltd. trades in. No doubt if Abbott had of got up the same wouldn't be said.

incidentally, people refering to julia gillard as merely ''julia'' is rapidly becoming one of my least favourite things.

My gripes with the Oz again surface. Today an article referred to her as La Gillardine. Regardless of where your allegiances lie and what you might think of her the disrespect by a major broadsheet to call the PM names is disgraceful.

I think it's a good thing. It is a tired formality to refer to the PM in such respectful tones. We should start treating them like the cunts they are.

But, I suspect that it is because she's a woman. A deliberately barren one at that!

i was talking more about inner-city lattecinos talking about how great ''Julia'' is like she's their special little imaginary friend

but i also share steveholt's views about the papers

heres to hoping she actually is imaginary

http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-national/tuckey-vows-to-remain-in-the-public-eye-20100909-152uv.html

Lol nothing like being gracious in defeat.

It's weird, this whole process seems to have burned out my interest in politics, I was reading everything obsessively up until a government was formed, now I can hardly be bothered following any of it at all. I blame the media.

I blame the medium.