Damn time difference

I want the polls to close so they can start count­ing and the ABC can start post­ing Aus­tralian elect­oral res­ults. I’m at a friend’s in Austin and we’re stay­ing up for at least a while so I can keep watch.

I want to come back to a coun­try which does not have John Howard as its Prime Min­is­ter. I’m scared that des­pite the pre­dic­tions and the polls, the lies of the Lib­eral-National Coali­tion will sway the peoplethey have swayed in the past. I’m scared that this latest boat with refugees on it was another scam and that it will work, again, although I’m dumb­foun­ded as to how.

My vote in the lower house is almost noth­ing: I’m in a safe Labor seat that needs a 21% swing to the right to shift it. It’s all the voters in mar­ginal seats that count. And I will be so thrilled if Howard loses his seat to Maxine McKew. What bril­liant vin­dic­a­tion that will be.

To quote one of my favor­ite Prime Min­is­ters ever:

“Nations get a chance to change course every now and then. When things become errant, a wise coun­try adjusts its dir­ec­tion. It under­stands that it is being gran­ted an appoint­ment with his­tory. On this coming Sat­urday, this coun­try should take that oppor­tun­ity by driv­ing a stake through the dark heart of Howard’s reac­tion­ary gov­ern­ment.” (Paul Keat­ing, in the SMH, Nov 21, 2007)

The upper house is just as import­ant, no matter where we live. If, for some reason, you haven’t voted yet, please check out 

matcha_pocky

‘s Below the Line: Adven­tures in the Aus­tralian Senate.