Clean up your act and cherish your scond lease of life

The painful wait for Australians is finally over. As a matter of fact, the agonizing wait is only 17 days after the close of the polls at 6.00 p.m. of August, 21 and just one week after the political negotiations between the 1 Green and 4 independent MPs with the other 2 main parties - The Australian Labour Party and the Liberal / National Party Coalition had started. The necessary horse trading having been completed a new coalition Australian Federal government between Labour , 1 Green & 3 independents MPs ( with Queensland independent MP Bob Katter supporting the opposition Liberal / National Party coalition ) can now be formed.

With Labour's 72 and the Coalition's 73 seats Labour has now got the magic number of 76 ( 72 + 1 + 3 ) versus the Coalition's 74 seats ( their own 73 + 1 independent MP , namely, Bob Katter ). Labour is expected to form a new coalition government within the next 24 hours with the consent of the Governor General - The Hon. Quentin Bryce AC.

While I am glad that my prediction as set out in my previous blog entry have proven to be correct I have a mixed feeling because if Labour does not clean up its acts Australians and a few generations down the line will still be paying for the deficit black hole created by their barely 3 years in power up to the August 21 Federal election.

I sincerely hope for the good of all Australian citizens that Labour will clean up its acts and appreciate this second lease on their political life to make amends on all its previous follies. If Labour has truly learned its lesson from the August 21 election it may yet earn its place in Australian history. It will be an uphill battle for them though with their new coalition partners ( 1 Green and 3 independent MPs ). Labour's hands will be more securely tied by a new coalition agreement undertaking to form a stable government. This agreement must be executed before the Governor General will give her consent and blessing to the new coalition government as required under the Australian constitution. There will definitely be greater accountability on the party of the new government which is the desired result of a healthy democratic system though at the expense of a bit reduced efficiency. This is understandable because more negotiations may be required to pass some controversial legislation in future. I guess this is the necessary price we have to pay for democracy.

Politicians beware ! The people have spoken and shown their displeasure and they will speak again if the circumstances warrant their so doing. Let us hope that there is no need for us to go to the polls again in the near future.

JKHC ( Sept., 7, 2010 )