2010-09-08

This article belongs to And That's the Way It Is column.


After a couple of weeks of intense negotiations between four elected independents and both the Labor Party as well as the Liberal/National coalition parties, three out of four have decided to give Labor, led by coup-leader Julia Gillard, a chance to govern by guaranteeing not to support certain no-confidence motions and by agreeing to guarantee the passing of supply legislation.

The Independents, through their negotiation processes, also gained major concessions in terms of the way the Australian parliament is
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Labor lost a substantial number of seats during the elections as well as losing a very large slice of its support base...
run as well as gaining other major concessions from both sides of Australian politics. They also gained substantial concessions from Labor in terms of the support regional Australia is to receive from Government. Other than supporting supply legislation and not supporting no-confidence motions in the lower house of parliament other than those motions being their own, the independents will maintain their own legislative priorities as well as their own electorate priorities.

The hung-parliament situation came about when Australian voters decided on 21 August that neither Labor, led by coup-leader Gillard and the Liberals, led by Tony Abbott, could gain their confidence and thus their support and the elections resulted in a ‘hung parliament' situation as a consequence, this situation coming about following former Prime Minister Rudd being brutally deposed by the Labor mafia and Julia Gillard as well as some major Rudd initiatives being either shelved or deemed to be flawed. Labor lost a substantial number of seats during the elections as well as losing a very large slice of its support base which went, in the majority of seats, to the Australian Greens as well as the Liberal/National coalition.

What this final result does show is that Labor needs to dramatically pick up its performance within the next term and that Australian voters have very little sympathy with Labor back-room dealmakers such as Karl Bitar, Bill Shorten and Mark Arbib whose performance in terms of their treatment of Kevin Rudd was no less than disgusting. In fact, I am of the view that those three individuals should have no further place in any Government or Labor deliberations in any way shape or form as they have proven to be a electorial liability. Julia Gillard, as being one of the coup-plotters, is also on notice in terms of repeat performances such as the Rudd removal from office will no longer be tolerated by the Australian electorate.

The Liberal/National coalition will perhaps need to rejuvenate itself rather than relying on the now outdated and discredited policies of the former Howard Government if it wishes to in any way gain the support of a wider proportion of Australian voters.
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Australian voters have very little sympathy with Labor back-room dealmakers such as Karl Bitar, Bill Shorten and Mark Arbib whose performance in terms of their treatment of Kevin Rudd was no less than disgusting.

So there it is, the Independents won the Australian elections, the two major Australian political parties certainly did not regardless of the fact that Labor has been returned to Government albeit in terms of functioning as a very fragile minority Government.

And on that note.

My name is Henk Luf.

And That's The Way It Is.