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Prediction: now that Australia has a proper, constitutionally-valid Government, and it's not the Coalition, the Right is going to achive new heights of vicious batshittery. Or batshit viciousness. Already, the hashtags are running hot with predictions of free Government-issue heroin and death panels and "Can't someone shut the fucking ranga bitch up already?"
Myself, I'm relieved but not surprised, and pleased but sort of meh. Let me break this down:
Relieved: because a Liberal Government on its own is not so bad, but a Liberal Government headed by Tony "I wouldn't want my daughters to get the HPV vaccine" Abbott would be terrible.
Unsurprised: because I moved to a semi-rural town in the same year the Howard Government was elected, so I got to watch firsthand as the Liberals screwed their National brethren, and the bush, and the Nationals, most of them, said, "Thank you, sir, may I have another?" at every blow. (Caboolture was, however, just urban enough to really appreciate a nice blend of Fear Of The Other, which is why its population (a) keeps voting LIberal and (b) is not a place famed for having a racially and sexually diverse population. Um, bless.) In short: I suspected Katter would go with the Coalition -- his hatred of them is outweighed only by his homophobia -- but I was pretty sure the other rural independents could be swayed by the ALP, provided no one did anything really stupid.
Pleased: with the Greens controlling the Senate, and the House controlled by Everyone Who Isn't Liberal Or Bob Katter, some interesting things might happen now. Also, now that we finally have a Government, maybe people will stop acting like it's some kind of crime against democracy to not vote for one of the major parties, yes, Tony Abbott, I'm looking at you, and you, NewsCorp, and everyone else who seemed to think the Greens only got the largest swing because people thought that "Liberal" is spelled G-r-e-e-n. Democracy: it happens.
Meh: no disrespect to the Independents Who Aren't Bob Katter, but I'm pretty sure we can abandon any hope of marriage reform in the next three years. I'd like to be pleasantly surprised (and then invited to many weddings), but ... yeah.
Myself, I'm relieved but not surprised, and pleased but sort of meh. Let me break this down:
Relieved: because a Liberal Government on its own is not so bad, but a Liberal Government headed by Tony "I wouldn't want my daughters to get the HPV vaccine" Abbott would be terrible.
Unsurprised: because I moved to a semi-rural town in the same year the Howard Government was elected, so I got to watch firsthand as the Liberals screwed their National brethren, and the bush, and the Nationals, most of them, said, "Thank you, sir, may I have another?" at every blow. (Caboolture was, however, just urban enough to really appreciate a nice blend of Fear Of The Other, which is why its population (a) keeps voting LIberal and (b) is not a place famed for having a racially and sexually diverse population. Um, bless.) In short: I suspected Katter would go with the Coalition -- his hatred of them is outweighed only by his homophobia -- but I was pretty sure the other rural independents could be swayed by the ALP, provided no one did anything really stupid.
Pleased: with the Greens controlling the Senate, and the House controlled by Everyone Who Isn't Liberal Or Bob Katter, some interesting things might happen now. Also, now that we finally have a Government, maybe people will stop acting like it's some kind of crime against democracy to not vote for one of the major parties, yes, Tony Abbott, I'm looking at you, and you, NewsCorp, and everyone else who seemed to think the Greens only got the largest swing because people thought that "Liberal" is spelled G-r-e-e-n. Democracy: it happens.
Meh: no disrespect to the Independents Who Aren't Bob Katter, but I'm pretty sure we can abandon any hope of marriage reform in the next three years. I'd like to be pleasantly surprised (and then invited to many weddings), but ... yeah.
