Election Night

All our dreams have come true! Political Junkies were spoilt for choice tonight, with two elections being contested, the Tasmanian ALP lead Government and the South Australian ALP Government were up for re-election. Now while the result seemed inevitable you can’t always judge an election by its opinion polls and this evening was no different. A landslide and a hung parliament. Two vastly different results from two vastly different places. I am sure the Tasmanian election will be talked about in the days to come, it is the incredible results coming out of South Australia that has the nation captivated.

With the election result still in jeopardy, only one thing is for certain, us South Aussies, are a strange bunch of people! Who would have thought, after what some call the most disastrous parliament of all time – at a federal level from 2010-2013, that we could potentially be having another hung parliament in the House of Assembly!

 Many just thought that after the ALP's loss at the Federal Election last September, they would just shrivel up and fall in a heap and that the Libs would rule supreme at this election, but apparently not. ABC commentators and interviewees tonight have been spruking the power of the negative campaign the Premier ran against the Liberal Leader and his party, but is this close result something inherently deeper? Jay Weatherill would like you to believe that this close outcome was the states way of rebelling against the Liberal Federal Government, but I don’t know if I agree. For a state that has seen some sad times in the recent months, it almost seems as though people are not ready to let go of the protective womb the ALP have woven around us. For years and years they have been our pillars, our guideposts, and to have them ripped out from under us, I think people are reacting badly. That is not to say the relationship between the people and the Rann/Weatherill Government has always been smooth sailing, it is more a reflection on the fact South Aussies are notorious for rejecting change at every opportunity. That is not to say that when everything is said and done, when all the votes are counted, and then double counted, along with pre-poll votes, postal votes and voters voting outside their electorate the people may have voted for change. The thing is, even if the government changes hands, it has changed hands by the smallest of margins and so whoever forms government, will have their work cut out for them in the next four years. Huge Suburb unemployment, rising taxes and cost of living pressures, and a stagnating economy, as well as a great chance of needing support from independents to pass legislation – who would even want the job?? I joke, I joke, but seriously it will be a tough gig for either party.

Anyway, stay tuned as many votes still need to be counted, as it currently stands 22 ALP 21 LIB 2  IND, election night may be reaching a close but the results will be a while away yet – and then for the fun part, piecing the state back together!