Left or Right? Which way will Australia turn?

Hi. I am Leigh, I live in Bentley Park and I am sometimes considered one of the worlds greatest procrastinators. I take a ridiculously long amount of time to choose food, clothes and entertainment and am quite well known for it. It is frustrating for others, I know, but even I pale into insignificance when compared to the decision waiting to be made by three Independants.

In Australia we recently held a vote to decide who would govern our country. Are we left, centre or right? Apparently we are all three. The vote was so even that after two weeks there is still no clear outcome. A decision will be made tonight or early tomorrow depending on how talks go today in Canberra but the real question is not what will we end up with, but what will really happen over the next three years.

I wonder if those who voted for the right side of politics had any idea that, even if their choice of Government is successful, the result will be as far left as it can possibly go without ending up in the ocean. Even the left side of politics is amazed at what has occured. We have gone from having a center right Labor Government to potentially having a far left one. All the directions sound interesting but what do they really mean?

Will the fact that the Green Party have managed to secure the balance of power in both tiers of Federal Government mean that we will have a much more open, socially aware and environmentally sound Australia by the time three years have passed? An accountable Government with a strong focus on rural and regional Australia, fixing the neglect that these areas have suffered over the past few decades.

Alternatively we may well end up with a Government that says one thing, tries to do another and everything is blocked. We may end up in a situation where we are visiting the polls again next year to try once more for an obvious outcome, therefore wasting the six or so months until then with an essentially useless political system that is working for nobody.

Realistically, until the Independants choose their leader, this is all speculation and conjecture. Even after that point, the moment next year when the Senate changes will be yet another test for whoever leads the country. My fear is that whatever the outcome, Australia will stagnate under the talks, the compromises and the lack of real power for either major party. My hope is that this new form of Government will be more accountable, more willing to listen and will affect change that will bring real benefit to the entire of Australia.

Fingers crossed. There's not much more we can do now really.