Election Eve in Australia

It seems like a lifetime since this Australian election began. I'm glad that that it's over.  It's hard to remember just what started all this. Yes, I do remember, but the issue that was so important that it triggered a double dissolution has kind of vanished. Now I want to get on with the rest of my life.

It's actually not been a bad election campaign. Despite the complaints of some of the commentariat, there has been more policy discussion than has often been the case in recent years. There is still that tendency to release a multiplicity of policy measures making it difficult to really see patterns, but both sides have been a little better.

I really have no idea what the result will be tomorrow in the House of Representatives, although I still think the Coalition will get back. In the Senate, we know that the result is likely to be quite otherwise from that Mr Turnbull seems to have intended when he started this path.

Some of the sillier sets of remarks during this campaign have come from Mr Turnbull and the indeed the business lobby saying that if you want stable government you must not vote for a minor party. Those remarks are silly because one reason why people vote for minority parties is just because they don't trust the majors and don't want them to have the power to do just what they want. They want them to have to compromise, to take other views into account. To my mind, that's a totally rational position.

So tomorrow I'm going out to enjoy the ritual. It's not quite the same as when I was actively involved. I don't have chairs and tables to distribute, how to vote cards to place in piles, coffee and supplies to run round the booths. I don't have to act as scrutineer, nor do I have an election party to go to. But I will still enjoy the day and then settle down to watch the results and see just what comes.

Whatever my complaints may be, Australia still has a functioning democracy.