Greg, A minority/ balanced parliament will be good for all. Far from being regressive, the Tasmanian Parliament will be able to give ideas their due attention. We will enjoy a full-time representation, not just the juggernaut of majority.
Just look at the Mercury today (Friday 17th): an editorial, and a two-page spread giving Lennon the nod, provides a reminder cynical of the forces at work here.

Your observation maybe wrong if today's Newspoll is correct.

Yes it was wrong interesting that the conservatives without Howard are also rans.

What is interesting is that it appears that the Labor Party is trusted to run the States, but not the nation, I wonder whether the lack of an effective Federal Opposition, led by an ineffective Opposition Leader has anything to do with that?

Obviously it's time for the Gillard factor, to usher in a new vibrant federal ALP, with inovation and new ideas.

Sorry shonga but you are far from reality in backing Gillard.
With no room for doupt zero room, she will never lead my party,if the party would execpt now or ever a leader from the left we would not look that way.
The leadership problems are bad but its well known the dead hand of Mark Latham and those who followed him have done even more harm than poor leadership.
The atempts at renewal in the house are a sign Labor understands its problems.
two things we must understand both from unlikely people who I will forever regard as not friends of the ALP.
John Howard this weekend,, you must prove the case for change long before an election.
And from an equally unhelpfull Simon Crean
we must develop policys now.
Kim? mate sack the team that is stalling our policys release untill closer to the election, they are no friend of the ALP, if we are afraid of public reaction to our policys we have the wrong policys!

There is no doubt a lot of celebration is going on in two of the three parties contesting the recent election.

The labour party will be celebrating their “historic” third term win and planning even more deals with the Tasmanian Corporate world.

The Liberals are deluding themselves that they are on the “comeback “ trail and will be able to get their share of the trough after the next election perhaps.

There will be a sense of having to “start all over again” in the Greens camp and perhaps puzzlement at where they went wrong.

Unfortunately they are all losers, as is the whole Tasmanian population.

During the next four years of government by Corporation there will start to be an huge change to life as we have known it.

Two events are taking place that will alter our lives.

The first is Global Warming or as it has been renamed to soften the effect, “Climate change”. This is a deliberate ploy to make it sound less threatening.

Already we are seeing some effects in extreme weather events, not so evident in Tasmania but certainly in other less fortunate parts of the World.

The second event is sometimes called” Peak oil” but should really be called “Peak cheap oil”.

The oil is not going to flow at 83 million barrels a day for the next 30 years and then suddenly stop but will gradually decline (this has already started) and eventually rise in price because of the demand outstripping the supply.

How long will it take to reach a price beyond the reach of a Tasmanian?

This is unpredictable but will gradually squeeze the cost of living higher over the next few years.

The winner on the next election in Tasmania in four years time may not have so much to celebrate.

Great article, Mr Barns! You can be proud of dutifully doing your part in thwarting the Tasmanian Greens on behalf of your, and it would appear by your increasingly affectionate descriptions in the build up to the election, good friend and idol, Paul Lennon, at every opportunity along with all the “countless” other “ordinary, concerned citizens” of Tasmania who so heroically banded together to fight the good fight against the scourge of the Greens. I for one will be missing your “analysis” of Tasmanian affairs on Mondays when you take up your well-earned position as one of the many morally principled spin-doctors the Tasmanian Labor Party needs to employ. My advice though would be to continue your current informal arrangement as “commentator” with your pro Lennon friends at The Mercury, carrying out the odd attack on one of the more hapless of Lennon ministers from time to time in order to maintain your cover, and concealing your rightful ambition to be an actual political player by randomly sidling up to the various opposing political factions that exist in Australia.
On a personal note, I’m sure I’m not the only one who has noticed the sheer brilliance in which you display your vastly superior intellect for all to admire and your astounding ability to uncover the true machinations of Tasmanian politics through your vast network of trusting, non-fictitious ”friends” that you can truthfully quote from. You are an inspiration and the people Tasmania adore, respect and cherish your selfless, politically consistent “analysis”. Bravo!