Who ever wins power I think there will be another election very soon since the independants have them over a barrel.Both parties have to have margin of 2 seats since one has to be a neutral speaker.

Economically next yr things do not look good,so if Labor win,their position will be still very tenuous.Perhaps the Libs should let them win so Labor gets on the nose even more.Then come an election in 12 mnths there will be a much bigger swing away from Labor.

If the Coalition take a win now,and the economy goes for a big slide,they could be out in 12mnths.

In all reality these are unusual times and even the political pundits can't pick how the electorate vote.

nairbe, how's this for 'realistic'.

Labor defeated the libs in 07 and held 85 or 86 seats, in any case, a large majority.

Within less than three years they have managed to waste 'billions', cost lives, send many businesses to the wall and sack an elected 'popular' prime minister.

So, after the election just held, they LOST some 13 seats and, without the aid of the green preferences, would have lost more seats.

Now you are trying to convince yourself, 'and others' that after the carniage they created and the thrashing they received in the polls, that they should hold the right to govern. What! so they continue wasting billions we don't have.

Yer right! Pull the other one!

You labor puppets are all the same, with the exception of belly I might add, at least he has recognised what has happened.

rechtub! stop it, it can not be good for your health crunching around the bottom of the rubbish bin for comments such as Labor puppets.
Clearly you have problems understanding, one of your 73 is a WA Nat, only in that state are the Nationals not dead.
He wants to be counted as a independent.
TWO PARTY preferred more voted Labor,and you do not have more seats.
Read a bit more.
Start with this mornings press proof the Nats are dead Alby Schultz rang around mid negotiation, to abuse those you need to form a government.
rechtub Labor puppets is as childish a remark as any you ever made here.
No easy task, in one line YOU insult over half the electorate, for? being different than you.

belly:"TWO PARTY preferred more voted Labor"

Not actually. The count is very close, but with postal votes favouring the coalition it is a strong probability that they will gain the majority of 2-party preferred votes.

As for Howes, he'sa very young man with a great deal more power than he has the experience to manage. Shorten is no more than a self-serving media tart. As for the rest of the cabal of "faceless men", let's face it, you wouldn't buy a used car from any of them.

Wake up to yourself, Belly. Whatever our differences, I reckon you're an honourable bloke. You shouldn't be tainting yourself by supporting these unelected grubs.

Belly, allow me to clarify myself. I don't claim all labor voters to be 'puppets', simply those few who insist on supporting thier party and see only the 'good' parts, not the 'wrong doings' they have done.

It's all well and good for those to support who they feel is best, but at least they should acknowledge the carniage their party have caused this great nation in less than three years.

If it were an election to determine who was the looser, labor are a 'stand out' and it is for this reason that I say they should admit they have failed and step aside. Esspecially considering the great posotion they inherited back in 07.

The GFC did not cause the lack of management in areas such as, insulation, solar, fuel watch, grocery watch and copenhagen. Nor did it play a role in the mining tax debarcle.

What turned the public against labor was their own incompitence and their NSW and QLD collegues.

I think neither party holds the right to govern, not in "their own right" that is. The Coalition increased their vote from the last defeat by a mere 1% or so ...... that's "NOT" an endorsement from the Aussie public. The Labor party had their vote decreased markedly, "BUT" it didn't go to the Coalition, it went to the Greens and "informal". So neither party are "clear" victors, seeing neither holds a majority of seats in their own right.

Therefore, there's only 2 outcomes ...... a minority government with Green and/or Independent support or another election. At another election I'm pretty sure the informal voters and Green voters would rush back to Labor and they'd be able to form a majority government quite easily.