Australian elections 2013

Vox populi vox dei by GDL

The people of Australia have spoken loud and clear. They have voted on September 7, 2013 for a change of government as they were not satisfied of the Labor government way of governing, The Australians have voted for Mr Tony Abbott to be the next Prime Minister and for his team to lead Australia for the next three years.
The victory of the Liberal/national coalition was resounding. The opposition won with a majority of some 20 seats, thus having a comfortable majority in the lower house. With such a majority, the new government will have the free hands to implement its policies of going back to a surplus, reduce spending, cut where required, scrap the carbon tax, stop the boats and build a stronger economy and review the tax system. Three yeas to realise all these promises might not be enough but at least there will be some first steps and actions towards the change.
The people of Australia have severely punished Kevin Rudd, Julia Gillard and the Labor party for having been a dysfunctional government with their internal divisions and changed leaders without consulting the people. Australians hate uncertainty and rightly so are scared of instability which a minority government was providing. The good policies of the Labor party like saving the country from the Global Financial Crisis, building the school revolution, the National Disability Scheme, the Gonski Education reform have been overshadowed by the budget deficit, spending too much of  public money and their inability to stop the flow of illegals coming to Australia by boats.
The results of the elections can be explained by a loss by the Labor party rather than a win for the coalition but credit should be  given to the opposition to have conducted a remarkable campaign. The opposition, since electing Tony Abbott as leader, has been very effective and pushed the government in the corners. The opposition has been consistent and has thrown everything at the government of both Kevin Rudd and Julia Gillard. The opposition since 2010 was always in a winning position according to the polls. Under such pressure the Labor government was accumulating mistakes over mistakes to the point of annoying the people who were not listening anymore to Julia Gillard.
The return of Kevin Rudd as leader has not proved so beneficial to Labor although it must be acknowledged that Kevin Rudd saved part of the furniture and avoided a wipe out. He left the party in a position to be  a strong opposition. The Labor party will now reflect on its defeat and revamp. The first step is to put behind all the divisions of the past and find a leader who will unite and modernise the party.
As for Mr Abbott and the coalition there is no doubt that they will try to be very united and effective and hold on to their promises as people of Australia do not caution lies, like the big one of Julia Gillard. Tony Abbott will have to unite the country and govern for all. It would be impossible for the Liberal ( a centre right party)  to govern from the right. They will have to move closer and closer to the centre and open up to the working class and the lower middle class. Paradoxically the Liberals owe their victory to these people who used to vote Labor but this time vote liberals for the first time.
"Australia is under new management and open for business," said the Prime Minister elect, Tont Abbott.
Today is a new dawn for Australia and only time will tell if the change is for the better or worse. Rendez vous dans trois ans ou peutetre avant.