That is all.

Well it's not like anyone couldn't see it coming.

I'm pretty happy with the result. It had to happen. If only Howard had stepped aside a year or more ago, maybe the outcome would have been very different for the Liberal party.

I do feel sorry for Howard though. It's not as if he's been doing a dreadful job for the 11 years he's been in office. He's done a lot of good. I don't think being thrown out on your ear completely is quite the way to end ones 25 year political career. I guess he really pissed off his constituency...

The main reasons I didn't vote Liberal again this time were pretty similar to last time: Iraq and the environment. Oh, and I thought the previous election campaign tactics were a bit dirty with all the FUD about interest rates. At least that backfired appropriately.

I must say that I've been quite surprised by various Liberal party happenings around this election. I'm surprised Malcolm Turnbull got a swing towards him in his electorate. I'm surprised that Costello didn't become the default Opposition Leader, and that he didn't even want the job. I'm surprised Turnbull was a front-runner for the job (and I'm pleased he didn't get it). I don't consider some filthy rich business man who's only just entered politics via a safe Liberal seat to be good alternative Prime Minister material. I can't say I'm a huge fan of Brendan Nelson either. Maybe the Liberal party's going to spend some time in the wilderness whilst in Opposition, the way the Labor did for so long?

I'm pleased that my immediate concerns about the Labor party being back in power haven't materialised, namely the selection of the cabinet. I've always hated the factional nature of the Labor party, and how the best person for the job wasn't necessarily selected. I'm glad Rudd hasn't continued that tradition. I'm glad Peter Garrett retained the environment portfolio. I'm also very pleased that Rudd's getting stuck into some of the things that are very popular with the people but the previous Government was quite controversial over, namely signing Kyoto, apologising to the Aborigines about the Stolen Generation and withdrawing troops from Iraq.

Interesting times ahead. I'm particularly interested to see how the US deals with any troop withdrawal. My personal opinion on that whole mess is that we shouldn't have been there in the first place, but we're morally obligated to see things through.

Oh, and I'm extremely curious as to what's going to happen to the Canberra housing market. Apparently (I can't remember where I got this from, maybe some long-time Canberrans on Planet Linux Australia can confirm or deny this) when the Liberal Party first came to power 11 years ago, they gutted the public service, and Canberra house prices dropped dramatically. I'll be watching with interest to see if anything similar happens this time.

Our alternate Prime Minister picking his ear and eating it in Parliament.

So it sounds like Costello is doing his annual (or so) stirring of the pot about the leadership of the Liberal party. It's interesting to see how the media's got itself whipped into a frenzy over a supposed agreement between Howard and Costello from 12 years ago.

That said, it does smack a bit of the Hawke/Keating "all bets are off" debacle, that ultimately cost Hawke the top job.

I'm inclined to agree with Queensland Premier Beattie, Costello acting like an impatient child isn't doing him any good. I don't see how he thinks it's his God-given right to assume the leadership of the Liberal party (and thus become Prime Minister).

I think Costello has done a great job as Treasurer, but as someone once commented, when he comes to Prime Minister, he just doesn't pass the "Balmain Barbecue" test. I just can't imagine this guy letting his hair down with a beer at a backyard barbecue. Howard, the guy who's out going for a brisk walk every morning in his footy jersey and shorts, on the other hand, comes across as a little more of a man of the people, than Costello, who always looks very stiff and formal in a suit. I don't know, he just doesn't have the same appeal. I put him in the same basket as Kim Beazley, for similar reasons.

Disclaimer: I'm not terribly pro-Labor, I'm more Liberal, however I'm pissed at Howard over the war in Iraq.

Can the Opposition please get it's act together and give us a credible leader and alternative Prime Minister? Kim Beazley is just not it. The media have already elected him as leader of the Labor Party, however I personally hope it doesn't happen.

So we've just had an Opposition Leader who's had to resign because of health problems. Let's not replace him with an overweight has-been, who hasn't been free of his own health problems in recent times. He kept saying he was healthy today in his press conference, but I have my doubts. I suppose he's going to have to swear off the KFC again and restart running up Mount Ainslie at 5am? He can't be looking forward to that.

Kim Beazley just isn't Prime Minister material, in my opinion. Neither was Simon Crean. I think Mark Latham was the closest thing Labor's come up with since they were last in government. I think there is a serious lack of credible candidates. I think the party's full of people who'd like to think they'd make Prime Minister one day, but until the party can publically get its act together and stop infighting, every 18 months when they have a leadership stoush just puts another nail in the collective political coffin, and leaves them languishing in the political wilderness even longer.

So in the interests of having a viable Opposition, and keeping the Howard Government accountable, will the Labor Party please get its freaking act together?

I'm absolutely appalled that Howard has been returned to office.

I can't believe that the Iraq war wasn't more of an election issue. The fact that the Australian people have not only chosen to reelect, but swing towards, a government that supported the US' unilateral invasion of Iraq sends the wrong message to the rest of the world. It says that the Australian people are okay with this kind of thing. It wasn't that long ago that thousands of people marched in protest against the military action in Iraq. Did all these people just forget when they got to the ballot box?

I voted fairly early in the day today, but got stuck in the early morning rush. It's interesting to see the demographic of my suburb. A lot of elderly people, a few young families and a few couples. All the elderly were getting priority in the queue, which meant it took me about half an hour to get to the front of the line.

I couldn't vote for Howard, even though I think his government has done a good job of economic management, I'm just too pissed off about Iraq. Being an environmentalist, I voted Green, which is just an indirect vote for Labor. Damn preferential voting system.

I was just thinking on Friday, how it would be rather interesting to see the impact on the Canberra micro-economy if there was a change of Federal government in this election, followed by a change of ACT government in next weekend's election. Apparently last time there was a change of Federal government, the Canberra property market took a real dive, because there was a lof of upheaval in the public service.

So Little Johnny has finally decided to send us to the polls on October 9. Bring it on, I can't wait to exercise my compulsory right to vote. For good measure, the ACT government elections are the following weekend. Voting central.