“THE PEOPLES’ CHOICE”

The people have chosen their Government in Australia, for the next three years (hopefully),and they have chosen well. After what seemed like “ages”, in other words, 8 weeks plus a further 8 days, (counting),give or take a few hours, the Liberal/National Party under the leadership of Mr.Malcolm Turnbull has won the 2016 Federal Election from Mr.William Shorten, or simply “Bill, as he is better-known, & his Labour Party.

It was a long & tedious “campaign” by everyone concerned. My own opinion is that general “Political Campaigns”, whenever & wherever held, always seem to be totally FALSE, simply because, for a start, the “Public” rarely get to see their “Pollies” up-close, except at “Election-Time”. One, two or three-word “slogans” rent the air, promises are made, only to be broken later on, In “Sinhala” this is called “kadawanu-poronduwa” broken -promise,”(the very first Sinhalese film I saw at the Quinlon Theatre, in Nugegoda, Lanka, , starring the beautiful, talented Rukmani Devi & Eddie Jayamanne), pardon the digression, “miles of smiles”, “very much touch, & shake of hand, descriptions of the “Promised-Land”. “Triple A Rating & much debating”,
Never say never, I could go on forever but enough is enough, let’s dispense with this “stuff”. You disagree?
My apology, but get stuffed, it’s just the poet in me!.

Politically speaking & purely from the point of view of”Voters” in this election, this writer has now been in Australia for fifty four years, voted in every General & State election since then,but I have to say that this one, the election of 2016, although arduous to the extreme has been “the best” that voters in general, could hope for, the simple reason being that although Labour has conceded defeat, the “winning mob”was certainly not a runaway one,& Mr.Turnbull will now know that he has very difficult problems to face, as a result.. Our Prime Minister is an intelligent man, he also has an intelligent”team” in his “new” Government and as he said himself, ” many a lesson has now been learned” and HE certainly does not want another bloody SNAP–ELECTION”. At the moment, it seems likely that he has lost three “seats” from his previous team but they were all what could have been termed “very Junior Portfolios”and will simply be replaced by three new “Rookie Pollies”who will now have to fill their shoes.
The new Liberal/National Government should be in action by the latter part of this month and their worthy opposition, headed by Bill Shorten will be ready and waiting for the new “Term” to commence. It looks like “history repeating itself” but “not so” says I.

It was certainly not a “one-horse” race this time.
The Liberal/National Government will govern this vast Country for the next three years but my much earlier “comment” about this last “snap-election” campaign being the “best” does require an intelligent, unbiased explanation I suppose, so here goes. FIRSTLY, the reason for the “long-drawn-out” count, was because the “Public” were, & are, in future, going to think much more carefully, before we “cast our votes”. For far too long, Australians, or most of us, anyway, have not really given too much thought into the voting process. Because voting is compulsary, & also because,it is sometimes inconvenient to get to a “polling booth” !!, Because of THIS, and because of THAT, we have never considered the many “Minor Political Parties” in this rough & tumble “game”, in fact, we have used most of these “Elections” merely as a “hiccough” in our daily routines. Go & vote and get it over with! Normally, it was either a Liberal or Labour choice. Not anymore. We now have our “Social Media”, our faster “wagging tongues” plus the A.B.C.(the Aus.Broadcasting Corp.), AND the “Internet”, that nearly “lost” the A.B.C., in the process, reminding me of the rapid turn-over of recent Prime Ministers in this Country. Luckily, the A.B.C. is still with us, but, chances are that, in it, you might see the identical “news” on a Tuesday night, that you’ve already seen on a Monday. If “Barnaby” coughed or “Joyce” sneezed, it was news. To make an extra-long story short, we did have a very popular radio music in the “Ceylon” of my day, aptly named “Sunday-Choice This was a.”show” that was always “music to my ears”.
especially when they played a song titled Dreamworld.

, Now, the “Peoples Choice” (after fifty four years of life in the City of Melbourne, Australia) is another type of music to my ears, in that, I now feel, that the future “Political-Music” here, is FINALLY going to make a welcome.difference to all of us who are Citizens of this great big “sun-burn’t Island Continent.

Firstly. Both the Liberal Party and the Labour Party are now fully aware that bi-partisanship will be more important than ever before & instead of “arguing” like a bunch of schoolboys over anything & everything in Parliment, they would now concentrate on the more important and vital problems that affect the “Public” in general, thus reaching a decision that was the most sensible under the “present circumstances”.
The “Opposition” is there, naturally, to “Oppose” the Government decisions but from now on I feel that, as their Leader himself said, that he would now do his best to co-operate with the Prime Minister of the Country, but only if it was for the betterment of the people. For his part, the P.M. knows that although the Liberals have won the mandate to run the Country for the next three years, HE will have to negotiate with not only the Opposition, but also with the increased “Independants” & those who would “cross the floor” in order to get “their way”, if he wishes to STAY! !.

Secondly, “The Nationals”, ” The Independants”,
The “Greens””Blacks” & “Blues”
It’s not just the Government, it’s now up to “youse”
Keep the bastards all honest
It’s what you’re there for
But do it all gently & uphold the law.

“You’re their “voice”, it’s the Peoples’ Choice”.

Thirdly, & finally. Nick Zenaphon, Politicians generally do not have too much of a reputation but I do think that
you are a little bit different. You don’t “blow your horn”
but still “do your thing” admirably well. Congratulations. Carry on the good work.
Jacqui Lambie, We are indeed lucky to have an exService-Woman in our new Parliment. Please see to it that Aussies are NOT catapulted into wars totally unnecessarily. Their first “duty” is to look after Australia. They have to fight. They do not wear their uniforms just to look good. If & when they “come back home” please make sure that they are looked after in the best possible manner. It is because of you and others in “uniform” including the Forces, Firemen, Police, Security-Officers, Nurses & so on, that ordinary Australians can go to bed at night, feeling secure
Pauline Hanson. Congratulations. You are back where you belong. Unfortunately, too many people in Australia do not know the difference between “Segregation” and “Assimilation”but I do. Congrats. Derryn Hinch. This is not the initial “blurb” on you. I have already written “articles” about the “man’s man” who followed another famous “actor” from Tasmania. His name was Errol Flynn & he was famous for the quotation ” In like Flynn” but we won’t take that any further. You, Darryn, have endeared yourself to most Sri Lankans simply because most of us are ” animal-lovers “. I am proudly one of them . Congratulations and thank you for standing up for these beautiful creatures that cannot speak for themselves. Thank you for standing up for much tougher sentences for the “Scum” of the Earth, rapists & paedophiles. Thank you for “speaking-up” for people who cannot speak for themselves, especially in Parliment, as you will, I am sure. You are the “Peoples’ Choice, and Darryn,  you were my “first choice” on the top left-hand corner of the big white broadsheet. Go to it, man, & good luck to you.

I have said it all, in just one “voice” “A Combo-Government, is the Peoples’ Choice”

Desmond (Kelly from Colombo).