It is already the 1st of November and many things have happened in the last month. The Australian Federal election has been concluded with the majority win for the Liberal Party of Australia. Many people have asked about how on earth this same government that deceived people over the war in Iraq and have presided over some of the worst attacks on human rights in regards to immigration can win a majority in the new government.

I am not too sure how to answer that question, but there are some things that have emerged out of the election results that might be worth noting. First it must also be noted that election results do not by themselves give an accurate reading of people’s thinking and moods. If it does, it usually gives a very distorted picture of the situation.

The Labor party was decimated in some areas and the same can be said of the other parties such as the Democrats and the Greens. This points in some way to the end of the pressure group politics that has long been the premise for the existence and support of organisations such as the Australian Democrats and the Greens. People no longer believe that going through such channels is a viable option.

As for the Labor Party, it seems that people are beginning to see that many of the programs implemented by the Liberals originated with the Labor Party. Many of the current voters on the registers still remember the days of Hawke and the Keating. So rather than a shift to the right, the results can be read as a vote of no confidence for the Australian Labor Party.

At the same time, the US elections are looming upon the world that is nervously watching the outcome of it.