Emma T Booker = time for change (complete with spelling errors)

Well, its official. We have a new Prime Minister. Australia is once again entrusting our wellbeing to the Labor Party. So long Liberals. For 11 years you have lined the pockets of the rich while those in need faced continuing hardships. That cherry came round and bit you on the ass tonight didnt it Johnny?

As I sat and watched the election unfold; something I had not done before, however this year a friend of mine was running in a minority party; I was flabergasted at the incredible dicotomy of some of the liberal party stalwarts (for the non Australian readers, the Liberals are the aussie version of the republican party) One gentleman sat there and said how difficult it was to view his fellow collegues losing their jobs and their livelihoods as the seats fell. This was the man who initiated the work place agreement laws which saw many average australians lose their benefits, extra entitlements, accrued leave and all this intrinsically tied to lower wages, and they were the lucky ones, the unlucky ones lost their jobs. Now he sat there and watched the same fate befall his friends, but the differnece was, this was the public saying, enough is enough. See Mr Hockey, it is not so great after all is it? Losing your job and your livelihood for something you see as unfair really sucks doesnt it? But hey, you chose to be a politician in a democracy, and sometimes, when you get so fat that you forget who your bosses really are in a democracy, the rug gets ripped out from under you.

John Howard said before we went to the polls, "If you believe Australia is fundamentally heading in the right direction, do not vote for change"

Mr Howard, we have crippling interest rates, xenophobic migration policies, we are headed for a recession, we have unfair labour laws, an economy that favours those in tax brackets for incomes over $200,00 pa and you led us into a war that the greater portion of the community did not agree with. Fundamentally John, you screwed up, and the people have spoken.

I never really get too political here, I choose not to for I do not have the knowledge to back up my impassioned arguments, but now I cannot hold back. For 11 years we have endured an economy that favours the rich, ignores the community and scratches the back of those who will give those already not needing money, even more cash to live their lives.

Enough is enough.

My boyfriend and I went out for dinner tonight and on the way home stopped at my favourite bookshop (shout out to Planet Books in Mt Lawley) and he bought the book "TAKEOVER: the return of imperial presidency and the subversion of american democracy" by Charles Savage.

Big pic of GWB on the cover........ oh how closely australia has been aligned with that subterfuge and specious construction of reality over the past few years. but no more.. GWB, your born again christian beliefs wont save you in the pages of history, just like John Howards association with you did not save him in this election.

Our new govt will not be able to pull our troops from danger straight away, but at least they have a plan to do so. They will not send wave after wave of them until the enemy is too tired to continue then claim victory as thousands of our best and brightest lie dead on foreign shores.

They will not be able to halt the inevitable interest rate rises that will occur in the next few months due to 11 years of Liberal rule (although the Libs will say it is Rudds fault), but maybe we can hope, in the long run, our international image as a lacky of GWB will diminish, we will take steps to improve our migration policies, we will take steps to improve the climate (although I will state here, I am NOT a global warming advocate, its hype, but we do need to find renewable energy and KYOTO, which out new govt plans to ratify, will assist that).

In Australia we have to vote, we get monetary fines if we do not do so. However previously I have done "donkey votes", but no more. If you do that, or you live in a country where it is not compulsory to vote, and you choose not to, YOU HAVE NO RIGHT WHAT SO EVER TO COMPLAIN ABOUT YOUR GOVT IF YOU WERE TOO LAZY TO GET OFF YOUR ASS AND VOTE OR WERE TOO STUPID TO MAKE AN INFORMED CHOICE IN THE BOOTH!

but what it all comes down to, in my mind, is this. The major parties who gain power are fundamentally, not ever really that different. The ideas may seem non divergant, but look beyond that and the rhetoric is the same. Basically when we go to vote, we must decide.... "Which one of these guys, when they fuck me up the ass, will use more lube" and the Australian people have spoken, Kevin Rudd has his KY jelly at the ready.

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