Election day 2010.

Today is election day here in Australia. They (the ominous 'they') say that it will be the closest election in 50 years. The sitting government sits for 3 years and the election date can be called whenever the Prime Minister decides to call it (unlike in America when it is the set day in November every time).

This is a very interesting election because 4 months ago the then sitting Prime Minister Kevin Rudd (from the Kevin '07 era) was replaced by his sitting deputy Prime Minister, Julia Gillard. She was the first female deputy and now she is the first Prime Minister to run for election.

I thought the replacement was an example of unfair dismissal at the highest level. It was ludicrous. Kevin Rudd was in his first time as PM and the labour had only been in the federal government less than 3 years after 11 years of the Liberal party government. That put a rather sour taste in my mouth about the labour party. I do think that the saying " those that live by the sword will die by the sword" may apply to Julia Gillard. If you can't support your PM who will you support?

But those issues are beyond me. I feel that the two main parties are so similar it's really electing the lesser of the two evils. We've got the fire stoked up and the tv on to watch the wrap up. I am grateful that the campaign only goes for five weeks because then the media can move on to something else.

Come Monday life will resume as usual. In the past elections I have felt a rather anxious view of election day. I wanted to make sure the "right" party got into power. But now, as I get older and wiser, I realize that politics is cyclical and life goes on!