Everyone seems to have missed the big story from this election. The Upper House will not be under the control of the ALP/Greens. Looks like the Country Alliance and the DLP could hold the balance of power. Some interesting election policies on rail from those parties:

http://www.countryalliance.org/index.php/policies/party-policies/126-infrastructure.html

http://www.dlp.org.au/blog/ "....the rail infrastructure between Melbourne and Horsham upgraded to a dual carriageway..." (my comments - so dual gauge or perhaps SG & BG in parallel????)

ON the Country Alliance policies, the last two, better regional rail services and better NBN and mobile phone coverage are also Cathy McGowan's (Independent for Indi) and Cathy got them directly from many meetings with the average joe and Josphine all around the NE Victoria area. Its in effect what the people want rather than what some rabbit in a major politcal party think what people want.

This why Cathy got elected she presented the people with what they actually wanted. Having any political party even the Country Alliance that actually wishs to give people what they want can not be all bad. Mind people of Melbourne metro area probably will not like it, as a lot of them appear to think Victoria is only the metro area.

BTW, I though Andrew's victory speech quite good, anybody giving a real polished performance under similiar circumstances should be treated with much suspiciion.

woodford

BTW, I though Andrew's victory speech quite good, anybody giving a real polished performance under similiar circumstances should be treated with much suspiciion.

I thought he was really good too, not heavily scripted and also very gracious towards Denis Napthine.

Looks like there's an independent in Shepparton now - wonder if that will mean major upgrades to the V/line service! It doesn't appear Labor needs the votes of anyone else in the lower house to form government but the upper house is apparently quite a dog's breakfast full of disparate groups and minor parties and there could be a lot of horse-trading going on.

Looks like there's an independent in Shepparton now - wonder if that will mean major upgrades to the V/line service! It doesn't appear Labor needs the votes of anyone else in the lower house to form government but the upper house is apparently quite a dog's breakfast full of disparate groups and minor parties and there could be a lot of horse-trading going on.

Last spot in Western Vic Upper House could go to James Purcell of Vote 1 Local Jobs.  He's pretty keen to see the State Govt stop paying Bernie Ecclestone to run the GP and instead use the money in rural areas to improve road and rail.

BTW, I though Andrew's victory speech quite good, anybody giving a real polished performance under similiar circumstances should be treated with much suspiciion.

Really? I would be very suspicious of a party leader who was not competent enough to make sure their staff had prepared three speeches (victory, concession and too close to call) before election day.

Rumour has it that Kevin Rudd did not have a concession speech written for the 2007 Federal Election, and look how well that turned out.

Last spot in Western Vic Upper House could go to James Purcell of Vote 1 Local Jobs. He's pretty keen to see the State Govt stop paying Bernie Ecclestone to run the GP and instead use the money in rural areas to improve road and rail.

Sounds even worse than Jacqui Lambie...

BTW, I though Andrew's victory speech quite good, anybody giving a real polished performance under similiar circumstances should be treated with much suspiciion.

woodford

Anyone recall the loosing speech by Kim Beasley again John Howard?  Brilliant.

Napthine in his departing speech Saturday evening said Victoria was in a better position now than when he found it.

Productivity per Victorian under the liberal coalition was stagnant over the entire 4 years. In other words output from the state had not increased the entire time they were in power. More rubbish from Napthine.

Construction work under Napthine was the lower in the country. They did nothing in power to increase construction or productivity.

Last spot in Western Vic Upper House could go to James Purcell of Vote 1 Local Jobs. He's pretty keen to see the State Govt stop paying Bernie Ecclestone to run the GP and instead use the money in rural areas to improve road and rail.

I wouldn't hold out on that one, one thing the Napthine government did manage to acheive was the signing of a new contract to stage Formula One at Albert Park until 2020, well past this election cycle.

Just as well, hopefully that buries this tiresome issue for the next couple of years.

I wouldn't hold out on that one, one thing the Napthine government did manage to acheive was the signing of a new contract to stage Formula One at Albert Park until 2020, well past this election cycle.

Just as well, hopefully that buries this tiresome issue for the next couple of years.

Nope, a F1 hosting contract is ridiculously easy for the race promoter to walk out on if they want, all they need to do is stop paying for it.

But we all know there's no chance of that happening, the Labor fat cats will love their weekend of schmoozing with Bernie just as much as the Liberals did the last few years.

Really? I would be very suspicious of a party leader who was not competent enough to make sure their staff had prepared three speeches (victory, concession and too close to call) before election day.

Rumour has it that Kevin Rudd did not have a concession speech written for the 2007 Federal Election, and look how well that turned out.

A friend of mine wrote the three for a sitting senator going for another term in 2010, their quota was achieved early, and we knew it would be, but the three were on hand. Likewise for several MPs borrowing the office, took days to write them.

This why Cathy got elected she presented the people with what they actually wanted. Having any political party even the Country Alliance that actually wishs to give people what they want can not be all bad. Mind people of Melbourne metro area probably will not like it, as a lot of them appear to think Victoria is only the metro area.

woodford

Actually, I think that a lot of the decision makers in Melbourne really believe the world as we know it ends at Zone 1. Do they really give a toss about the sub-par performance of the Albury line or the Gippsland line passengers crawling along at walking pace around Clayton?

This why Cathy got elected she presented the people with what they actually wanted. Having any political party even the Country Alliance that actually wishs to give people what they want can not be all bad. Mind people of Melbourne metro area probably will not like it, as a lot of them appear to think Victoria is only the metro area.

woodford

Actually, I think that a lot of the decision makers in Melbourne really believe the world as we know it ends at Zone 1. Do they really give a toss about the sub-par performance of the Albury line or the Gippsland line passengers crawling along at walking pace around Clayton? I see something out of the old Eastern Europe at Marshall but in contrast, South Morang is like the Palace of Versaille.
I do note that Waurn Ponds makes Marshall looks like a sows ear!

The greens have taken prahran from the liberals. How embarrassing.

Genuine three-way contest and the Greens won.

Both sides of the duopoly would be secretly very disturbed by this development.  The Greens are winning seats in their own right -

Genuine three-way contest and the Greens won.

Both sides of the duopoly would be secretly very disturbed by this development. The Greens are winning seats in their own right -

And so the duopoly should be concerned. They are both packs of incompetents and liars so arrogant that they think that they can get away with murder. What proportion of the Green's votes would have been cast because the community has had such a gut full of the Libs and the ALP leaving the Greens as the least (?) lunatic fringe party available.

Anyone know the position in the Legislative Council, please. The media seem to have lost interest although I imagine that sooner or later they will have to get over the recent cricket tragedy and get back to politics, terrorism, racism and football.

And so the duopoly should be concerned. They are both packs of incompetents and liars so arrogant that they think that they can get away with murder. What proportion of the Green's votes would have been cast because the community has had such a gut full of the Libs and the ALP leaving the Greens as the least (?) lunatic fringe party available.

Anyone know the position in the Legislative Council, please. The media seem to have lost interest although I imagine that sooner or later they will have to get over the recent cricket tragedy and get back to politics, terrorism, racism and football.

Legisaltive Council

Liberals 14
Labor 13
Greens 4
Nationals 2
Others 7

As to the state of the two main parties the winds of change are already blowing, Cathy McGowan for Indi, Jeanette Powel for Shep and now the two Green members are showing that the main parties can no longer get away with treating the voters like they are idiots. Wether the collective inteligence of the main parties is enough to notice these changes is a real moot point. The federal Libs appear to have completely lost the plot.
If the main parties do not change independants will only increase in numbers much to the horror of the main parties, they only have themselves to blame. The near future should be really interesting.

woodford

Legisaltive Council

Liberals 14
Labor 13
Greens 4
Nationals 2
Others 7

At this stage probably 19 out 40 would be left-of-centre.
21 seats held by right-of-centre: 16 LNP, 2 Shooters & Fishers, 1 DLP, 1 Country Alliance, 1 Vote1localjobs.

It's still anything but decided and below-the-line votes will probably change the above predicted outcome.  But the left-right split is probably set.  Hopefully it will temper some of Dan Andrews' socialist tendencies.

What it does say is that a large chunk of the rural constituency has had a gutful of economic rationalism and city-centric policies.

I think all Australians have had enough of economic rationalism. It has bought this country to its Knees.

It is pathetic when a government measures it successes on the size of a surplus.

What it does say is that a large chunk of the rural constituency has had a gutful of economic rationalism and city-centric policies.

It's more significant in my book that they've stopped voting for the National Party - something that I didn't think I would ever see in my lifetime.

The shock defeat in Shepparton and the reduced numbers in the lower house is an absolute disaster and it tells us that Peter Ryan's time at the wheel saw the Nats disconnect further from their constituents... to the point where an independent can come from nowhere and snatch a safe seat.  It's refreshing to see as a former country resident that things do in fact change.

The shock defeat in Shepparton and the reduced numbers in the lower house is an absolute disaster and it tells us that Peter Ryan's time at the wheel saw the Nats disconnect further from their constituents... to the point where an independent can come from nowhere and snatch a safe seat. It's refreshing to see as a former country resident that things do in fact change.

Don I could not agree more.  This has been overlooked in my view.  The nationals will go the way of the Democrats unless they merge but with whom?

I am struggling to actually work out what Ryan and the Nationals did for regional Victoria.  They lost Mildura some time ago (arguably due to the Kennett cuts in the 1990's) and have been loosing ground ever since.

Don I could not agree more. This has been overlooked in my view. The nationals will go the way of the Democrats unless they merge but with whom?

I am struggling to actually work out what Ryan and the Nationals did for regional Victoria. They lost Mildura some time ago (arguably due to the Kennett cuts in the 1990's) and have been loosing ground ever since.

Part of the problem is that the Nationals have been too close to the Libs.  The Nats in WA are going thru a purple patch because they recently distanced themselves from the Libs - their vote has almost doubled since 2001.

Part of the problem is that the Nationals have been too close to the Libs. The Nats in WA are going thru a purple patch because they recently distanced themselves from the Libs - their vote has almost doubled since 2001.

Bevans is right, Peter Ryan did absolutely squat for his own constituents and the party did not seem to differentiate itself from the Libs on any level. They stand to lose more and more ground to independents in the future while the duopoly gets eaten away from the inner city core by the Greens.

It's more significant in my book that they've stopped voting for the National Party - something that I didn't think I would ever see in my lifetime.

The shock defeat in Shepparton and the reduced numbers in the lower house is an absolute disaster and it tells us that Peter Ryan's time at the wheel saw the Nats disconnect further from their constituents... to the point where an independent can come from nowhere and snatch a safe seat. It's refreshing to see as a former country resident that things do in fact change.

The cause of the defeat of the major parties in Shepparton I believe needs to be seen in a more general view. Now I do not know how Jeanette Powell managed it but I strongly assume she took a leaf out of Cathy McGowans book. Cathy acheived the feat by making emmense efforts to connect with the electorate. She would meet anyone any where as long as there was a dozen or more people at the meeting, kitchens and lounge rooms being quite OK. In Indi NEITHER of the main parties did any thing but the party line. The sittng member only said I am liberal and a member of the cabinet, she was repeatedly told she had done nothing for the elctorate and she dissmissed this even after it was clear she had lost. The Labor candidate completely went with the federal Labor party line.

I think the bottom line for the results in both Indi and Shepparton is that the major parties have completely lost touch with the electorate, until they learn this these sort of defeats will continue. Sadly my personal opinion is at the moment neither major party is capable of understanding this (that they have lost touch with the people).

woodford

It's about time the National Party got its comeuppance. For years, the position of Leader of the Nats has been the cushiest job going. The Libs need the Nats to provide a majority, so the Nats' leader gets the portfolio he wants as a reward for keeping the Libs in power. He doesn't have to do very much; just make a bit of noise on TV every so often so that people remember who he is. After that, it's been reliance on country Victoria's ingrained voting habits ("I've always voted Country/National Party like me dad." ). It has amused me greatly in recent years to hear Libs screaming blue murder about the ALP "getting into bed with the Greens." Apparently a coalition is OK provided it's the conservatives, but nobody else is allowed to do it. Now the coalition, at least in Victoria, is being seen for what it is; get into power with the Nats' essential help, and then give the Nat voters in the bush three-fifths of five-eighths of diddly squat.

It's about time the National Party got its comeuppance. For years, the position of Leader of the Nats has been the cushiest job going. The Libs need the Nats to provide a majority, so the Nats' leader gets the portfolio he wants as a reward for keeping the Libs in power. He doesn't have to do very much; just make a bit of noise on TV every so often so that people remember who he is. After that, it's been reliance on country Victoria's ingrained voting habits ("I've always voted Country/National Party like me dad." ). It has amused me greatly in recent years to hear Libs screaming blue murder about the ALP "getting into bed with the Greens." Apparently a coalition is OK provided it's the conservatives, but nobody else is allowed to do it. Now the coalition, at least in Victoria, is being seen for what it is; get into power with the Nats' essential help, and then give the Nat voters in the bush three-fifths of five-eighths of diddly squat.

I vaguely remember the Nats and the libs splitting in Victoria after 1999 when Jeff Kennett did nothing for the country. Either that was quickly abandoned or maybe it never went ahead.