365 Pink Feather Boas All in a Row - Day 233 (Saturday 21 August) : The Illusion of Mattering

My usual quip on voting day is that today I get to exercise my democratic rights, and what a glorious 24 hours it is, till the new government is in, and any pretense to democracy is then ignored.

OK it's a very long quip - you need to be patient while I quip in and around you - but today that quip, while maintaining some relevance, was disapproved largely when my vote, and that of many other voters was shown to be hugely influential as Labor's vote vanished in NSW and QLD as a 5% swing against them kicked in and they ended up in a virtual dead heat with the Liberals. Obviously we poor voters will be ignored again shortly but for now we have spoken loudly enough to completely up end Federal politics as we know it, and produce Australia's first hung parliament (there was a quip that the Australian Sex Party would love a hung parliament - too funny!) in 80 years.

We are all of course hoping that The Mad Monk, Tony Abbott, leader of the Liberals (anything but really) don't get asked to form a monitory government (it will come down to who can woo the 4 independents the best) - my gorgeous guy, Waz, Fahmi and I all voted at Erskineville Public School this morning, waiting in line for 45 minutes + for the privilege (making jokes about moving forward as the line moved... well... forward!) ; for the first time, I voted Greens in both houses as well as purchasing a fundraising cupcake garnished with musk sticks and glitter (yep they know their gay demographic, as my guy pointed out) from a cute kid and his mum - something that began all too real last night as Peter, Fahmi, my Stephen and my gorgeous guy and I watched the ABC's election telecast while eating pizza, chips, lollies and drinking wine. Thank goodness for the wine because the prospect of the Liberals being in power was terrifying.

It was a fascinating night of TV - even Peter, who asked that we not watch too much of the telecast, was transfixed.... well sort of! - and my guy and I waited till Tony Abbott and Julia Gillard made their non-victory-we're-in-governing-limbo-hey-I-adore-Independents speeches just near midnight before retiring to bed.

Fascinating though it was, I am more than a little concerned about what a Liberal minority government could bring..... shall I pack for Canada?