# wrote on Aug 24
th, 2010 at 3:00pm:
locutius wrote on Aug 24
th, 2010 at 12:11pm:
... the bottom line is that they asked us to vote and we did. They have their decision now. Work with it and live with it.
I have no faith that either major party really have the countries best interests at heart and no concept of planning for a future.
Which is precisely the message the electorate has sent. A hung parliament (what a marvelous image - no, that would be a hanged parliament - nice idea though). Basically, we've said that neither Labor nor the Coalition is fit to govern.
Party machines have been blamed for the parlous state of Australian politics, but they have been around for a long time. The problem seems to be that the machines have become too focused on staying in power. That leads them to neglect the job of running the country.
Australian democracy has become government of the people, by the party, for the party. That needs to change.
Hi David, welcome to OzPolitic.
That is a great first post to start off with as well, I think you have voiced an opinion that many millions of Aussies share.
I am more excited about the result of this election than any since 1972.
Back then I hoped that a government that had been in power my whole life, had been the problem, and a change of government would fix everything.
I was young, naive, and very, very wrong.
Now I see a parliament without either party holding a clear majority, and some previously obscure independents, talking about parliament getting behind the principle of true LOCAL representation, where each member voices the needs, and concerns of their own electorates, but also choose to work together, to decide on national issues that would reflect the wishes of the majority of the public.
Very, very few aussies get involved with political parties, and the machinations of all the lobbying and back room dealings that decide who gets to even put their hand up to go to the electorate to seek a mandate is something we do not follow, or really understand.
We do however get the sense that we are being taken for granted, and taken for a ride, by both the major parties, with their factions, and numbers men, and head kickers, and I think this is a great chance for us to send them the message that we are all heartily sick of it.
Winning power, needs to be about something more than just winning power, and then struggling to keep it.
I may no longer be young, but I hope I am not being too naive in hoping that some of the pollies will reflect on the message the people are trying to send, we do want a change, but not just a change between either a traditional Liberal or Labor government, but a change to a more representative government for us all.