I've just spent a couple of hours catching up on election coverage from the last couple of days. I think the standard of political coverage over the last ten years or so has slipped into a diabolical state; with honorable exceptions, the main role of a journalist is to be the professional spitter of dummies.
What a debased spectacle the whole affair has been. The premise of calling the election was truly unprecedented -- to ratify a change of leadership in the Australian Labour Party. It was a very shoddy premise to be starting from.
I hope it does take a while to sort things out, as the longer it takes, the more likely we will see either the start of a renewal, or the beginning of the end, of the two-party system. It has been a dead hand for almost as long as I can remember.
I disagree with the broader conclusion being drawn by many commentators and political journalists about the wider implications of the present electoral waiting game. The fact is that the election campaign was a particularly intense expression of how far political debate in this country has atrophied in the present generation. I think it would be prudent to welcome the opportunity for a renewal of ideology, except nobody in the media is equipped to deal with the style of argument this requires.
More to the point, if the independents play the game the right way, we might finally see a return to authentic Westminster parliamentary principles.
That would be a win for the whole country.
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