We had done most of our shopping at Coles and were just popped into Woolworths for a couple of things that Coles did not have. I suppose I was distracted. I paid for the four items, R picked up the supermarket bag and I picked up...........oh no, the Kelly O'Dwyer bag. I didn't even think about until I was nearly to the car and realised what I had done; that is exhibited myself to the great unwashed in the Prahran car park as a Liberal Party supporter. Oh, the shame, the terrible shame and not even seeing the normally such pleasurable sight of the Sheriff wheel clamping a shiny black BMW could alleviate my embarrassment.
Jason Ball, oh tall one, with Greens Party leader, Dr Richard Di Natale. Tall players often play in the ruck position of the footy field. I think he'd be quite a good ruck.
We have both used ABC's online Vote Compass to see where we sit on the political spectrum. It made R confused but something happened in the media yesterday, I know not what, that eased his mind and he has now decided who to vote for. Vote Compass tells me I am to the left of The Greens, making me somewhat of an extremist. I am a fairly conservative person, so that is an odd result.
Is it an old Australian saying? 'Don't vote for the bastards, it only encourages them.' There may be some truth in that, but vote we must, or at least attend the polling booth and have our names crossed off. It is the law. I like another saying better, 'whoever we vote for, a politician will be elected'.
Many people, who are normally confident about who to vote for, seem unsure this election, myself included. We are perhaps rather disillusioned with the major parties. Perhaps I should say more disillusioned than we normally are. Perhaps not in the House of Representatives, which is first past the post after preferences are allocated, consider your vote carefully in the Senate. Some good things have come from having minority parties in the Senate, but you won't hear any of the major parties admitting that.
To wrap, as you vote, take ten seconds to remember what a privileged society we live in, where we can freely have our say about who governs us.
This was composed on the notebook computer with a screen I can barely read. Commas, full stops and specks of dust look the same. The photo was taken with the tablet computer, the first time I have used its camera, and uploaded from there. It is a messy business.