By: Chris Cummins
Staff Writer

The Australian Election concluded its exhausted circumlocution of vague promise and political machination, with Labor staying in power, and Julia Gillard holding what’s left of the it’s so called mandate. While the two independents, swayed by the promises of lines of broadband binding the country, may look to be in compliance with the dictates of Julia Gillard, their political ideologies seem to set them in conflict with Labor philosophy, and the far left policies espoused by the Green party, in coalition with Labor.  Rob Oakeshott and Tony Windsor both hail from rural and conservative districts, putting them in direct conflict with key elements of Labor, such as more liberal members as well as the Greens.  A proposed carbon tax, as hinted at by the Greens, would not be looked upon kindly by rural Australia, as global warming is taken with a dim view, and most of them work in some sort of occupation that would negatively impacted by such a tax. It will be most interesting to see if Mrs. Gillard can keep her patchwork of a party functioning, much less creating constructive legislation.