Being a good Jewish person, I will not vote on Saturday.  Therefore I’m a postal voter.  Having received my papers, I went to cast my vote.  Problem.  No How to Vote card.  One would assume that the candidates from the main parties would have these included in their website.  I have also received at least 10 letters from each of the major candidates.  They all want me to vote for them, but not one of them has told me how to do it.

This campaign has a week to run.  The campaign has been boring, the media have been pathetic (and very anti-Liberal, as they were in the last campaign.  Just how can they be allowed to get it so wrong?), and the candidates have been very circumspect.  The big ticket spend items and the “me too” syndrome have been the only topic of focus.  The reality is that some of us do actually want another option, and it is one that neither administration offer.  That is a “minimalist” administration.  One that doesn’t overtax and then hand it back on the pretence of creating economic growth.  One that allows business to thirve and doesn’t remove the incentive to “make a buck”.   One that engages the private sector in enterprise and infrastructure development.  I am for a Government that encourages manufacturing, prime production and rejects regulatory control of everything from international trade to shop trading hours.

However I am also going to cast my vote as I initially intended.  I will support the Howard Government for another term, because I trust their experience and wish to reward their good Governance.  On the other hand, I don’t trust the party machine that sits behind Kevin Rudd, and I don’t believe that Labor has the expertise to manage foriegn affairs, industrial relations, and I don’t believe they have the capacity to deliver true economic growth. 

According to the press, most of Australia does not agree with me.  That’s fine.  That is democracy.  I respect our political system, and should Labor win office will be very objective towards judging their performance.  The electorate is not very forgiving, and will no doubt keep whoever the administation is on their toes.