The Democrats are dead, long live the Democrats

So the weekend's two state elections are done and dusted, with Labor governments returned in both South Australia and Tasmania. The results were not so rosy for the Liberals, with massive swings against them. Indeed, the Libs did so poorly in South Australia's Legislative Council that their miserable 3.1 quotas only barely scraped ahead of the one man tour-de-force that is anti-pokies independent candidate Nick Xenophon. With an incredible swing of 20.2%, Xenophon captured 2.6 quotas, electing not only himself but also his running mate Ann Bressington, who has hastily had to give up her job in preparation for entering parliament.

But as bad as it got for the Liberal Party, things were far worse for the Australian Democrats, who slumped to a measly 2.8% of the primary vote in the lower house, and an even lower 1.7% in the upper house. They now look set to elect no candidates in either house. Even middle-of-the-road-politics glamour girl Nat is at risk at the next federal election. An outgoing Democrat parliamentarian was quoted as saying:

"No, we have not been wiped off. Certainly we have been bumped along the bottom."

Because that's so much more comfortable.

Down in the barren state, Paul Lennon retained his job as Premier, despite all the speculation about him having to form a minority government with the support of the Greens. I think the pundits were all a little too excited thinking about Lennon, the rabid Gunns man that he is, having to cooperate with the quaintly named Peg Putt to actually consider the possibility that Labor might not lose government.

Lennon has indicated that there are a few surprises in store for his first term as legitimately elected leader, as he included among his priorities an intention to lead the nation on reconciliation, without once mentioning the plan to Destroy All Forests. Lennon will certainly be relishing the chance to govern in his own right, out of the shadow of the much-loved Jim Bacon, the former Premier under whom Lennon served as chief head-kicker.

At a federal level, Johnny claimed that Rann and Lennon were capitalising on the Coalition's success at a federal level on the economy (evidently not appreciating the irony of riding on the Labor successes of the Hawke and Keating years). Big Kim congratulated the triumphant Labor leaders, with an attempt to make some mileage on IR. Federal Labor could learn well from the state Labor governments (who collectively should pass twenty consecutive election wins within the next twelve months) and start drafting some stronger talent into the rank and file.

Last word goes to the Tasmanian Greens, who seem more worried about losing their taxpayer funded mobile phones and cars than losing twenty percent of their seats in the Tasmanian parliament. Gotta get your priorities straight.