Election

Congratulations to the Greens on a great preliminary election result. Tim Morris topping the poll in Lyons and the 7.5% swing to the Greens in Bass with Kim Booth's great primary vote put paid to any notion that the pulp mill did not play a part in the election result.
Sure there was less pulp mill chatter in the election lead-up partly due to media outlets rationing the amount of print and airplay time given. Also the Mill itself has had a comparitively lower profile for a long time now due to a lack of progress on Gunns' behalf.
However the Bass Greens' vote was up massively from 2006 in a post RPDC climate.
So for squeaky clean ultra-conservative Michael Ferguson to say last night that the mill played no part in that shows that he still doesn't get it.
Whilst acknowledging that 15,000 electors put Mr Ferguson first, Mr Ferguson must remember that from here on in all Bass electors will foot the bill for his generous parliamentary wage.
The question I would like to ask Mr Ferguson is who he puts first?
God, the people of Bass or the Liberal party?
If its either of the first two then how does Mr Ferguson reconcile faith in a christian God who despises lying, cheating and injustice with support for a project that most Tasmanians believe is corrupt to the eyeballs?
I hope to ask Mr Ferguson that question at some stage, though i doubt our timid Tasmanian media would allow me to use their forums to do it. Yet there is no doubt Mr Ferguson will be given every forum to advance his conservative politics which are of course heavily informed by his christian beliefs.
We will see.
Bass and Lyons are anti-mill heartland and Tim Morris' result was as clear evidence as any observer needed that overlapping issues like the mill, PAL policy, land issues and water are big concerns with voters.
The best election analysis was by ABC's Antony Green - again.
ABC radio's coverage spearheaded by Tim Cox was highly entertaining.
Also check out the AEC website and pollbludger for further analysis.
What an interesting time we have ahead and there are many questions to be answered. Who will work with the Greens? Or will we see another collusion between the major parties to attempt parliamentary reform that marginalises the Greens?