Bernie Banton 1946 - 2007

Farewell Bernie. I am sure God has greeted you with the words "Well done , good and faithful servant". A true Australian hero. In the words of our new Prime Minister. "When so many were prepared to cast you to one side, Bernie Banton, you have been a beacon and clarion call for what is decent and necessary in life and I salute you."
For my friends overseas who may not have heard of this remarkable man the Sydney Morning Herald Obituary

Praise the Lord, Howard is going, going, gone?

I have not posted my views of the election as I was working as a polling official and should maintain my neutrality (though all my friends know my views :-) ). One elderly lady asked me how to vote for Mr Howard and I told her to read the ballot paper (if she does not know he is Liberal, who cares). Another elderly lady asked me for help as she had left her glasses at home and wanted to vote Labor but her husband voted differently so would not help. I gladly assisted :-)
I do not think Labor is the answer to prayers - sadly I never trust a committed Christian like Rudd and I vote Green - but it is a vast improvement over the Howard led Liberal/National Government. I hid my Australian flag when Australia invaded Iraq. Am trying to find it again. However, sadly, the Liberals did not lose due to this abominable action, most Australians no longer seem to care. It seems to have been achieved by the unfair Work Choices legislation that showed Howard in his true light, no real friend of the battler despite his claims over the years.
Hopefully people also saw he had no vision for the future, blind to Climate change and the need for developing infrastructure and education. Hopefully also people were sickened by his treatment of refugees and Aborigines. He pretended to be changing at the last but this was only an attempt to save his miserable neck which thankfully did not work. As I left for work at the Polling booth, the newspaper polls showed a swing back to him and I was deadly afraid, people were believing the scare mongering. My booth traditionally votes Labor and in 2004, we knew Labor had lost as even that booth had voted for the Liberals. This time I had heart as I saw Labor were way ahead and was happy to see my feelings confirmed when I arrived home and turned on the TV. How I hope Bennelong goes to Maxine McKew and Howard is completely kicked out. Hopefully we will soon say goodbye to the pompous ass Alexander Downer(Minister for Foreign Affairs), the buffoon Kevin Andrews (Immigration) and the disgraceful Philip Ruddock (Attorney-General). At least they will no longer be able to do any harm to Australia's reputation. So it is a day of celebration and cautious optimism but my bags are still being prepared for the move to New Zealand.