Australia election: Abbott poised for victory

[Matilda]

32. Rudd was brought back to save us from a total wipeout, and he did it.

I hoped at first we might at least get another hung parliament, but after the polls this week indicating that Labor would have not much more than a cricket team left, tonight's result has come as a relief. And thank goodness, the brightest of our younger ministers, who looked like being out of a job next week, have held on to their seats.

What is weird is the way things are looking in the Senate, with a lot of oddball minor parties looking to have the balance of power rather than the Greens. Trouble is, they're all right-wing total nutters, so bound to fall in line with Abbott.

With Labor in power, despite the infighting, we looked like a modern, forward-looking country. Now we're going to go back to being about fifteen years behind the rest of the world, as I remember it as a child.