Defiant Labor not about to let go
Tony Abbott told us what his game plan is for the next three years on Saturday night: axe the carbon tax, stop the boats and get the Budget on the road to black.
These are the measures by which he expects to be judged.
They sound so very simple.
Deceptively so.
Because even before his swearing-in as Australia's 28th Prime Minister, it is clear that it is not going to be easy to chalk up these three achievements by the time we next go to vote.
Despite Australians' repudiation of the Labor government on the weekend, the Opposition-in-waiting appears determined not to abandon its "legacy".
Outgoing deputy prime minister Anthony Albanese yesterday said Labor's failure to defend the Hawke-Keating legacy in the aftermath of the 1996 bloodbath election contributed to the party staying in Opposition for 11½ years.
Labor has given warning that it is going to defend carbon pricing to the death.
Ditto, most probably, with the coalition's proposed changes to superannuation and its planned reinstatement of the Australian Building and Construction Commission.
Mr Abbott has threatened a double dissolution election to see his mandate on axing the carbon tax respected.
But Saturday's election offered a very sobering message for Mr Abbott on this front.
If a half-Senate election threatens to deliver two mouthpieces for a billionaire from the Palmer United Party, a rev-head from the Australian Motoring Enthusiasts Party and a lycra lover from the Australian Sports Party, imagine what an acronymic zoo would come from a full Senate election where quotas are smaller.
Before going to a double-D, Mr Abbott may want to explore electoral reforms to prevent micro parties winning Senate spots with paltry primary support.
For Labor, the more pressing issue is the position of leader and what to do about Kevin Rudd.
If Mr Albanese doesn't nominate, it will most likely be Bill Shorten who becomes leader.
But after what's happened in the past three years, no one in Labor would trust Mr Rudd, no matter how many times he says he has got their back.
No wonder the calls for his resignation from politics started even before the WA polls closed on Saturday night.
