Labor's Maxine McKew looks almost certain to unseat John Howard in Bennelong - with the help of Greens preferences. Labor has already won government. Even if John Howard retains his seat, he will most likely retire very soon, and Maxine will win a bi-election against an unknown candidate.
Thank you to all the Greens supporters and voters, who sent a strong message to both major parties that you support the values and policies of the Greens. It was a great result. Now more than ever, we need the government to show leadership in tackling climate change, to end the war in Iraq, to properly fund health and public education, to dismantle WorkChoices, to respect the rights of refugees and indigenous Australians, to stop logging and wood chipping our heritage forests, to put an end to polluting pulp mills, to protect our hard-won democratic rights, and to transition Australia to a jobs-rich, clean energy future.
It is an excellent outcome that John Howard's government is out, since he actively worked against many of the values we hold dear. However, it is unlikely Kevin Rudd will go far enough to set things straight. We must continue putting the pressure on government to create policies that promote true sustainability, peace, equity and justice. This an an opportunity for a booming economy - booming with new technology, new jobs, innovation, science and education. We must enter a new era of repair and restructuring, where wealth is created not by digging up everything under the ground, and consuming, but by building, growing and evolving.
We will continue to lobby for sustainable practices, new ideas for energy saving and generation, peaceful strategies with those who hold different beliefs and building a world that more and more people can live in harmony and happiness with - away from a world where the gulf between the super rich and the super poor continues to widen.
The full results of the election are not in, but it is now very clear that this is a time for real change.
