end of an error

federal election day in australia
my home for 25 years of which the past 11 with john winston howard in charge
somehow by hook or by crook he had convinced the electorate he was the man
i'll never forget election night in 2004 as he took to the stage for his victory speech
it wasn't what he said that was memorable
it was the hideous little chuckle that came with it
basically the artful dodger personified
apart from all the other important reasons he had to lose
i just did not want to hear that noise again - it would be tooooooo much
and so it came to pass in 2007 that i was to be spared
though 2 of his cohorts gave equally cringe-worthy 'victory' speeches
p costello was positively gloating even though his party had been beaten
he'd come back with only a slightly reduced majority
unlike his boss who had been trounced by the alp candidate
pc spoke as though claiming the spoils of the election
transparant is an over-used word but very appropriate in this case
for his manner revealed all about him and his personal ambition
not even a hint of a mention of his concerns for his country and his fellow citizens
now that the dreaded enemy had seized power and were going to lead us all to rack and ruin
same with the sydney based power hungry chap malcolm turnbull
his speech was even more blatantly ego and self-centred
for he too had retained his seat and behaved as though the good fight had been won
went on about the wonderful egalitarian society that is modern day australia
for example in my own electorate i recall going to the local swimming pool with my father
and mixing it with judges and lawyers and businessmen and...um...and...garbos!
of course his own good fight had been won - howard out of the way and one step closer to the ultimate prize
again no mention of his concerns for his country and fellow citizens given the enemy was now in charge
and then the man himself took to the stage to give his concession speech
no chuckling this time but then also not an iota of sentiment
in a moment of madness i had prepared myself to even extend a bit of sympathy to him
but that evaporated when he advised us that he had just telephoned 'mr kevin rudd'
using all the formality he could muster and thus in fact denying his opponent any concession
seems to me in that moment he could have redeemed himself ever so slightly
but he still chose to be the as cold-hearted and calculating as ever
and also i don't think he even wished the best for his country or his fellow citizens
so 3 speeches and 3 self-centred ego-centrics playing their parts
at which point i gave up on the broadcast
so missed the new pm's speech
hope if was more about us and less about him
kind of what his party still stands for i hope
good-bye johnny and good.....luck