Tipping Under the New Government

Tipping is open.

There's not much to say about the weekend games really. Sydney vs the Roar was distinctly underwhelming, and nothing happened on the table.

But Saturday night was very emotional for me, and as I talk a little about politics I apologise to anyone it may offend.

The last Federal election left me gutted. Ok, no secret - I have not enjoyed the Howard Government one bit. From the time he got in 11 years ago I have felt my society get less creative, less adventurous, more fearful and at worst, more bigoted and ugly. For me this was not just a series of events and statements, it was a deep, foreboding feeling. The world became different, and in a bad way, and after the last election I just felt that the slide might be terminal, and I switched off politics.

I remained religiously detached from this election campaign, basically for my own emotional protection. Until about a week before anyway. It was not until the Wednesday before that I heard myself risking my soul by uttering the phrase to a friend, "I think Rudd will win it."

Drinking whiskey with a friend on Saturday night, it was a long time after it should have been obvious that I allowed myself to believe it (even though I was wearing my trusty frangipani). I was an emotional power station. At 9.30, after only a few drinks mind you, I threw up. It was just emotion, bottled and finally released. I felt like I was on ecstasy, and struggled to communicate or think. I could only feel, relieved and recharged, blissed.

I felt like partying forever and I could hear parties across the suburb, but at about 11.30 I just crashed, and dreamed all night. The dreams were tactile, just reaching out and touching things. Not people but objects with texture and shape, and each object felt perfect, sublime, like it was meant to be just there and just like that. When I woke at about 5am I wept and wept for my beautiful country.

We will be disillusioned with this government in no time of course. That's normal and right. But this is not the arrogant mafiosa bunch of thugs that the last Labor government seemed to be. This is a very fresh bunch of people, including some strong, impressive (far from token) chicks, and no doubt given the nature of the result quite a sprinkling of loose cannons. Couple this with the sort of cooperative federalism that seems possible, for things like education, hospitals and national environmental issues like the Murray-Darling. Then couple it with the probability of a balance of power in the Senate of either Greens or independents or both. These three things make me feel we might get some very creative environmental legislation in particular, which is far overdue. I think we'll also get a reinvigoration of initiative from the grass-roots, who can (I think) throw off their fear to think and act creatively, critically and differently.

We are in a new world. For the moment, the A-League seemed to pause, and the table looks the same as last week. But the A-League goes on.

May the games be beautiful in all the right ways, and go the bloody Roar!