"There must be an election coming up"

I said as my local state member smiled at me. I managed a smile in return - just.

I have had almost nothing to do with her. That she knew me is something I am not sure whether to be  pleased or sorry about. This is the first time in many years that I have not known my local members - both state and federal - well enough to feel comfortable with them. Yes, before you ask, they have come from both sides of the political spectrum. I have not always agreed with them, indeed one I had major issues with. (He jumped to the other side so they could form government and got a ministerial post in return. His electorate was furious with him and he did not even manage to reach two figures at the next election.)

Yesterday though it was obvious there is an election coming up. This is the federal election. It is almost certain the local federal member will get re-elected because the boundaries have changed strongly in her favour. It means she can get away with doing very little for some parts of the electorate. She knows they are a lost cause which is probably why she left the state MP to stand there on her behalf. 

The state MP was keen to involve me in something so I said, quite honestly, "No, I am still working." I may be officially "retired" but I still do some work in that field and there is other work isn't there? Writing is work!  It is as good an excuse as any and at least it means that I don't need to say outright, "I don't vote for you because I don't like the way the country is heading under your party." Mind you I have arguments with the other major mob as well. 

I could never join a political party and be loyal to it. I would always want to argue in favour of something they could never agree to do. It just is something I would find impossible not to do.

But there is an election coming up and the shopping centre will soon be filled with all those people who happily hand out flyers and exhort their fellow citizens to vote for their particular candidates. They will door knock (although nobody ever knocked on our door when I lived down the hill) and they will say they are confident that "this time"... but do those minor parties really believe that? Some of them of course are there to push votes to one or the other major party. They can do that only because of our iniquitous compulsory preferential voting system. (Preferences if you must - but never compulsory.)

I took my leave of my local MP as soon as I could - and I refused her offer of a "nice shopping bag" emblazoned with the name of our current federal MP. She did not try to persuade me. Perhaps she does realise I am unlikely to vote for her fellow MP?