The Offspring tells me that hashtag #scomonomo is trending on Twitter. That gives me great joy.
For international visitors, or those who have never been on Twitter, ‘scomo’ refers to Scott Morrison, the man who went to Hawaii while Australia burned, the man who justified his absence by remarking that it wasn’t his job to ‘hold the hose’ – i.e. fight those fires like the mostly volunteer fire fighting crews across Australia.
‘no mo’ stands for ‘no more’. As of last night, Scott Morrison is no longer the Prime Minister of Australia. Voters rejected him, and his corrupt coalition government across the length and width of this wonderful country of ours.
The graphic below describes the election result in visual terms. The link below the graphic will take you to one of the simplest and best descriptions of our system that I’ve ever come across:

What makes me even happier than #scomonomo is the way it came about. Australians all over Australia voted for Independents rather than the two, major parties, and there’s a decent chance we’ll end up with 16 – SIXTEEN – independent representatives in the national House of Representatives. And a great majority of them are women.
Women who demand action on climate change.
Women who demand a national integrity commission.
Women who are an integral part of their communities and truly reflect the wants and needs of those communities.
Women who want a decent future for their children.
Woman who are standing up and telling those middle-aged, self-important, ego-driven, white, male, politicians in Canberra that we’re sick of the mess they’ve made of our country.
And one last thing. All these Independents are going to breathe new life back into our democracy because they are not beholden to a ‘party line’. They don’t owe party political faction leaders any allegiance. They are free to vote for or veto policies that do not reflect the people who elected them into office. That is huge.
Here in the West we seem to have forgotten what democracy actually means. It’s not about nationalism, and it’s not about elites. Democracy is about ordinary, every day people having a voice and being heard. it’s also about those people being served by the representatives they elect into office.
Service, a word that’s been forgotten along with ‘integrity’.
The representatives of the people are there to serve us. Not corporations or other vested interested or themselves. They are there to serve the people. Full stop. Period.
Will it actually happen, or do we face yet more broken promises and unfulfilled dreams?
The Australian Labor party will form the new national government of Australia, but they will likely have to consult, and co-operate with, the Independents we-the-people have chosen. If they don’t, they won’t get anything done.
I hope the start of Albo’s [Anthony Albanese, the new Prime Minister of Australia] victory speech is a sign that Labor has learned to serve:
‘…and on behalf of the Australian Labor Party, I commit to the Uluru Statement from the Heart, in full.’
The Uluru Statement from the Heart is a message from the Indigenous Peoples of Australia to all Australians. It is one of the most beautiful documents I’ve ever read:
‘We invite you to walk with us in a movement of the Australian people for a better future. We call on all sides of politics to support a First Nations Voice to Parliament, so that we can finally have a say on policies and laws that affect us.’
https://ulurustatement.org/
I believe that all Australians need to commit to the Uluru Statement from the Heart so that all of us can finally move forward, as a real nation.
I also believe that we, the white Settlers of Australia, need our First Peoples, desperately. They have been here for close to 60,000 years, and what they don’t know about this strange, harsh, beautiful land is not worth knowing. If we give them the respect they deserve, they may teach us how better to live in this land. How better to face the terrible changes yet to come, because make no mistake, even if the whole world were to stop greenhouse gas emissions tomorrow, we will have to live with the damage already done for generations to come. We will need all the help we can get. From science and our First Peoples.
Finally, after years of inaction, there is hope.
All my love,
Meeks
May 26th, 2022 at 4:19 am
I wish America would go the same way, but I don’t hold much hope for that. This is a crazy place. The nation, as a collective, is literally nuts.
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May 26th, 2022 at 12:45 pm
I watched the news about the latest school shooting last night, and an American commentator said that 90% of Americans want tighter gun control. And no one’s listening. How is that possible in a country that prides itself on freedom? I just don’t understand. Surely freedom to live trumps the freedom to kill?
Apologies, Marian. All of those questions are rhetorical as I know that you and all my online American friends are in that 90%. Nuts is right. 😦
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May 27th, 2022 at 1:45 am
Three words: NRA, money, Congress
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May 27th, 2022 at 7:55 am
-sigh- I guess if Biden tried to bring in some changes the Republicans would stop them from becoming law?
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May 27th, 2022 at 11:19 pm
They absolutely would. The same people who want to outlaw abortion to protect the sanctity of unborn life don’t seem to give a damn about the lives of the already born.
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May 28th, 2022 at 9:28 am
It’s either insane or…just an excuse for power. 😦
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May 26th, 2022 at 2:39 am
I tweeted this one, Andrea, because I sure do hope that the US goes in a similar direction. Independent-minded women who actually care and know how to get something done for the average person. The US Republicans want women pregnant, uneducated, and unemployed. It’s time to kick the jerks out. Yay for Australia!
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May 26th, 2022 at 12:56 pm
The Offspring and I have been talking about the result for days, and we think that there are two ingredients needed: strong community based support, and a kind of political kickstarter that can help fund their campaigns.
Apparently a group called Climate 200 provided the Independent candidates wanting to speed up climate action in Australia with financial help:
https://www.climate200.com.au/
If people like Bill Gates got together, I’m sure they could do the same thing. The two party system is broken and needs to be changed as badly as our inaction on climate.
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May 25th, 2022 at 3:49 pm
Hi Meeks, thank you for sharing this news. You have no idea how nice it is to read something positive amid all the current bad news.
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May 26th, 2022 at 12:57 pm
Hi Robbie. I think we’ve all been infected with the negativity of the last few years. The Offspring and I feel as if a huge burden has been lifted from our backs. I know it’s still premature, but hope is such an intoxicating emotion. 🙂
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May 24th, 2022 at 12:11 am
This is truly inspiring! So happy for all my Aussie friends (well, the few…ha ha!). If you can pull this off, it may inspire other countries to pull away from the old party divides and breathe new life into democracy while standing up for what is truly important. Here’s hoping!
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May 24th, 2022 at 7:22 pm
Hi Mel. 🙂 I’m hoping so too. God knows democracy needs a positive shot in the arm.
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May 23rd, 2022 at 7:35 am
Wonderful news; I was just talking to my sister in Perth this morning. Hurrah for Greens and Independents.
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May 23rd, 2022 at 8:57 am
hi scribe! WA and my state, VIC, wiped the floor with the LNP and in a true miracle, Queensland elected a bunch of Greens. For the first time in a long time, it feels like hope in the air. 😀
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May 23rd, 2022 at 5:45 am
Here’s hoping the trend continues around the globe!
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May 23rd, 2022 at 8:59 am
Amen to that, Bette. We have to grow out of this awful divisiveness before we destroy ourselves completely.
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May 23rd, 2022 at 2:05 am
A little hope in a scary world.
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May 23rd, 2022 at 9:03 am
Yes. For us, a little bit less scary than it was. I hope it’s a sign of better things to come for all of us.
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May 22nd, 2022 at 11:43 pm
This gives me hope. Congratulations and high-fives all around!
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May 23rd, 2022 at 9:03 am
-hugs- thanks Laurie. Still feeling a wee bit euphoric. High Fives returned with interest. 😀
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May 22nd, 2022 at 9:37 pm
Things are looking UP for Australia!
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May 23rd, 2022 at 9:05 am
-hugs- They are, they are. 🙂
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May 22nd, 2022 at 9:07 pm
Yeah! Great News…I truly hope a difference is made and then maybe just maybe the rest of the world’s women will do the same and show the self serving politicians how they should govern and behave by taking their seats away from them xx
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May 23rd, 2022 at 9:20 am
YES!!!! We’ve been silent for too long. Most of us are mothers or grandmothers, and it’s our job to protect the next generation until it can stand on its own. If we let those bloody politicians and corporate monsters destroy the world for our children we will have failed as givers of life. We have to step in.
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May 22nd, 2022 at 5:08 pm
I couldn’t be happier. Finally Christmas has come early, rather than just quickly, for one of my friends. This must be akin to a lottery win .At some point the people had to decide against corruption and self serving Politicians, The Australians have shown us it can be done. I hope it works out as you deserve and that more Countries follow suit, not just swapping parties but changing politics for good .May ethics replace the temptations to be corrupt, May Climate Change guide the care of the land and preservation of it;s future for the next generations and may all sides work together for the betterment of the people not their own pockets.
Well done and many Congratulations.
Huge Hugs
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May 22nd, 2022 at 9:01 pm
Thank you, David. The sense of relief is unbelievable. Not just that that awful man is gone, but that so many Aussies voted for /good/ issues by voting for Independents. For a while there I was feeling pretty miserable about politics in general, and /our/ politics in particular. Feels great to be proud of my fellow Australians again. We do care.
-huge hugs back-
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May 22nd, 2022 at 2:31 pm
Good news! An example for the rest of the world. It’ll be interesting to see how all those independents make a difference.
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May 22nd, 2022 at 9:03 pm
A lot will depend upon how many seats the Labor party finally end up getting. If they get the required 76 then they’ll be able to govern in a majority. If not, they’ll have to get help from the cross bench – i.e. the Independents. I actually hope Labor is forced to co-operate with the cross bench. Messy for politics but good for democracy. 😀
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May 22nd, 2022 at 2:26 pm
CONGRATULATIONS AND WAY TO GO, AUSTRALIA!!!!!!! I knew immediately what that hashtag meant and I love it!!! I also love that more women will be in positions of power in your government. I wish my own country would take a lesson from yours! Hugs!!!
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May 22nd, 2022 at 9:04 pm
-giggles- High Five, Jill!!!!! Feeling a bit giddy with relief. Fingers crossed for you. It /can/ happen. 🙂
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May 23rd, 2022 at 10:08 am
I can only imagine!!! 🥂
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May 23rd, 2022 at 6:55 pm
🙂
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May 22nd, 2022 at 11:54 am
Happy day indeed. We stayed up last night until the announcement was made and then slept soundly with the knowledge.
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May 22nd, 2022 at 12:03 pm
Same here! I didn’t want to watch at first, not after the nightmare of the last one, but I did have the tv on and when I wandered into the living room and saw all those red seats my heart literally leapt out of my chest. Screamed for the Offspring and we both stood there, cheering like maniacs. 🙂 Best night’s sleep we’ve both had in a while.
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May 22nd, 2022 at 11:53 am
Sounds almost to good to be true. What are you doing with your extremists? Independents – wow.
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May 22nd, 2022 at 12:09 pm
We’ve had a multi-cultural society for a couple of generations now. Not perfect but with roughly 50% of the population having direct links to immigrants and/or refugees, we’ve learned a bit of tolerance. Unlike the US, assimilation is not what we do. Instead we try to absorb the best that each community has to offer, most particularly the food. I truly believe Australia has the best food in the world. 😀
On a serious note, compulsory voting, a preferential voting system plus electorates based on population size rather than geography mean that most of us are in-the-middle voters. The ousted coalition government is the closest to a far right extremist political govt we’ve ever had. Good riddance to bad rubbish.
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May 23rd, 2022 at 3:52 am
Dear Meeka,
Indeed! SCOMO was not even elected in the first place. Had Malcolm Turnbull not been ousted by the coalition party, SCOMO would not have been so front and centre at all.
Yours sincerely,
SoundEagle
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May 23rd, 2022 at 9:00 am
You are so right, SoundEagle! -hugs- Meeks
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