Limited responsibility

Well that's good. Due to a change in my electorate's boundaries, I am now living in what appears to be one of the safest Labor seats in Brisbane. Previously, I was in a seat that swung from side to side, and my vote actually mattered. Given the appalling choices this election, I kind of like the sensation of irrelevancy, at least for the moment.

The Senate remains a problem. The Greens have exactly one policy I support, but it's an important one - a carbon tax.

Both Labor and Liberal say there will be no carbon tax. Brown thinks he can force one through, and he supports a mining tax, but wants to increase the amount that can be gained from it. I generally support the mining profits tax, but don't really trust Brown's fiddle with it.

The Coalition really can't be trusted on environmental issues while there are under the sway of Abbott and his supporters.

The likely line up of independents seems very up in the air, except I think everyone expects the slightly loopy Fielding to go. I don't know anything about independents running in Queensland.

I think it is looking like, in the mix, I would probably be best off supporting Labor in the Senate, while at the same time hoping Brown wins eventually on the carbon tax.

UPDATE: courtesy of Antony Green's election site, I now have a good idea of what's going on in the Senate at Queensland level. Hey, Barnaby Joyce is up for re-election. As well as George Brandis.

Joe Ludwig is also on the card for Labor.

The game of who to put last is always a challenge. This time, it looks like a contest between both of them in the Climate Sceptics Party and the perpetual protester Sam Watson of the Socialist Alliance.

What do you know: the Australian Democrats still exist! I expect they hold their conferences in one of the meeting rooms at the local Council library.

Well, this is going to take some studying.