Aussie Election Fever

Probably not much on the radar back in the UK or elsewhere, but tomorrow (Saturday) is Election Day in Oz. It's fairly momentous as John Howard (Liberal - but Conservative in Brit equivalent) is going for a 5th successive win - he's already been PM here longer than either Thatcher or Blair. Up against him - and ahead in the polls all year - is Labor's Kevin Rudd, a John Major look- and sound-alike (though slightly better taste in glasses), who is going for the be-more-conservative-than-the-conservatives approach (sound familiar at all?).

Just to ratchet up the excitement - (a) the polls today show a narrowing of the Labor lead and Oz has form in last minute surprises, and (b) Bruce and Jo live in the Prime Minister's own constituency, which itself is marginal and he might lose. Voting is also compulsory here. Bruce is, happily for me, an election buff too, and if I'd known, I'd have got my Saturday morning flight to Christchurch delayed 24 hours so I could join him for an evening of beers and election drama tomorrow night. However, the good news is he has promised to mail me a DVD of the results show...