Phew! Terror Australis avoided by the narrowest of margins

Australia can now exhale.

The Labor Party has formed a minority government after the 2010 general election produced a hung parliament and, as of yesterday, Julia Gillard is now the prime minister-designate.

By the narrowest of margins Labor negotiated an agreement with The Greens and three Independents resulting in 76 aligned seats to the Coalition's 75.

The spectre of Liberal Party Leader Tony Abbott holding the office of prime minister has been banished for the time being.

As a member of the Liberal Party of Australia, federal member of parliament, former minister in the Howard Government and latterly as Leader of the Opposition, Abbott has clearly demonstrated that he acknowledges few (if any) ethical boundaries to the exercise of political power.
For this reason alone Abbott is a politician to be wary of and one who could have become a dangerous prime minister.

However, the nation is not out of the woods yet. By now Abbott will have convinced himself that the process he so recently hoped would deliver him control of the country was not legitimate and, will be seeking ways to disrupt parliament, destabilise the political process and sabotage confidence in government.

The rest of the Coalition will also soon be shouting that they were robbed of the crown and (based on past performance) no political dirty trick will be too small and no lie too large.

The nation may well be in for a few very painful years.