Perspectives that reflect all: Australia's Federal election

Australia's current Federal election has been the most unedifying I think I have experienced.  There is nothing good I can find to say about the campaign other than to recognise the perceptiveness and concern of many Australian's who, like me, see their concerns missing totally from the public discourse yet can still muster the enthusiasm to present their point of view in a reasoned way.  To this I add some perceptive journalism from external commentators.  Two examples come to mind:

This letter published in The Age yesterday.

'Take account of all the 'lies'
If you are champing at the bit to vote out Labor because it ''lied'' about a carbon tax, consider the following lies. How about the ''lie'' about the supposed increase in the cost of living - when it has increased by less than trend since the tax has been in place. Consider the ''lie'' about efficacy - that it won't work. Emissions have reduced by 7 per cent since the introduction of the tax. Or the ''lie'' that no one else is doing anything similar: 33 countries and 18 sub-national jurisdictions including Europe, parts of China, California, South Korea and Japan are doing similar things. Then there is the ''lie'' that climate change is not happening - when last year was the hottest on record in Australia. Then there's the biggest lie of all - that direct action will achieve emission reductions. If the carbon tax ''lie'' is your reason to vote out Labor, then you are lying to yourself.
Ben Lloyd, Bellfield'

And George Monbiot's latest column.