By the time voting booths close around the country on Saturday evening, Australia will have gone through one of its most turbulent and fractured political eras.
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Both Labor and the Coalition have been guilty of swapping leaders almost at a whim, the rot starting with the absurd back and forth between Kevin Rudd and Julia Gillard.
When the Coalition took charge, it promised to not behave so badly. It was not going to be divided, it said, like Labor and it would not allow internal problems to spill onto the national stage. Under Tony Abbott that all seemed possible, but only for a short while.
The unsettled journey ahead was made apparent in the Abbott government’s first budget, which was widely considered unduly harsh and laced with broken promises.
It was the very early beginning of the end for Mr Abbott, as his opinion poll numbers began to plunge.
Malcolm Turnbull, for all his small “L” liberal leanings – especially on issues such as marriage equality and targeting climate change – was seen a very attractive alternative for many, including among traditional Labor voters.
But for him to take over the top job, he had to win over the hard-right conservatives in the Coalition. He got their vote, but a different Malcolm Turnbull has emerged, one lacking the spark of its predecessor.
That has clearly opened the door to Labor’s hopes of what would seem an unlikely victory. But even if Bill Shorten got over the line this weekend, he would remain burdened by the misdeeds of his party’s recent past.
Voters though might still seem more willing, only just, to give Mr Turnbull more time to articulate his vision backed by some electoral legitimacy. But with voter support outside the major parties at an all-time high, this is where the most interesting battles will be fought – especially with the possibility of a hung Parliament.
Last election delivered Cathy McGowan as the new member for Indi, as voters made clear they thought Liberal Sophie Mirabella was more interested in the national stage.
Indi again will be a major focus, especially given the hard and largely fair fight put forward by its major candidates – the Greens’ Jenny O’Connor, Nationals’ candidate Marty Corboy, Labor’s Eric Kerr, Mrs Mirabella and Ms McGowan.
Another McGowan victory could well be symptomatic of a very different political landscape emerging across the nation.
