Couldn't let one of the biggest happenings in Australian politics happen without asking how everyone feels about it.

Personally, choosing a female red-head is ideal, coz I get to make lots of anti-female/anti-redhead jokes. The only thing that could have been better was if she was a baby.

I thought Kevin Rudd was a good Prime Minister.

I think Kevin Rudd is an awesome person and I'm sad for him and people like him.

I don't know much about Gillard but from her acceptance speech, I'm not sure I like her as a person and so that will play a part in my judgement of her as PM. Nevertheless I shan't be changing to vote for the Liberals because I support what Labour stands for. If Gillard doesn't do as Labour should do she won't be leader of the Labour party for too long.

I'm in the same boat as Xeera, except I'll be voting Greens with prefs. to Labor.

Since I can vote now (18 years 1 day old!!!), I'll probably vote for the Greens first in the Senate, since they actually have some chance of victory.

I don't think that this was good timing though. Switching leaders this close to the election makes the ALP seem kinda desperate. They'd be bloody mad not to give Kevin either Foreign Affairs or a posh ambassadorship.

No idea, kind of impartial myself. It doesn't really change the whole scheme of things. Woo for 2 party systems (or essentially 2 party).

Greens perhaps? Unless they are likely to side liberals. I can't stand the liberals (not really liberal at all so the name is misleading).

I've heard its better to vote for the minor parties you like then the medium sized then lastly the major parties. So I think I'll check out where the sex party and pirate party stand first before I vote for labor/libs or greens. Surely they are a little more liberal (literally not partywise liberal).

Happy Birthday man.

Ha the sex party really do seem OK... I still wish democrats was a vote choice.

Pretty funny news on their website: 'Touchdown Jesus' Burns to Ground As Porn Shop Goes Unscathed.

Their policies seem pretty solid to me. Nothing I don't agree with there. Though they are missing a lot of where they stand on other issues.

Aljazeera paints Gillard as MORE left which is exactly what this country needs really (a division between the right (who is becoming more right) and the left who was becoming more right). I don't really know any of her policies though/stance on issues.

The pirate parties policies are a little more fuzzy. I actually met a rep from their party while playing MW2 Their stance on copyright/IP should be used a little differently to how it is currently used, I mostly agree with.

But I'd definitely go sex party before pirate party though.

Here is a youtube vid of her speech btw: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YdXlUdSB ... re=related

This has made me happy.

I completely "forgot" that this was an option. I shall have to research into all the preferences. I'd perhaps not want a smaller Party to run the country as they seem to be quite specialist in what they are all about and I reckon a government needs to be more general so as to run the country without considering all people. Sure the larger Parties have people they don't kiss the ground they walk on, but it's all at least briefly mentioned. (When it all works anyway ). But my conscience would feel bad voting for Gillard.

Not even giving Rudd a seat like she promised... how can we be expected to trust her with Australia. It's a personality thing and she doesn't seem to have realised it yet.

Ha, actually I overheard some people today saying that Gillard had the brains to be PM but that she wasn't power mongery enough to challenge the other guys... I think they were talking about another PM named Gillard

Gillard is a Daywalker, and thus has no soul. She must be put to the death with fire and water and the Holy Word.

That being said, I am quite chuffed that we have what I believe to be our first ever atheist Prime Minister. You go, girl!

It won't change my vote. The party system makes a farce of democracy, so in the House of Reps I will vote independent as I always do. Sadly this isn't an option in the Senate, and I believe the HEMP (Help End Marijuana Prohibition) Party was de-registered a few years ago, so I'll probably go for the Greens, unless somebody else catches my on the day, or I'm feeling really bored and decide to vote below the line.