What if ?

What if Tony Windsor and Rob Oakshott had not agreed to support Julia - and each has chosen a different party ? Equal numbers. No winner. Back to the voters for another election ?

Then again, maybe a totally different approach that has never been tried before.

What if we banned political parties and insisted that every issue that came before parliament be subjected to a conscience vote ? All the people we sent to represent us would make up their own minds without the party whips demanding party loyalty - or the member would be disenfranchised at the next election ?

To make that work we would need Julia and Tony to be appointed joint prime ministers in deference to the old, abandoned party political system. Both would have equal time to present their take on each item of proposed legislation - and then all the members would have a free vote.

It would restore decisions that affect us mug voters to the men and women we elect to parliament, not to be decided by the factional bosses who carve up power and pull the strings to direct their puppets.

Of course it is a ridiculous idea - and we have no hope of ever seeing parliament working like the original concept - where every village sent it's wisest person to vote and make decisions. We are stuck with party politics since almost the dawn of time - and that will not change any time soon.

But - so far there is no law to prevent us dreaming along the lines of " what if ? "