LAST week The Weekly Times pointed out Labor and the Coalition had failed dismally to provide a vision for rural Australia.

  • THE best thing for regional Australia may be a hung parliament, with the three rural independents - Bob Katter, Tony Windsor and Rob Oakeshott - as kingmakers. - The Weekly Times editorial last week

Today that lack of vision has come back to haunt them as they both desperately try to negotiate their way out of a dead heat.

Neither leader or major party earned the right to govern.

The biggest swing on Saturday was to the Greens and the second biggest was to "informal" votes - where the voter left the ballot blank or lodged a donkey vote.

This shows how the public rated the performance of the major parties.

Indeed, the editorial in last week's The Weekly Times seemed to create more debate than any rural policy put forward by either major party.

For many rural Australians, the current political situation has been a long time coming.

The major parties could continue to ignore a large chunk of Australia's population only for so long.

It appears now that rural Australia, through three country-based independents, is to have a greater say in the make-up and running of the Federal Government than any imagined possible a week ago.

What a pity it took a hung parliament to make this the case.

Rural Australia has rarely found itself in a position of such power, but with great power comes great responsibility.

Each of the three independents - Bob Katter, Tony Windsor and Rob Oakeshott - have spoken of the need for a stable government.

They cannot afford to tarnish their new-found power with ambit claims designed only to benefit their electorates.

It is up to each of the independents to use their power wisely to advance the cause of rural Australia while providing a stable and constructive government for all Australians.

Forward-looking policies with long-term vision are what rural Australia is crying out for.

This chance may not come again.