In part this seems to be largely because of the attitudes of oppositions who believe that their sole function is to make a country as ungovernable as possible until they can crab back into power.

That certainly seems to be the attitude of the current Republican Party opposition in the US that seems too often led by sentiment of the right wing rump that proudly refers to itself as The Tea Party.

And it was the same attitude that the coalition took when last in opposition. No opposition in the history of Australia seems to have behaved in a more ill-mannered, shin-kicking way.

The terrible thing is that the schoolyard bully approach earned the leader widespread admiration and the press reputation as a wonderfully successful opposition campaigner. And the voters rewarded this uncivilised, destructive and dishonest behaviour with the keys to the Lodge.

Now if future opposition leaders learn the lesson that the attack dog approach is acceptable then not only will the political sphere have sunk to a very low level of grace and decency but also the very system of two party democracy itself will be in jeopardy.

Fortunately for us the current leader of the Australian opposition does not seem to be taking this approach and yet he is characterised as weak and colourless because of that.

In the constant need for drama and headlines the current press and political parties seemed to have conditioned Australians to expect politics to be played as blood sport with slogans and ranting replacing decent dialogue and respect.

Worse than that, half-truths, spin, secrecy and lies often driven by undisclosed and self interested parties represented by well connected lobbyists seem too often to have replaced honest policy and decent disclosure.

Is it any wonder that Australians now seem to have less faith in and regard for politicians than for the proverbial used car salesman. Well, fellow Australians, we voted for the best opposition leader of all time and now we’ve got the worst prime minister.

- Fred Goldsworthy