Demeaning our flag wasn't insulting, contemptuous or presumptive - no, no - it was an invitation to start a debate.

It didn't alert any remaining rational Greens to the fact that their party drools for divisiveness rather than reconciliation - nope, not that either - it just raised a new topic for a bit of a chinwag. It wasn't a blunder; it was a carefully planned Churchillian masterstroke.

In my life I've made so many blunders, gaffes and rude mistakes that, with this precedent, I can now consider myself an absolute genius rather than the nincompoop I've always thought myself.

Similarly, Gavrilo Princip didn't kick-off WWI by shooting Archduke Ferdinand - he simply began a contest of ideas about what Europe should look like.

And Martin Bryant wasn't the deranged lunatic we've always taken him for; he was, considerately, just giving PM John Howard the opportunity to legislate to get guns out of the hands of, well, deranged lunatics.

Good one Martin, Gavrilo, Adam and - of course - George!

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It is only fitting that the Coalition should be shocked to its core in its complacency, for the voters don't like being taken for granted.

For years those of us who have supported this party have become very much aware of the ongoing downturn of the values on which this party was founded.

Their collective overall behavioural patterns with their judgements on issues 'relevant to it' were never brought to the fore as their priority.

People resented this attitude and it swayed their vote away from this party, take for example how they did nothing to rectify the issues of contention with the ABC, a sore point with many which didn't meet their approval as they had hoped to see some 'guts in action' which was not forthcoming as expected.

What they witnessed was seen as a cowardly response 'unseemly in itself'. Too much concentration was evident glorifying their good deeds and nothing of any real substance was on offer for ways forward.

The superannuation withdrawal came too late when thousands had already cast their vote which in itself gave reason to be seen as 'just an afterthought' in the equation.

Sometimes governments need to experience the bad times, in this case due to lack of real effort, so as to help them appreciate the good times which they had.

Being on the outer looking in may enable them to reassess this stumbling block of neglect and learn some valuable lessons from this defeat.

They promised the people 'the earth' when they gained government yet they failed to deliver when they had the opportunity to do so. The people don't have short memories, to be trusted by the people a government must keep its word.

Labor must rise to the occasion and keep its word as promised or suffer the consequences next time round for the people are not forgiving should their trust be violated under any circumstances.

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