And the next Australian Prime Minister is…

A final analysis by PAWAN LUTHRA on the Federal election campaign.

It will all be over on the night of August 21.

What was expected to be a boring, staid affair has turned out to be quite exciting, as two leaders with limited public appeal have done their best to throw their all into this fight. Liberal leader Tony Abbott, a former boxer, has to date withstood all punches thrown at him by the Labor Party. Julia Gillard too has neutralized allegations of knifing Kevin Rudd, and both leaders have shown remarkable restraint in their personal styles in this campaign.

Whoever enters the Lodge will have to grapple with the threat of a double dip recession in the United States, fear of a slow down in the Chinese economy and perhaps an even bigger challenge of negotiating with the Greens at every step of the way.

For the Indian Australian community, clearly the Liberal Party has more to offer. While Labor has promised a lot of benefits for those living in Western Sydney – home to many Indian Australians, it is to be seen if this collusion of the state Labor government and Federal Labor will have any legs, or will it be an empty promise. For those who are riled about the Labor Party’s refusal to sell uranium to India, the Liberals have promised they will initiate the sale, but for peaceful purposes. The Visa Capping bill introduced by the Labor government will be withdrawn by the Liberals, if they form the government. Thousands of Indian students and professionals, whose lives are in limbo due to this stalled bill, will feel that a heavy burden has lifted from their shoulders. The Liberal Party had also started a more active engagement process with India during their last term in office, but unfortunately since Labor came into power, this momentum has slowed. This will change if the Liberals are reinstated.

Within the Indian community, there have been some interesting observations. One, which a recent Indian Link survey pointed out, was the perceived shift towards the Liberal Party within the Indian- Australian voter base. Traditionally, Indian Australians have been Labor supporters, but both the survey and anecdotal evidence gathered point to a shift towards the Liberal party. This shift is across age groups and period of stay in Australia. While it is generally accepted that Labor is more open about migrants, their recent announcements about immigration and asylum seekers, have been noticed by Indian voters, who have moved away from them.

Building on this observation is the rise of our local group of community leaders, who are opening up about their support for the Liberal party. This is in sharp contrast to earlier elections where there was overwhelming support from community leaders of all things Labor. Now in Sydney, one has observed a more robust support for Liberal party candidates with dinners and functions being held to introduce them to the voting Indian community.

And yet, there is no major Indian-Australian player in the field. Yes, we have some independents and some Greens candidates, but nobody from Labor or the Liberals. It is indeed lamentable that no one from a community of 500,000 in Australia has been able to achieve this endorsement. But again, discussions with a number of politically aligned Indian Australians indicate that it will not be long before one emerges. For the local community, the challenge will then be to examine the policies of this individual and if so inclined, support the candidate. It will indeed, be a proud moment for all of us when an Indian Australian makes his or her maiden speech in Canberra.

Till that time, we have the power in our hands to make a difference to the future of this country for the next three years. Let us value this privilege and use it wisely.