Back from Adelaide. Two State Elections: any winners?

OK. In the U.S. Obama got his health care reform through Congress and into law. Then he talked to Israeli PM Netanyahu who said, "These are not settlements. This is Jerusalem. This is our capital."  The Brits expel a top Israeli diplomat because of the forged passports debacle. Australian Foreign Minister Stephen Smith waits to see if we should do likewise, since Australian "identities" were also stolen (also Irish, French and German - in the assassination carried out on a Hamas top guy).  In Beijing the RioTinto (Australian) negotiators Stern Hu et al are on trial for "taking bribes" (I thought this was standard Chinese business dealing). They are the fall guys, the scapegoats.

So much for the world. Me, I am just back from Adelaide and the first two of my minor eye operations: this morning and on Monday two days ago. Next round, three weeks away and not next week as at first planned. It went well.

In Tasmania, post-election, there is a "hung parliament" where the two major parties look to have ten seats each and the Greens hold five, a great showing, which surely means they will have a strong role in a likely coalition. But with whom?

Here in S.A., Rann is gloating at the prospect of his Third Reich, sorry, third term as premier after Labor fell over the line to hang on to 24 seats, possibly even 25. No-one knows until all the postal  votes come in. There were strangely uneven swings away from Labor candidates in ALP-held constituencies, 7% to 10% being typical, but the previous margins were mostly enough to see these people returned. Jane Lomax-Smith lost her Adelaide seat and with it her Education portfolio. Michael Atkinson chose to retire as Attorney General. Today Lib leader Isobel Redmond graciously conceded that Rann's lot had won but promised to fight hard to form government four years from now. I for one will hope that the Premier does not last that long. The Greens did poorly in the state. Are we more apathetic than Tasmanians?