A thought on the independents

The election has been good to the independents -- but not the same brainless and hypocritical independents as last time.  I was mightily pleased that the foul Tony Windsor and Robert Oakeshott went down in a heap this time.  They presented themselves as conservative independents to conservative electorates last time and then went on to support Rudd/Gillard!  Classical traitors.

Some of the new bunch are real conservatives -- such as Bob Katter and Pauline Hanson.  So Turnbull might be able to do a good deal there.  The wildcard will be Xenophon.  But he might support some conservative measures.  His iconic opposition to poker machines could be seen as conservative.