Perhaps I was lucky to have a bad case of jetlag on the weekend as the result of the federal election dragged on very late into the Saturday night.
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It wasn't clear then if any party would be able to command a majority in the house, and it is still not 100pc clear as I write these words on Monday.
But as the counts solidified and the Western Australian results came in it was clear that the Coalition has suffered a major defeat and the Scott Morrison government was no more.
Mr Morrison appeared after 11pm or so to concede defeat and take full blame for it.
He mentioned the so-called "miracle election" of 2019 which he won against the polls, but there was to be no repeat this year.
Unlike in 2019, Mr Morrison was a known quantity this time round and voters did not like what they saw.
They were able to win that last election in large part because they successfully portrayed then-Labor leader Bill Shorten as unelectable. But Anthony Albanese's early campaign stutters aside, they were unable to do it again this time.
I congratulate Mr Albanese and his team on their victory and wish them well for the difficult days, months and years that lie ahead.
I would hope that even if Labor does command an outright majority in the lower house it will still listen to the voices of the large cross-bench.
As well as several new Greens and Teals, that cross bench will have a familiar wise old owl there with Bob Katter returned an 11th time.
Mr Katter is no natural ally of Labor but as someone who wants the best for North Queensland, no doubt he will work hard to ensure large projects go ahead, something I believe Mr Albanese, as a former infrastructure minister in previous Labor governments will also support.
But Mr Katter must accept the election result is a mandate for action on climate change and that may mean the end of support for coal projects, and possibly gas projects too,
The North West with its minerals in demand for the new economy must react to take up any slack in reduced mining projects elsewhere.
Derek Barry
Editor of the North West Star Mount Isa since January 2016. Prior to that, an editor at several regional southern Queensland newspapers. Passionate about telling local stories. Comes with a strange accent to due an Irish accident of birth.
Editor of the North West Star Mount Isa since January 2016. Prior to that, an editor at several regional southern Queensland newspapers. Passionate about telling local stories. Comes with a strange accent to due an Irish accident of birth.
