民选工党总理Kevin Rudd任期未满，被工党内讧赶了下台，成为澳洲历史上任期最短的总理和首位一届未满的总理，壮志未酬泪满襟。
工党副总理，Julia Gilard被问及是否有心问鼎时皮笑肉不笑地回答说：当总理和去当Bulldog橄榄球队的前锋机率等同。还到处信誓旦旦，真金白银地打比方，贻笑大方。
On radio station 3AW, when asked by Neil Mitchell whether she could promise that she would not be leader before the next election, she said "You may as well ask me am I anticipating a trip to Mars."
When Fairfax Media's Tim Lester interviewed Gillard on the National Times website, an even better fantasy analogy was embraced. If "Steven Spielberg rang me from Hollywood and asked me to star opposite Brad Pitt in a movie, would I do it? Well, I'd be a little bit tempted but you know what, I don't reckon Steven Spielberg is going to give me a call."
Then on 2GB radio, another hypothetical, when the Deputy was asked had there been a Howard/Costello deal done with Rudd, she responded with something equally as topical as leadership. Gillard said : "I know we’ll be welcoming Jessica [Watson] back to Sydney this weekend after her round the world epic feat. I tell you, I think there’s more chance of me going round the world sailing solo a dozen times than this chatter in the media becoming anything more than that." Then on Monday she reinforced the point once again, apparently "there’s more chance of me becoming the full forward for the [Western Bulldogs] than there is of any change in the Labor Party."
Tony Abbott以一票微弱优势击败Malcolm Turnbull，取而代之成为反对党首领。
和工党相比，自由党联盟在大选中获得多数票，多数议席，可是Abbott无法组阁，被独立议员Oakeshott的一票击败。
以其人之道还治其人之身，只有Abbott最了解Turnbull当时的个中滋味。
Gillard在联邦大选中被一票微弱优势推上了总理宝座，用Abbott的话来形容就是凭一须优势取胜。 但严格来说，Gillard不是民选的，而是被所谓的“三人帮”权衡出来的。 大选前，Gillard曾誓言只有澳洲人民推选她当总理，她才会搬进总理府。看来未来三年内总理府将会继续空置。
Andrew Wilkie初为自由党员，当年在营造攻打伊拉克理由的大气候中，凭良心说真话，被Howard整治。如今终于以独立人资格竞选成功，Abbott以自由党名义向其道歉。 而Andrew要价成功后，将票给了工党，扬眉吐气。正是不是不报，时辰未到。Howard的债由Abbott来还。
独立议员Robert Oakeshott，作为非主流议员，估计从未做过当部长的梦，这次成了关键的“三人帮”成员，Gillard对症下药，开价一个行政部长，实在诱人，特别是 对独立议员而言，而且他的议会资历还浅，估计已经一口吞下，说回家商量只是意思 意思而已。
这次大选，基本都是赢家，自由党的议席上升，下届组阁的机率大幅度上升，Abbott的地位空前巩固。 工党虽然扔了些议席，但勉强组阁，保住一点脸皮，也没输。绿 党党魁Brown牛气冲天，Gillard得每周亲自或派出代表和他碰头。几个独立议员更加是呼风唤雨，出尽风头。
最大的输家是几个工会头头，白白辛苦一场，成果都给了独立议员。