For eight weeks, Australian voters and their children, who will be future voters, endured the best and worst of political advertising.

Labor and its acolytes including, alleged conservation groups that use donations collected in city malls to save whales and the "reef", to fund campaigning for socialist left leaning candidates, ran negative campaigns. Malcolm Turnbull was depicted as threat to every day Australians on the basis that he is now wealthy.

The Liberal Party, for the most part, based its campaign around a message of qualified, experienced people willing to take on government to build the nation and generate new jobs through innovation. Malcolm Turnbull and his campaign advisors chose to be positive. They did not remind Australians that Bill Shorten as a union leader made secret deals with employers while lowering income opportunities for union members. Similarly, the Liberal Party resisted the temptation to remind voters that it was Shorten who in large part destabilised both the Rudd 1 government, the Gillard government and the Rudd 2 government.

It is ironic that Labor, through Gillard, Rudd and Wayne Swan, with the help of Penny Wong, increased Australia's overdraft and then criticised the Coalition for the pain endured by Australians due to austerity measures designed to repair Labor's damage to Australia's economy. It is more than ironic; it is unfair that Labor and The Greens gained electoral advantage in 2016 from the need to fix the debt levels that they created.

Then there was Medicare. As a former executive officer at Medicare, I can confirm the huge cost of fraud and waste that generates unnecessary health care funding losses year after year. The need to reform has never been more vital but Labor, through its deceptive advertising mouthed by Shorten has prevented the new government from bringing in cost saving measures.

What then are Australians to make of Labor?

Labor - Shorten lied about Turnbull planning to privatise Medicare.

Labor - Shorten knew that the claim was false.

Labor - Shorten displayed banners showing the words "Save Medicare" at every election polling place in full knowledge that there was no threat to Medicare.

Should Australians care that a man who wants to be the Prime Minister would lie to get elected?

If a liar was elected to lead the nation, could the population believe anything he said about national security or the state of Australia's finances. Integrity is the foundation of government. How is it that Labor and Shorten could come close to gaining control of Australia, through a deliberate lie? Just a few extra votes in some parts of Australia stopped Shorten winning.

Lying to the public ought to be a scandal that would force Shorten to resign; but no, he is now the Leader of the Opposition for the time being.

The mainstream media ( read commercial media organisations ) do not seem to care. The press ought to be a part of the solution or a cure for deceit in public office. It is one of their roles. At university, lecturers used to teach journalism students that Fleet Street was the "Gate Keeper" controlling the flow of information to the population. It is a big responsibility and it is why there are ethical guidelines for journalists to follow. Most journalists commented on the events, while most failed to set out the lies and the matrix of deception contained in Labor's broadcasts to Australians.

If the Australian commercial press did its job, politicians would be forced to be truthful at all times. Australia's media largely gave Labor a "tick" for a well run deceptive campaign.

Something is wrong when immoral Labor Party leadership is not challenged.

The winner of the election was Malcolm Turnbull. His Coalition team won more seats. It was a remarkable effort against a Labor - Greens coalition that made many seats a three candidate choice with Labor getting all of the Greens preferences causing Labor Party candidates to win, despite the fact that Liberal or National Party candidates won more votes than either the Greens candidate or the Labor candidate.

Labor lost the integrity competition.

It will be interesting to watch for Labor's reform position when the government focus on laws that will impact on "truth in political advertising in electronic and social media".

Whatever Shorten says, can they be trusted?

By way of indulgence...

Here is my favourite part of the election campaign by Turnbull



Below is my choice for "idiot of the week" during the election campaign

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