Conclusion: reflections on Abbott's Gambit - mantras, manipulations and mandates.

Abstract

To explain the electoral contest of 2013 that brought the experiment of the hung parliament to a close, we have chosen to conclude the analysis of this volume by focusing on three themes: the contest over campaign messages (the repeated mantras); the various ways in which the main political players attempted to seek partisan advantage (attempts at manipulation); and, the eventual nature of the mandate that came out of the election given the political context and counter-claims made. We discuss each of these in turn.