If I was into dancing in the street….

Deputy Prime Minister Mark Vaile is to quit as leader of the National Party. He made the announcement at a news conference in Canberra today. I am predicting, despite his protestations, Vaile will leave parliament within six months.

Why hast thou forsaken me?

After a day spent trying to woo voters in traditionally strong Labor electorates, Vaile remained upbeat during the count. He prayed for a Coalition comeback at a church service in his NSW home town Taree before joining Prime Minister John Howard at a function in Sydney.

The National Party is in damage control after losing up to three seats across the country. They lost Dawson in North Queensland, Page on the NSW north coast and possibly Cowper in regional NSW.

That will prune them back to nine or ten seats nationally, continuing their slow steady death as a political force. Vaile suffered under Howard’s Liberals who were already treating their coalition junior partner as an increasing irritation.

I find his idea of a God fascinating. “Don’t worry about praying for the wider community, the people of this country – just save our sorry arses God.”

Well his God let him down it appears. And after all that money he has flowed into the Catholic Church out of government coffers. Perhaps God doesn’t really like Catholics.