Actually Helen, I heard it explained better than that.

The Australian Liberal Party WAS genuinely 'Liberal' - ie, what the Yanks would call 'commo' - not communist, but genuinely believed in helping their fellow man for the common good - things like abolishing slavery and supporting the old, sick and unemployed on pensions and free medical care and all that...

Well, the Aussie 'liberals' about the time of Howard and a few others, one day said, "well, we're going over to this corner on the Right side of the room, and since there are more of us than you, we're taking the name and the Party Funds with us!" What was left became "the Democrats" - nothing whatsoever to be mistaken for "US Democrats!" - this party died with the death of Don, it's founder, but had committed hari kari with stupidities like Cheryl Kernow changing parties, and the brilliant idea of their leader ganging up with Little Fascist Johnny to bring in the GST (which Little Fascist Johnny had sworn 'never ever a GST!') Johnny also brought in the stupidity of 'core and non-core promises' - ie. ones you keep and just other lies!

When Pauline Hanson came on the scene, Little Fascist Johnny veered hard to the Right - pretty much the US Right! - and this is where he gets his nickname from!

The Liberal Party was reputed to embrace second rate failed US political advisors. Explains a lot, you see.

Johnny's arrogance culminated in the 'Australians have never had it so good' statement - which was on a par with another pollies' "the recession we had to have" statement! Then the Liberals stated the US wanker mantra 'destroy the Unions' game - since Aussie Political life is strongly bound up with the Unions fight against selfish rich greedy arseholes for the last 100 years - this policy was bound to eventually end in tears. In 1907, there was the famous law case which decided that the working man was entitled to a wage that allowed him a reasonable standard of living, and not to be forced to live like an animal (the Yanks still haven't got there yet!)

The National party (the other party in the coalition) has become increasingly irrelevant, and in Queensland has lost large chunks to Labour.

The Greens gained quite an increase in voting this election, most especially at the expense of the Liberals, but in a few critical seats they lost support, as it turned into a 'to the death' between Liberal and Labour. In Howard's seat, the Greens vote declined, and in Turnbull's seat, he actually got a high sswing towards him, one of the very few Liberals to do that - even Costello had a swing against him. The Greens have now replaced the Democrats as 'the third voice'.