Land of Oz, and everywhere: politics is politics

8:07 AM:
Remember Robert Murphy and the pivotal role he played just days out from polling day? Don't feel uninformed - there were a few creased brows when his name came up at Election Live HQ this morning.

Mr Murphy was the man who cruelled the chances of Labor's Jon Sullivan being returned as member for Longman, on Brisbane's northern fringe. Labor was confident of a win, with Mr Sullivan up against 20-year-old Wyatt Roy.

But it all went pear-shaped for Mr Sullivan after this exchange in a shopping centre during a live election forum on 612 ABC Brisbane:

Mr Murphy: It's taken two years for my son - to take him to the doctor to get him diagnosed - because we don't have the money to actually go and pay for a specialist to get him diagnosed so he can get the proper help that he needs at school. He's undiagnosed.

Mr Sullivan: What parent would wait two years to get a child, who they believe has a disability, to get a specialist.

Now, Mr Murphy has told The Australian he was "a little bit confused" when he spoke up. It seems he and his wife have not really been waiting two years to see a doctor, and now that the doctors have seen his son, they've given him a clean bill of health.

In an election as tight as this, it illustrates how big a role fate plays. Robert Murphy hadn't planned to attend the 612 forum - he just happened to be at the shopping centre buying birthday presents for his daughter.

He got confused and said some things he shouldn't have. So did Jon Sullivan. Despite his repeated apologies, the backlash carried Wyatt Roy to Canberra and helped put the Coalition on the brink of victory.

You've got to love democracy.