Let's just clarify that - you can't get a mandate from the people in a general election because you aren't campaigning on a single issue. You can get a mandate from a clearly worded, unambiguous question in a referendum but that's it.

In a general election, people are voting for a party (and even then the party that wins may not be the party they voted for because of the preferential voting system) so any politician claiming a mandate after winning an election is just full of crap.

Instead, to recap recent events - we had our government commit to being a world leader with respect to climate change but now we're just being a follower. Worse, we're sitting back and waiting for everyone else. Bad move.

If the government wanted to stimulate the economy, they'd invest in (or subsidise - whatever) renewable energy (think wind, tidal, geothermal) and other sorts of green technology (where is my electric car with good range?). Rather than harp on about how reducing emissions is going to kill the economy, why not put people to work figuring out better ways to do stuff.

Not a lot has changed in 18 months.