It's hard to see much other than tough and turbulent times ahead. Although the final outcome of the election is uncertain, one thing is clear ... it's very close.

It's equally clear that, with so many people voting early and thus so many votes not being counted on the night, we won't know the result for a fair while. The trend towards voting early may mean that, unless there's a landslide, in future we will be unlikely to have a result on the night in the way we have in the past. It's uncertain, but it looks like a very narrow government win. That scenario deserves reflection.

One of the key indicators of where the government needs to go is the Xenophon vote. He says he wants to drag the major parties towards the centre. It's not rocket science; the bell curve of votes tells us all that's where the majority of Australia sits. It's always been that way.

Xenophon may not have directed preferences, leaving the voter to decide. But once Xenophon candidates are elected he will be the key influence on where their votes go. Someone who wants to take politics more to the centre now plays a pivotal role in Australia's future. Nobody will get anything done without Xenophon. This is no time for bruised egos to try to drag the Liberal Party to the right.