To date the election campaign has been particularly uninspiring, with so much of it centred on the possible privatisation of the poles and wires that form part of the electricity supply network.

This has failed to grab the imagination of much of the community, resulting in campaign focus falling flat with many people who on Saturday will be deciding the future of the state.

The unfortunate repercussion will be that following an uninspiring campaign, many people will cast their votes without giving the matter much thought.

This, of course, is a natural repercussion of life in a system in which it is compulsory to attend a polling place to vote, and a high level of scepticism about politics and politicians in general.

However it is doing the community a great disservice.

Around the world and throughout the ages people have fought and died for the right to have a say, to establish the principles of democracy.

That remains the case in many countries where people are fighting for freedom from oppression, and believe the sort of freedom that Australia enjoys will offer them a chance to have a real say in the way their country is run.

Yet while they see democracy as offering hope for the future, many of us in our society take for granted the capacity to vote and have a say in the way the state or country is governed.

But it need not be that way.

Regardless of how uninspiring the campaign might have been, we have a responsibility to think carefully about the candidates and political parties we will support at the ballot box.

We need to consider what commitments have been made, the capacity of the parties and candidates to meet those commitments, and also weigh up track records before we cast our votes.They old saying “You get the sort of politicians and representation you deserve” is particularly true and anyone voting without weighing up key issues will have no one other than themselves to blame if they are unhappy with the government that is elected.