Election a chance to vote for your future THE ball will be served this weekend and it will land in the court of business. Instability at the federal level will be over and the time of rebuilding confidence must begin under whichever government is elected. For three years, the minority Labor Government has bungled its numbers and been forced into compromises. For three years, the Coalition has worked as hard as it can to trash the economy and talk up the sense of crisis. The consequence has been a community of consumers and businesses too scared to spend or invest. From now, it should be time to refocus on the fundamentals of the economy. Unemployment is low, inflation is subdued, interest rates are set to encourage investment and the national debt is modest by international standards. The resources construction phase is winding down but the point of that investment - increased production volumes - will now deliver the rewards. The extra exports will pour money back into the economy. China's growth has been deliberately slowed but the annual percentage increase is off an ever-growing base, so demand will not contract. The great danger will now be that Australian business continues to sit on the sidelines. Banks say many companies are well armed with cash but have been reluctant to invest. Many businesses say banks have been reluctant to lend and without the capital they cannot expand. After the election, both sides of that equation need to loosen the purse strings. Most likely, the incoming government will instigate commissions and inquiries to flesh out the detail on sparsely explained policies. If this is allowed to extend the current paralysis, the economy will suffer. Business should not allow this to happen. Being brave and seizing the early mover advantages will pay off. Whichever way you vote, take a moment to think about democracy. Think about history and the generations who struggled to make the voices of ordinary people heard. The millions who fought against cruel monarchies, oligarchies and dictatorships, where elites thought they had the right to rule. And when it comes to numbering the boxes - especially for the Senate - take the time to think for yourself. Don't just accept what today's ruling elite want you to do by voting above the line. You owe it to all those who brought us democracy to cast your vote below the line.