What’s not to love about the implosion of the Liberal Party?
It’s not accustomed to losing, which might explain how badly it’s handling this setback, albeit one of historic proportions. Five days on, the Saturday night massacre has exposed how thoroughly entitled the Liberals have become. Buoyant in victory. Nasty in defeat. Excuses, excuses, excuses. Shifting blame to everyone but themselves. It doesn’t augur well for the honest self-appraisal demanded.
What happened to the party of lifters? Is it possible it’s become the party of leaners?
Attack of the killer Nat
We’re surely living in a parallel universe when Bridget McKenzie can call for a “root-and-branch review”. The Nationals’ senator has some front. Her campaign contributions included claiming that China and Russia wanted Labor to win and alleging China’s President Xi Jinping had called Anthony Albanese “a handsome boy”. It’s par for the course for McKenzie to get it wrong in her bid to smear her political opponents, and then front up the next day and do it all again. Presumably the review will need to skirt the idea that unfounded political attacks can backfire.
In the search for scapegoats, all good bullies need a ready target who can’t fight back. In this case, it’s the unfortunate and hitherto unknown Michael Turner of the Freshwater polling company who has copped it. Turner has become the perfect patsy: first for the alleged poor quality of his advice and second for said advice somehow becoming public this week.
Chill, man
Turner’s focus groups apparently revealed a wave of negative opinions about Dutton. These reportedly included that Dutton “lacks empathy on screen when he talks”. One focus group punter said: “I just don’t like the guy, he gives me negative vibes.”
Turner advised Dutton to “convey a more relaxed and enthusiastic presence”, to project the idea that Dutton was “enjoying the campaign and engaging with voters”. Public engagements should be done in a way to show that “Dutton, and the Liberals, listen to voters, and understand what they are going through right now”.
Reality blues
Well blow me down. Dutton, the self-styled hard man of Australian politics, he of the relentless negativity, turns voters off? Why didn’t we know this? It feels like end-stage politics when a party is so removed from reality that it has to pay ordinary people — the much sought after “punters” — to tell them the bleeding obvious. Conservative loyalist Andrew Bolt put it on Sky as diplomatically as he could:
“Peter Dutton, nice man that he is, simply looked scary, not like the easygoing Anthony Albanese.”
The convenient explanation for the Liberal loss has become the impact of Donald Trump and his tariff attacks. Yet this ignores the truth that Dutton had deliberately positioned himself as Australia’s Trump, amping up his attacks on DEI initiatives and public servants. It’s not as though Trump suddenly became repulsive in the second week of April. Dutton, too, claimed that he, rather than Albanese, could have done a better tariff deal.
It has, needless to say, been getting pretty wild over at Murdoch HQ where Greg Sheridan pointed, oddly, to the Liberal Party’s preference arrangements and “the monumental failure of the Australian establishment”. He also blamed the state of politics in general. Is it remotely possible the Liberals can muster the self-awareness needed to diagnose the cultural problems?
One for the Rhodes
It neatly sums up the hopelessness of their situation that a born-to-rule blueblood like Angus Taylor is a serious leadership contender. Name a box and Taylor ticks it. He attended the exclusive private boys school Kings. Next came the all-boys upper-class frathouse of St Andrew’s College at Sydney University. Taylor became a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford University, on his way to a career in the top-flight management consultancy firm McKinseys. Other baubles followed. He has been a member of foundations of several wealthy private schools: Shore, Abbotsleigh and Canberra Grammar.
The nod to diversity is that Taylor did not attend Riverview (Tony Abbott’s old school) or Sydney Grammar (Malcolm Turnbull). So maybe it’s his turn to have a go. But what hope is there that business-class Angus could have that much-prized ability of being able to relate to the woes of the ordinary punter?
Mind you, as the Liberal pollster pointed out to the Dutton campaign, you only need to give the impression that you “listen to voters” and “understand what they are going through right now.” Luckily you don’t have to mean it.
I’m amazed anyone wants to lead the rump. Expect a lot of jockeying from price now that she’s a liberal.
Jacinta Price and Tim Wilson in the same party room, as Taylor, Ley, Tehan and the other flotsam and jetsam that survived the May 3rd Massacre.
I cannot wait!
With Michaelia Cash in the corner grimacing and screeching her 2 bob’s worth, it’s not to be missed
It’s the poisoned chalice of politics. Whomever is the next leader will not be the leader at the next election. 2 years will be about the limit.
Indeed a poisoned chalice – which is why I suspect they will hand it to a woman, as is common practice in these situations.
Exactly. That’s how Margaret Thatcher got up. Male failure.
Might be worth it for a short term pay rise…
Usually, looking at a cur, you can see the dick leading the rump when it’s moving forward, rump leading the dick in reverse —- which leaves Price priceless
We have to have a two party political contest , which isn’t actually a democracy. Debating proposals of policy to reach a mutually agreed outcome is for all as we would call “bipartisanship” in our political systems. The coalition under Tony Abbott who said the opposition is to oppose because we the opposition is to oppose was the first indicator of the demise of the Liberals but Howard started it….
Certainly again shows Price’s naked ambition over any moral substance as exemplified by her Voice stance.
Yes, my thoughts exactly!
Stands out like the proverbial pair doesn’t it? She has consigned herself to the footnotes of this saga thankfully.
Who cares about Liberal leadership. Longe may they suffer and remain unelectable. All the better for all of us.
I remain gobsmacked that politicians, media commentators/entertainers, and social media “political analysts” put down much of the loss to a vitriolic, hateful and vengeful “lefty” campaign. Many tout senator Price as a future PM. The so called “culture wars” led by Senator Price contributed to the loss. He leadership skills in public policy would be zero.
If they do vote for a Taylor/Price leadershjip team, it really proves they have completely missed the message they were sent, and intend to move further to the right. Maybe they should rename it the Reinhart party?
love it .. even better the price/taylor leadership team …life rocks
Re Angus Taylor, what was the story behind ‘Grassgate’, the illegal clearing of endangered native grassland on a family property? And who doctored the travel report that Angus presented in an attack on Sydney City Council? At least we know who posted on his Facebook site a congratulatory message ‘Fantastic. Great move, Angus. Well done’. It was Angus himself. How do they think he could lead them out of their malaise?
How did $80 million from a federal govt water rights sale end up with a Cayman Islands company established by Angus Taylor? Labor might want to finally find out if Angus becomes leader.
I’m going to go so far as to suggest that Dutton would’ve been better off supporting the Voice. Easy in hindsight but might’ve given him more to work with as the alternative PM. Am I mad?
I think you are dead right and the Liberal Party may have had a chance
Whenever I see Bridget McKenzie’s name I’m reminded of Barry McKenzie, the politician of Barry Humphrey’s wonderful imagination. The two McKenzies make a good pair.
I think Humphries erstwhile politician was Sir Les Patterson… the leering, slobbering, Minister for the Yartz.But we get the picture.
You’re right Harry. I’m thinking of the Barry McKenzie movie. It still makes me laugh.
As a former Queenslander well aware of Qld police history I never liked Dutton’s character. Perhaps it was karma that Dutton was rolled after his years of nastiness culminating in destroying the referendum’s chance of success by opposing it. Would be leader Angus Taylor reminds me of the late Liberal “born to rule but never made it” Andrew Peacock but with less charm. Private school, establishment man and working for McKinseys the great consultant parasites – a true Taylors dummy to my mind. May the Liberals rot in hell!
Well observed and well put.
Less charm and more ‘baggage’
Price joining the Libs is proof positive that they intend remaining in the wilderness for some time. Price should get a ‘Make Australia Grate Again” cap!
There is no hope of the Liberal Party ever returning to its roots again and restoring a respectable position that would give confidence to Australians in a capacity for good governance and middle of the road policies. It is a rabble verging more to the space of One Nation and Palmer and oligarch miners as the number one constituent. As someone stated earlier it should become known now jointly with the Nationals as The Rinehart Miners Party.
I, too, am glad to see the COALition having serious wounds to lick. (Schadenfreude, anyone?) On the other hand, I do regret that there’s no competent Opposition to keep the often Liberal-lite government accountable. We’ll have to rely on the independents to do that but there aren’t enough of them. I really wanted a minority Labor government.
We still have the Greens in the Senate.
Me too…
They would have more hope of resurrecting a horse that broke it’s leg in the back straight, whilst running 14th in a two horse race, with the trainer refusing to put it down, until further examination by a (dis) reputable vet, who has promised the nag would be a starter next week.With a miraculous little pick me up.
Mind you, that’s a more attractive proposition than the ludicrous chaff burners on offer here.
The tragedy of the election is that, despite expectations of the growth of the backbench just when we need it, the spineless Labor party is left there, cock of the roost. Probably go the way of the subtle dictator, Howard, and overstep the mark. Then we’d be back to Sussan or Angus, and we’d go back on the musical chairs rotation, which the “major” parties love and protect.
Governance standards in Australia are at a very low ebb. We so badly need to get ourselves out of this corruptly maintained duopoly of bribery and self-advancement. Otherwise the Four Horsemen – climate, housing, fiscal imbalance and generational theft – will finally come over the hill and swamp our so-called democracy.
I see Jeff Kennett has come out and backed Ley.
This is either the kiss of death, OR the “smart” move to make the Liberals seem softer until they find the right bloke to replace Sussan before the next election (which is a near certainty…..got to have the white Anglo private school bloke leading the party to an election!)
All the signs are that the LNP will remain in the wilderness for a good number of years. If they don’t shift back to the centre, they could deal themselves out of the game permanently.
There is a lesson in this for Labor. Even though they have a majority in the lower house now, they need to work much better with the crossbench and the greens. Next time round they may not have that comfortable majority, because many of their seats were won on the back of anti-Dutton Liberal voters not necessarily because Labor offered such a brilliant alternative.
Yes,Yes and Yes.
If Angus Taylor is the answer Labor’s prayers will have been answered. Having a dullard like him in charge will ensure more years in the wilderness as why would anyone join the party or work for its election? And with Jacinta Price? She did her bit to make sure James Stevens lost almost every booth.
I have to admit that just the thought of Angus Taylor being paid to give business advice gives me the shivers.
The current Federal libs don’t have the capacity to reinvent themselves as anything like the former ‘broad church’. That takes imagination, substantial interpersonal skills and having baubles to dole out for rewards and silences.
This isn’t actually good. Parliamentary democracy benefits from a vigorous opposition. Have a look at what’s unfolded over the years in Victoria.
This is so very true. The whole point of the two party system is to have two points of view. Unfortunately the opposition in recent times has interpreted its job as mindlessly opposing. As a result, it has literally become pointless.
Heaven help us if Taylor becomes their leader! He shows ARROGANCE and RIGHTEOUSNESS big time already!
May they wake up to the fact that Sussan Ley is their best option (but one wonders – when they overlooked the
very talented, smart Julie Bishop back in 2018) !
If Angus gets the gig there’s plenty of good quality detail for the dirt file.
Destroyed native grasslands on the Monaro not a bad place to start.
I couldn’t have said the foregoing any better
With come from behind wins to knock off a couple of traitorous teals, having Lib preferences sink Adam Bandt and stealing Jacinta Price from those smug Nationals — it’s not so bad — any excuse to maintain business as usual. And there is the Gina factor— blank cheques and party time. Woo hoo!
This has got to be a gee up!! A leadership ticket of Taylor and Price. Taylor’s credentials or lack of have been well documented in other comments. Price stood alongside Dutton beaming at his divisive nasty remarks resulting in the establishment of the Dutton/Price mutual admiration society. Her contribution to the anti Dutton sentiment cannot be underestimated. A leadership role in the Liberal Party is gift from the party that just keeps on giving.
She accuses others of being ‘divisive’…pot and kettle comes to mind!!!
It won’t matter who becomes Leader, Deputy Leader or anything else now. The Liberal Party has two possible options for the future. Either they stay as they are, or, even worse electorally, go further to the right. No less an authority than Christopher Pyne said on the 7:30 report tonight (May 8) that this would be the death of the party.
They have a situation in politics that mirrors that in science. They must get a new paradigm. The influential theory on the history of science by Thomas Kuhn has it that, when a field of science comes to a grinding halt in terms of advancement, it is time for a new paradigm. But to get a new paradigm, all of the proponents of the current one actually have to leave the field. It requires a completely new lot of people to promote the new way.
Perhaps they could become a Liberal Party again. The current conservative and/or reactionary philosophy has run out of time. Probably by about 30 years. Pauline Hanson would welcome the left-overs, I am sure.
Richard P 12.22am Friday 9 May 2025
Late postal votes from presumably a high proportion of older Goldstein residents appear to have been enough to dump the erstwhile archetypically ideal Teal Independent MP Zoe Daniel.
Could that reflect some level of quiet political view in this voter bloc—with its higher-than-average Jewish representation—that may align with the high percentage of Israeli Jews who support Netanyahu’s one-state Final Solution in so-called Greater Israel, and who felt more relaxed and comfortable back with a Liberal rep?
Stand by now for frenzied ‘antisemitic’ findings from the Jewish Board of Deputies’ hair-trigger media monitors and their usual rebranding thereof of trenchant anti-Zionist criticism, as bravely advanced by many Jewish intellectuals among others.
The nursery rhyme “Three blind mice comes to mind” as I read the first two sentences of David’s newsletter.
Children’s nursery rhymes and other children’s stories have always had a fascinating psychological allegory to them, maybe it’s time to take a closer look at them and delve into their hidden meanings.
If that’s now passe in terms of tradition and teaching maybe it’s something that needs to be resurrected along with the kitchen gardens of kindergartens and early school, it sure provides the learning, teaching. team work and communications that’s needed to build children and communities literally from the ground up.
The Liberal mould has never been a broad community, and always been leaners living of their hosts i.e. donors, taxpayers and holding forth with the tosh of what others are or are not worth.
Liberals depended on the mass middle classes. That’s something Howard understood now Albanese has grasped this. When, through their own greed this group can no longer afford to buy a home, Liberals lost a swag of voters. Match this with bad policies, right leaning, dreadful campaign an unpopular leader it all spells doom for the Liberals
With this unfolding train wreck yet to be resolved, plus Old Najimpa Price lending her shoulders to the liberals and others suggesting that the Liberal Party is so damaged that the Nationals should not even consider a coalition partner it’s absolutely going to be an awesome parliamentary period. I’d like to see Sean Micallef comeback with his great talents to “examine” these characters. There’ll be leaks, threats, paybacks a plenty in the opposition. But my heart goes out to Gina and her pain about Dutton losing.
Lyrics to a song called ‘Fake News’ written in 2020:
Peter was he, from Brisvegas City
Climbed up that pole that was very slip-pery
Now he’s there and he’s lost all his hair
Doesnt give a shit if he shows he doesnt care
Knows he’s nearly made it to the top
lots of bodies underneath this heartless Queensland cop
can finally put that to rest!
Is it possible that we are left with a choice of Angus, Tehan or Ley?
We must be in a one party system without the formal recognition or permanency.
Our government cant plan more than about 2 years ahead because then its election time again. A 5 year term wouldnt help. We should align with our logical partners. China has 5 year, 10 year and I think up to 25 year plans. Ridulous you say?? but guess what they keep achieving them on budget or below and on schedule or better. Here we hear a schedule and multiply it by 4 and same with the budget. Who believes a fleet of sepcially designed nuclear subs and all their support available within 20 years? They will become a trillion dollars and be delivered long after neighbor will have the waters all over the world swarming with autonomous underwater drones programmed to attack any submarine that cant identify as a friend. Bingo a trillion dollars down the drain and about a thousand submariners who just never return.
China should be our friend – despite our past bad behavior. (Remember Scrap Iron Bob Who was supplying their attacker with strategic materials?) Our government has to be planning for 50 years time. Remember that about 50 years ago we bought F111’s with the intention of bombing Djakarta.
WE need a decent government capable of making long range plans and achieving them and capable of operating an excellent team of diplomats to secure our future.
War is the failure of diplomacy
When I heard Jacinta Price interviewed last Saturday night, firing blame on the ALP and the media, I thought that the Liberals might be better off separating from the coalition with the Nats, at least for a while. Then she left the Nats and joined them!
Then I heard Tim Wilson emphasising his continued commitment to nuclear and I thought that the Libs would be better off if Zoe Daniel had retained her seat.
I feel for the Freshwater team. No pollster, focus group expert nor ad agency could have saved this lot.