Some marriages should end. The Coalition's is one of them

The Advertiser

23-05-2025

This is a sample of The Echidna newsletter sent out each weekday morning. To sign up for FREE, go to theechidna.com.au
We've heard it all before.
"The leader has my absolute support." "There is no challenge." "I'm not doing the numbers." Even "I'm ambitious for him."
That last one, from one-time Nationals leader Michael McCormack, was a direct echo of Scott Morrison, voicing support for Malcolm Turnbull just days before replacing him as leader of the Liberals.
McCormack's "endorsement" was, of course, for freshly reinstalled Nationals leader David Littleproud. It would have sent a shiver down Littleproud's spine. That's because, like all leaders, he knows statements of unwavering support often precede political assassination.
While McCormack insists he's not mounting a challenge, his verdict on Littleproud's performance - "really messy" - speaks volumes. The knives might not be out yet but hands are definitely on the hilts. Which is a remarkable achievement for a leader who only resecured the top job on May 12.
It's a safe bet that somewhere in the bowels of the ABC a documentary team is working on season two of Nemesis, the series that laid bare the divisions in the Coalition which led to its dizzying revolving door of leaders between 2013 and 2022. Only this time around they're eating themselves in opposition.
In the space of a week, the Coalition has gone through a separation, vigorous marriage counselling from the likes of John Howard, Tony Abbott and Malcolm Turnbull and now a likely reconciliation. All for what? As the disaster unfolded, we in the burrow were wondering if behind the debacle was some sinister plot to destabilise the new Liberal leader Sussan Ley. After all, she's a moderate and a woman. Stranger things have happened in politics.
While Littleproud as leader has borne the brunt of criticism, it's the Nationals party room that has some explaining to do. Their leader couldn't have announced the split without its backing, as Littleproud kept repeating in every embarrassing appearance. Yet he carries the stink for the breathtakingly stupid walkout. The decision might not have been unanimous but there were enough votes to get it across the line.
Which gets us to the Nationals and the purpose they're supposed to serve.
With less than 4 per cent of the national primary vote, they hold far too much sway over the national political discourse. In their current depleted state, conventional wisdom has it, the Liberals need them if they're to win government. But seen from another angle, the noisy backseat driver has forced the Liberals off the road and into a ditch. How else could the party of free enterprise take a Soviet style plan for publicly funded nuclear power to an election and expect to win?
And where are we after the election defeat? All eyes are on the chaotic opposition when they should be on the government and what it's up to.
Like many people who see a toxic relationship finally unravel, I was thrilled to see the Nats leave. Finally, I thought, the Libs might stand on their own two feet and chart their own less extreme course. A fresh start with a new female leader was an exciting prospect. Perhaps some of the talent on the backbench - MPs like Zoe McKenzie - might get an opportunity to shine.
And the Nationals would take their rightful place in the modern political landscape - on the crossbench.
But it was not to be. Codependency won the day, as it so often does in relationships well past their use-by date.
HAVE YOUR SAY: Can a new Coalition live down the chaos of the past week? Do the Liberals stand a better chance going it alone? Is David Littleproud likely to last long as leader? Has his treatment by colleagues been unfair given the party room voted to walk out of the Coalition? Email us: [e-mail]
SHARE THE LOVE: If you enjoy The Echidna, forward it to a friend so they can sign up, too.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:
- The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has launched court actions against Coles and Woolworths, alleging they broke consumer law by bumping up prices on certain products for brief periods before lowering them again as part of Woolworths' "Prices Dropped" and Coles' "Down Down" promotions.
- A traditional owner has launched legal action to compel Environment Minister Murray Watt to act on her bid to protect sacred rock art, creating a potential hurdle to his decision-making process on the proposed extension of a massive gas project.
- Australians are surprisingly swearing less online than other countries but researchers suspect the nation is saving it for face-to-face interactions.
THEY SAID IT: "Marriage is a wonderful institution, but who wants to live in an institution?" - Groucho Marx
YOU SAID IT: A recent diagnosis of anxiety was a relief for Garry, who can now confront an old foe.
Mike writes: "Your words resonated so deeply with me - not just because they're powerful, but because I, too, know that old enemy all too well. Anxiety has a way of lurking in the background, silent and patient, until life slows down just enough for it to catch up. It's like a shadow that stretches the longer we stand still. I felt every line - from the sleepless nights and simmering irritability to the disbelief that something so defining could go unnamed for so long. It's humbling, isn't it? To realise that what we thought was just pushing through was actually us carrying something heavy for decades. And yet, there's courage here - in confronting it, in speaking its name, and in refusing to let it win a second time. That moment of clarity with the psychologist ... I know it. That rush of recognition followed by relief, grief, and finally, resolve. It takes strength to admit we've been hurting. Even more to start healing."
"Garry, I hear you," writes Sue. "For me, it is depression, which fortunately has never been really bad, just there, and a touch of anxiety, a problem encouraged by society for lots of older women who are perfectly capable but were brought up to believe that only men were capable of doing a whole host of things. When I was diagnosed with mild depression, in my 20s, I was prescribed some drug which made me feel like a zombie, so I stopped taking it, and was so angry that there was nothing available that would lift the depression rather than have me feeling nothing that I worked through the depression - and this became my self-treatment. When depressed, I would give it a day or two then work up a rage that this was not going to defeat me, and work through it."
Cameron writes: "You have described my life with anxiety to a T. Thanks for sharing it. I was diagnosed about 25 years ago after a severe depressive episode and have had it hanging around but learning to live with it. I think about it as a moderately annoying next door neighbour which I deal with most of the time although it does get to me every now and again. Keeping fit, playing music and being a bit kinder to myself helps but anxiety is sneaky and like the annoying neighbour, always there in the background."
"Anxiety - I didn't realise that it is actually 'a thing', an annoying little gremlin somewhere in my brain," writes Monica. "I had a bad 'attack' about 40 years ago; even mentioned it to my GP who had no advice other than 'it will pass', when I said that I did not understand where this overwhelming feeling came from. My life was perfect in every way, but there it was, haunting me, 24/7. It did pass, at least the severity of it. You have just opened my eyes. It's been there, lurking in the background, for most of my life. I think it started around puberty, controlling me, holding me back, seemingly unconquerable. Time for a counterattack!"
Kris writes: "Mental health illness needs all the awareness we can give it. The illness is invisible to others, other than immediate carers, and it is so isolating. Trying to get help and validation is so difficult, and in that struggle, the carer is dragged down to such low points of thoughts of self-harm for themselves and their loved one."
"On a family day I thought I was having a heart attack and unbeknownst to them all I got my son in law to take me to emergency," writes Garry R. "I got blood tests and ECG and all the rest. Finally I was advised my tests revealed that the possibility of me having a heart attack was about one in a 100. 'What you have probably had is an anxiety attack.' So referral to a psychologist it was confirmed that, yes, I was experiencing anxiety and ended up on a daily tablet with a minimal dose of 10mg. On the odd day, towards the end of it, I do still feel a little anxious but that is more about whether or not my footy team will win tonight. Not as big a deal as I thought."
Deb writes: "Wonderfully candid and well written, thank you. I, too, had to face my demons, working from home during the COVID pandemic lockdowns allowed them to take full rein, and I'm ever so grateful for the incredible support, treatment and professional care that I received from my GP, psychologists, Lifeline, SANE and Phoenix Australia. Other related serious physical conditions helped me to hide my PTSD diagnosis from family and friends and friends for a couple of years, giving me time to get help to deal with the shame and guilt that accompanies a mental health diagnosis. Society sees and treats you differently, you are branded as weak due to deep and long-time embedded social stigmas caused by ignorance."
"Well done, Garry, for facing your anxiety and getting help," writes Patricia. "There are many of us who have faced mental health challenges, and some who never accept the challenge of doing anything about it. I wish you all the best. Here's to a new and different phase of your life!"
Jennifer writes: "Thanks, Garry, for sharing! What a perfect quote from Spurgeon! As a child, my anxiety was sedated with barbiturates, shutting down parts of my brain, leading to poor decisions, until I overdosed at 15 and was incarcerated. No one saw that I was struggling. Silencing someone not coping is dangerous. I leaned on alcohol. Years later, I studied to learn about emotion, cognition, anxiety, depression, addiction and how to use exercise, diet and preparation to reduce difficulties. Today my family identify their problems and emotions, share them and work with others to develop strategies that work for them. They perform, relax and sleep better despite similar genetic issues."
This is a sample of The Echidna newsletter sent out each weekday morning. To sign up for FREE, go to theechidna.com.au
We've heard it all before.
"The leader has my absolute support." "There is no challenge." "I'm not doing the numbers." Even "I'm ambitious for him."
That last one, from one-time Nationals leader Michael McCormack, was a direct echo of Scott Morrison, voicing support for Malcolm Turnbull just days before replacing him as leader of the Liberals.
McCormack's "endorsement" was, of course, for freshly reinstalled Nationals leader David Littleproud. It would have sent a shiver down Littleproud's spine. That's because, like all leaders, he knows statements of unwavering support often precede political assassination.
While McCormack insists he's not mounting a challenge, his verdict on Littleproud's performance - "really messy" - speaks volumes. The knives might not be out yet but hands are definitely on the hilts. Which is a remarkable achievement for a leader who only resecured the top job on May 12.
It's a safe bet that somewhere in the bowels of the ABC a documentary team is working on season two of Nemesis, the series that laid bare the divisions in the Coalition which led to its dizzying revolving door of leaders between 2013 and 2022. Only this time around they're eating themselves in opposition.
In the space of a week, the Coalition has gone through a separation, vigorous marriage counselling from the likes of John Howard, Tony Abbott and Malcolm Turnbull and now a likely reconciliation. All for what? As the disaster unfolded, we in the burrow were wondering if behind the debacle was some sinister plot to destabilise the new Liberal leader Sussan Ley. After all, she's a moderate and a woman. Stranger things have happened in politics.
While Littleproud as leader has borne the brunt of criticism, it's the Nationals party room that has some explaining to do. Their leader couldn't have announced the split without its backing, as Littleproud kept repeating in every embarrassing appearance. Yet he carries the stink for the breathtakingly stupid walkout. The decision might not have been unanimous but there were enough votes to get it across the line.
Which gets us to the Nationals and the purpose they're supposed to serve.
With less than 4 per cent of the national primary vote, they hold far too much sway over the national political discourse. In their current depleted state, conventional wisdom has it, the Liberals need them if they're to win government. But seen from another angle, the noisy backseat driver has forced the Liberals off the road and into a ditch. How else could the party of free enterprise take a Soviet style plan for publicly funded nuclear power to an election and expect to win?
And where are we after the election defeat? All eyes are on the chaotic opposition when they should be on the government and what it's up to.
Like many people who see a toxic relationship finally unravel, I was thrilled to see the Nats leave. Finally, I thought, the Libs might stand on their own two feet and chart their own less extreme course. A fresh start with a new female leader was an exciting prospect. Perhaps some of the talent on the backbench - MPs like Zoe McKenzie - might get an opportunity to shine.
And the Nationals would take their rightful place in the modern political landscape - on the crossbench.
But it was not to be. Codependency won the day, as it so often does in relationships well past their use-by date.
HAVE YOUR SAY: Can a new Coalition live down the chaos of the past week? Do the Liberals stand a better chance going it alone? Is David Littleproud likely to last long as leader? Has his treatment by colleagues been unfair given the party room voted to walk out of the Coalition? Email us: [e-mail]
SHARE THE LOVE: If you enjoy The Echidna, forward it to a friend so they can sign up, too.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:
- The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has launched court actions against Coles and Woolworths, alleging they broke consumer law by bumping up prices on certain products for brief periods before lowering them again as part of Woolworths' "Prices Dropped" and Coles' "Down Down" promotions.
- A traditional owner has launched legal action to compel Environment Minister Murray Watt to act on her bid to protect sacred rock art, creating a potential hurdle to his decision-making process on the proposed extension of a massive gas project.
- Australians are surprisingly swearing less online than other countries but researchers suspect the nation is saving it for face-to-face interactions.
THEY SAID IT: "Marriage is a wonderful institution, but who wants to live in an institution?" - Groucho Marx
YOU SAID IT: A recent diagnosis of anxiety was a relief for Garry, who can now confront an old foe.
Mike writes: "Your words resonated so deeply with me - not just because they're powerful, but because I, too, know that old enemy all too well. Anxiety has a way of lurking in the background, silent and patient, until life slows down just enough for it to catch up. It's like a shadow that stretches the longer we stand still. I felt every line - from the sleepless nights and simmering irritability to the disbelief that something so defining could go unnamed for so long. It's humbling, isn't it? To realise that what we thought was just pushing through was actually us carrying something heavy for decades. And yet, there's courage here - in confronting it, in speaking its name, and in refusing to let it win a second time. That moment of clarity with the psychologist ... I know it. That rush of recognition followed by relief, grief, and finally, resolve. It takes strength to admit we've been hurting. Even more to start healing."
"Garry, I hear you," writes Sue. "For me, it is depression, which fortunately has never been really bad, just there, and a touch of anxiety, a problem encouraged by society for lots of older women who are perfectly capable but were brought up to believe that only men were capable of doing a whole host of things. When I was diagnosed with mild depression, in my 20s, I was prescribed some drug which made me feel like a zombie, so I stopped taking it, and was so angry that there was nothing available that would lift the depression rather than have me feeling nothing that I worked through the depression - and this became my self-treatment. When depressed, I would give it a day or two then work up a rage that this was not going to defeat me, and work through it."
Cameron writes: "You have described my life with anxiety to a T. Thanks for sharing it. I was diagnosed about 25 years ago after a severe depressive episode and have had it hanging around but learning to live with it. I think about it as a moderately annoying next door neighbour which I deal with most of the time although it does get to me every now and again. Keeping fit, playing music and being a bit kinder to myself helps but anxiety is sneaky and like the annoying neighbour, always there in the background."
"Anxiety - I didn't realise that it is actually 'a thing', an annoying little gremlin somewhere in my brain," writes Monica. "I had a bad 'attack' about 40 years ago; even mentioned it to my GP who had no advice other than 'it will pass', when I said that I did not understand where this overwhelming feeling came from. My life was perfect in every way, but there it was, haunting me, 24/7. It did pass, at least the severity of it. You have just opened my eyes. It's been there, lurking in the background, for most of my life. I think it started around puberty, controlling me, holding me back, seemingly unconquerable. Time for a counterattack!"
Kris writes: "Mental health illness needs all the awareness we can give it. The illness is invisible to others, other than immediate carers, and it is so isolating. Trying to get help and validation is so difficult, and in that struggle, the carer is dragged down to such low points of thoughts of self-harm for themselves and their loved one."
"On a family day I thought I was having a heart attack and unbeknownst to them all I got my son in law to take me to emergency," writes Garry R. "I got blood tests and ECG and all the rest. Finally I was advised my tests revealed that the possibility of me having a heart attack was about one in a 100. 'What you have probably had is an anxiety attack.' So referral to a psychologist it was confirmed that, yes, I was experiencing anxiety and ended up on a daily tablet with a minimal dose of 10mg. On the odd day, towards the end of it, I do still feel a little anxious but that is more about whether or not my footy team will win tonight. Not as big a deal as I thought."
Deb writes: "Wonderfully candid and well written, thank you. I, too, had to face my demons, working from home during the COVID pandemic lockdowns allowed them to take full rein, and I'm ever so grateful for the incredible support, treatment and professional care that I received from my GP, psychologists, Lifeline, SANE and Phoenix Australia. Other related serious physical conditions helped me to hide my PTSD diagnosis from family and friends and friends for a couple of years, giving me time to get help to deal with the shame and guilt that accompanies a mental health diagnosis. Society sees and treats you differently, you are branded as weak due to deep and long-time embedded social stigmas caused by ignorance."
"Well done, Garry, for facing your anxiety and getting help," writes Patricia. "There are many of us who have faced mental health challenges, and some who never accept the challenge of doing anything about it. I wish you all the best. Here's to a new and different phase of your life!"
Jennifer writes: "Thanks, Garry, for sharing! What a perfect quote from Spurgeon! As a child, my anxiety was sedated with barbiturates, shutting down parts of my brain, leading to poor decisions, until I overdosed at 15 and was incarcerated. No one saw that I was struggling. Silencing someone not coping is dangerous. I leaned on alcohol. Years later, I studied to learn about emotion, cognition, anxiety, depression, addiction and how to use exercise, diet and preparation to reduce difficulties. Today my family identify their problems and emotions, share them and work with others to develop strategies that work for them. They perform, relax and sleep better despite similar genetic issues."
This is a sample of The Echidna newsletter sent out each weekday morning. To sign up for FREE, go to theechidna.com.au
We've heard it all before.
"The leader has my absolute support." "There is no challenge." "I'm not doing the numbers." Even "I'm ambitious for him."
That last one, from one-time Nationals leader Michael McCormack, was a direct echo of Scott Morrison, voicing support for Malcolm Turnbull just days before replacing him as leader of the Liberals.
McCormack's "endorsement" was, of course, for freshly reinstalled Nationals leader David Littleproud. It would have sent a shiver down Littleproud's spine. That's because, like all leaders, he knows statements of unwavering support often precede political assassination.
While McCormack insists he's not mounting a challenge, his verdict on Littleproud's performance - "really messy" - speaks volumes. The knives might not be out yet but hands are definitely on the hilts. Which is a remarkable achievement for a leader who only resecured the top job on May 12.
It's a safe bet that somewhere in the bowels of the ABC a documentary team is working on season two of Nemesis, the series that laid bare the divisions in the Coalition which led to its dizzying revolving door of leaders between 2013 and 2022. Only this time around they're eating themselves in opposition.
In the space of a week, the Coalition has gone through a separation, vigorous marriage counselling from the likes of John Howard, Tony Abbott and Malcolm Turnbull and now a likely reconciliation. All for what? As the disaster unfolded, we in the burrow were wondering if behind the debacle was some sinister plot to destabilise the new Liberal leader Sussan Ley. After all, she's a moderate and a woman. Stranger things have happened in politics.
While Littleproud as leader has borne the brunt of criticism, it's the Nationals party room that has some explaining to do. Their leader couldn't have announced the split without its backing, as Littleproud kept repeating in every embarrassing appearance. Yet he carries the stink for the breathtakingly stupid walkout. The decision might not have been unanimous but there were enough votes to get it across the line.
Which gets us to the Nationals and the purpose they're supposed to serve.
With less than 4 per cent of the national primary vote, they hold far too much sway over the national political discourse. In their current depleted state, conventional wisdom has it, the Liberals need them if they're to win government. But seen from another angle, the noisy backseat driver has forced the Liberals off the road and into a ditch. How else could the party of free enterprise take a Soviet style plan for publicly funded nuclear power to an election and expect to win?
And where are we after the election defeat? All eyes are on the chaotic opposition when they should be on the government and what it's up to.
Like many people who see a toxic relationship finally unravel, I was thrilled to see the Nats leave. Finally, I thought, the Libs might stand on their own two feet and chart their own less extreme course. A fresh start with a new female leader was an exciting prospect. Perhaps some of the talent on the backbench - MPs like Zoe McKenzie - might get an opportunity to shine.
And the Nationals would take their rightful place in the modern political landscape - on the crossbench.
But it was not to be. Codependency won the day, as it so often does in relationships well past their use-by date.
HAVE YOUR SAY: Can a new Coalition live down the chaos of the past week? Do the Liberals stand a better chance going it alone? Is David Littleproud likely to last long as leader? Has his treatment by colleagues been unfair given the party room voted to walk out of the Coalition? Email us: [e-mail]
SHARE THE LOVE: If you enjoy The Echidna, forward it to a friend so they can sign up, too.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:
- The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has launched court actions against Coles and Woolworths, alleging they broke consumer law by bumping up prices on certain products for brief periods before lowering them again as part of Woolworths' "Prices Dropped" and Coles' "Down Down" promotions.
- A traditional owner has launched legal action to compel Environment Minister Murray Watt to act on her bid to protect sacred rock art, creating a potential hurdle to his decision-making process on the proposed extension of a massive gas project.
- Australians are surprisingly swearing less online than other countries but researchers suspect the nation is saving it for face-to-face interactions.
THEY SAID IT: "Marriage is a wonderful institution, but who wants to live in an institution?" - Groucho Marx
YOU SAID IT: A recent diagnosis of anxiety was a relief for Garry, who can now confront an old foe.
Mike writes: "Your words resonated so deeply with me - not just because they're powerful, but because I, too, know that old enemy all too well. Anxiety has a way of lurking in the background, silent and patient, until life slows down just enough for it to catch up. It's like a shadow that stretches the longer we stand still. I felt every line - from the sleepless nights and simmering irritability to the disbelief that something so defining could go unnamed for so long. It's humbling, isn't it? To realise that what we thought was just pushing through was actually us carrying something heavy for decades. And yet, there's courage here - in confronting it, in speaking its name, and in refusing to let it win a second time. That moment of clarity with the psychologist ... I know it. That rush of recognition followed by relief, grief, and finally, resolve. It takes strength to admit we've been hurting. Even more to start healing."
"Garry, I hear you," writes Sue. "For me, it is depression, which fortunately has never been really bad, just there, and a touch of anxiety, a problem encouraged by society for lots of older women who are perfectly capable but were brought up to believe that only men were capable of doing a whole host of things. When I was diagnosed with mild depression, in my 20s, I was prescribed some drug which made me feel like a zombie, so I stopped taking it, and was so angry that there was nothing available that would lift the depression rather than have me feeling nothing that I worked through the depression - and this became my self-treatment. When depressed, I would give it a day or two then work up a rage that this was not going to defeat me, and work through it."
Cameron writes: "You have described my life with anxiety to a T. Thanks for sharing it. I was diagnosed about 25 years ago after a severe depressive episode and have had it hanging around but learning to live with it. I think about it as a moderately annoying next door neighbour which I deal with most of the time although it does get to me every now and again. Keeping fit, playing music and being a bit kinder to myself helps but anxiety is sneaky and like the annoying neighbour, always there in the background."
"Anxiety - I didn't realise that it is actually 'a thing', an annoying little gremlin somewhere in my brain," writes Monica. "I had a bad 'attack' about 40 years ago; even mentioned it to my GP who had no advice other than 'it will pass', when I said that I did not understand where this overwhelming feeling came from. My life was perfect in every way, but there it was, haunting me, 24/7. It did pass, at least the severity of it. You have just opened my eyes. It's been there, lurking in the background, for most of my life. I think it started around puberty, controlling me, holding me back, seemingly unconquerable. Time for a counterattack!"
Kris writes: "Mental health illness needs all the awareness we can give it. The illness is invisible to others, other than immediate carers, and it is so isolating. Trying to get help and validation is so difficult, and in that struggle, the carer is dragged down to such low points of thoughts of self-harm for themselves and their loved one."
"On a family day I thought I was having a heart attack and unbeknownst to them all I got my son in law to take me to emergency," writes Garry R. "I got blood tests and ECG and all the rest. Finally I was advised my tests revealed that the possibility of me having a heart attack was about one in a 100. 'What you have probably had is an anxiety attack.' So referral to a psychologist it was confirmed that, yes, I was experiencing anxiety and ended up on a daily tablet with a minimal dose of 10mg. On the odd day, towards the end of it, I do still feel a little anxious but that is more about whether or not my footy team will win tonight. Not as big a deal as I thought."
Deb writes: "Wonderfully candid and well written, thank you. I, too, had to face my demons, working from home during the COVID pandemic lockdowns allowed them to take full rein, and I'm ever so grateful for the incredible support, treatment and professional care that I received from my GP, psychologists, Lifeline, SANE and Phoenix Australia. Other related serious physical conditions helped me to hide my PTSD diagnosis from family and friends and friends for a couple of years, giving me time to get help to deal with the shame and guilt that accompanies a mental health diagnosis. Society sees and treats you differently, you are branded as weak due to deep and long-time embedded social stigmas caused by ignorance."
"Well done, Garry, for facing your anxiety and getting help," writes Patricia. "There are many of us who have faced mental health challenges, and some who never accept the challenge of doing anything about it. I wish you all the best. Here's to a new and different phase of your life!"
Jennifer writes: "Thanks, Garry, for sharing! What a perfect quote from Spurgeon! As a child, my anxiety was sedated with barbiturates, shutting down parts of my brain, leading to poor decisions, until I overdosed at 15 and was incarcerated. No one saw that I was struggling. Silencing someone not coping is dangerous. I leaned on alcohol. Years later, I studied to learn about emotion, cognition, anxiety, depression, addiction and how to use exercise, diet and preparation to reduce difficulties. Today my family identify their problems and emotions, share them and work with others to develop strategies that work for them. They perform, relax and sleep better despite similar genetic issues."
This is a sample of The Echidna newsletter sent out each weekday morning. To sign up for FREE, go to theechidna.com.au
We've heard it all before.
"The leader has my absolute support." "There is no challenge." "I'm not doing the numbers." Even "I'm ambitious for him."
That last one, from one-time Nationals leader Michael McCormack, was a direct echo of Scott Morrison, voicing support for Malcolm Turnbull just days before replacing him as leader of the Liberals.
McCormack's "endorsement" was, of course, for freshly reinstalled Nationals leader David Littleproud. It would have sent a shiver down Littleproud's spine. That's because, like all leaders, he knows statements of unwavering support often precede political assassination.
While McCormack insists he's not mounting a challenge, his verdict on Littleproud's performance - "really messy" - speaks volumes. The knives might not be out yet but hands are definitely on the hilts. Which is a remarkable achievement for a leader who only resecured the top job on May 12.
It's a safe bet that somewhere in the bowels of the ABC a documentary team is working on season two of Nemesis, the series that laid bare the divisions in the Coalition which led to its dizzying revolving door of leaders between 2013 and 2022. Only this time around they're eating themselves in opposition.
In the space of a week, the Coalition has gone through a separation, vigorous marriage counselling from the likes of John Howard, Tony Abbott and Malcolm Turnbull and now a likely reconciliation. All for what? As the disaster unfolded, we in the burrow were wondering if behind the debacle was some sinister plot to destabilise the new Liberal leader Sussan Ley. After all, she's a moderate and a woman. Stranger things have happened in politics.
While Littleproud as leader has borne the brunt of criticism, it's the Nationals party room that has some explaining to do. Their leader couldn't have announced the split without its backing, as Littleproud kept repeating in every embarrassing appearance. Yet he carries the stink for the breathtakingly stupid walkout. The decision might not have been unanimous but there were enough votes to get it across the line.
Which gets us to the Nationals and the purpose they're supposed to serve.
With less than 4 per cent of the national primary vote, they hold far too much sway over the national political discourse. In their current depleted state, conventional wisdom has it, the Liberals need them if they're to win government. But seen from another angle, the noisy backseat driver has forced the Liberals off the road and into a ditch. How else could the party of free enterprise take a Soviet style plan for publicly funded nuclear power to an election and expect to win?
And where are we after the election defeat? All eyes are on the chaotic opposition when they should be on the government and what it's up to.
Like many people who see a toxic relationship finally unravel, I was thrilled to see the Nats leave. Finally, I thought, the Libs might stand on their own two feet and chart their own less extreme course. A fresh start with a new female leader was an exciting prospect. Perhaps some of the talent on the backbench - MPs like Zoe McKenzie - might get an opportunity to shine.
And the Nationals would take their rightful place in the modern political landscape - on the crossbench.
But it was not to be. Codependency won the day, as it so often does in relationships well past their use-by date.
HAVE YOUR SAY: Can a new Coalition live down the chaos of the past week? Do the Liberals stand a better chance going it alone? Is David Littleproud likely to last long as leader? Has his treatment by colleagues been unfair given the party room voted to walk out of the Coalition? Email us: [e-mail]
SHARE THE LOVE: If you enjoy The Echidna, forward it to a friend so they can sign up, too.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:
- The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has launched court actions against Coles and Woolworths, alleging they broke consumer law by bumping up prices on certain products for brief periods before lowering them again as part of Woolworths' "Prices Dropped" and Coles' "Down Down" promotions.
- A traditional owner has launched legal action to compel Environment Minister Murray Watt to act on her bid to protect sacred rock art, creating a potential hurdle to his decision-making process on the proposed extension of a massive gas project.
- Australians are surprisingly swearing less online than other countries but researchers suspect the nation is saving it for face-to-face interactions.
THEY SAID IT: "Marriage is a wonderful institution, but who wants to live in an institution?" - Groucho Marx
YOU SAID IT: A recent diagnosis of anxiety was a relief for Garry, who can now confront an old foe.
Mike writes: "Your words resonated so deeply with me - not just because they're powerful, but because I, too, know that old enemy all too well. Anxiety has a way of lurking in the background, silent and patient, until life slows down just enough for it to catch up. It's like a shadow that stretches the longer we stand still. I felt every line - from the sleepless nights and simmering irritability to the disbelief that something so defining could go unnamed for so long. It's humbling, isn't it? To realise that what we thought was just pushing through was actually us carrying something heavy for decades. And yet, there's courage here - in confronting it, in speaking its name, and in refusing to let it win a second time. That moment of clarity with the psychologist ... I know it. That rush of recognition followed by relief, grief, and finally, resolve. It takes strength to admit we've been hurting. Even more to start healing."
"Garry, I hear you," writes Sue. "For me, it is depression, which fortunately has never been really bad, just there, and a touch of anxiety, a problem encouraged by society for lots of older women who are perfectly capable but were brought up to believe that only men were capable of doing a whole host of things. When I was diagnosed with mild depression, in my 20s, I was prescribed some drug which made me feel like a zombie, so I stopped taking it, and was so angry that there was nothing available that would lift the depression rather than have me feeling nothing that I worked through the depression - and this became my self-treatment. When depressed, I would give it a day or two then work up a rage that this was not going to defeat me, and work through it."
Cameron writes: "You have described my life with anxiety to a T. Thanks for sharing it. I was diagnosed about 25 years ago after a severe depressive episode and have had it hanging around but learning to live with it. I think about it as a moderately annoying next door neighbour which I deal with most of the time although it does get to me every now and again. Keeping fit, playing music and being a bit kinder to myself helps but anxiety is sneaky and like the annoying neighbour, always there in the background."
"Anxiety - I didn't realise that it is actually 'a thing', an annoying little gremlin somewhere in my brain," writes Monica. "I had a bad 'attack' about 40 years ago; even mentioned it to my GP who had no advice other than 'it will pass', when I said that I did not understand where this overwhelming feeling came from. My life was perfect in every way, but there it was, haunting me, 24/7. It did pass, at least the severity of it. You have just opened my eyes. It's been there, lurking in the background, for most of my life. I think it started around puberty, controlling me, holding me back, seemingly unconquerable. Time for a counterattack!"
Kris writes: "Mental health illness needs all the awareness we can give it. The illness is invisible to others, other than immediate carers, and it is so isolating. Trying to get help and validation is so difficult, and in that struggle, the carer is dragged down to such low points of thoughts of self-harm for themselves and their loved one."
"On a family day I thought I was having a heart attack and unbeknownst to them all I got my son in law to take me to emergency," writes Garry R. "I got blood tests and ECG and all the rest. Finally I was advised my tests revealed that the possibility of me having a heart attack was about one in a 100. 'What you have probably had is an anxiety attack.' So referral to a psychologist it was confirmed that, yes, I was experiencing anxiety and ended up on a daily tablet with a minimal dose of 10mg. On the odd day, towards the end of it, I do still feel a little anxious but that is more about whether or not my footy team will win tonight. Not as big a deal as I thought."
Deb writes: "Wonderfully candid and well written, thank you. I, too, had to face my demons, working from home during the COVID pandemic lockdowns allowed them to take full rein, and I'm ever so grateful for the incredible support, treatment and professional care that I received from my GP, psychologists, Lifeline, SANE and Phoenix Australia. Other related serious physical conditions helped me to hide my PTSD diagnosis from family and friends and friends for a couple of years, giving me time to get help to deal with the shame and guilt that accompanies a mental health diagnosis. Society sees and treats you differently, you are branded as weak due to deep and long-time embedded social stigmas caused by ignorance."
"Well done, Garry, for facing your anxiety and getting help," writes Patricia. "There are many of us who have faced mental health challenges, and some who never accept the challenge of doing anything about it. I wish you all the best. Here's to a new and different phase of your life!"
Jennifer writes: "Thanks, Garry, for sharing! What a perfect quote from Spurgeon! As a child, my anxiety was sedated with barbiturates, shutting down parts of my brain, leading to poor decisions, until I overdosed at 15 and was incarcerated. No one saw that I was struggling. Silencing someone not coping is dangerous. I leaned on alcohol. Years later, I studied to learn about emotion, cognition, anxiety, depression, addiction and how to use exercise, diet and preparation to reduce difficulties. Today my family identify their problems and emotions, share them and work with others to develop strategies that work for them. They perform, relax and sleep better despite similar genetic issues."