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The Australian
05-05-2025
- Politics
- The Australian
Australian values, ineffective Coalition central to election win
On Saturday, Australians comprehensively rejected every single aspect of the Coalition's attempt to win government. The Coalition parties didn't just shoot themselves in one foot, they shot themselves in both feet, arms and torso – it was a total bloodbath. In what will now be known as the worst election campaign in Australian history, the Coalition failed to sell a single policy to Australians and paid the ultimate price. In Victoria, seats heavily targeted by the Liberals, including Aston, Deakin, Menzies and McEwen, all went to Labor – some dramatically, particularly the loss of Liberal MP Keith Wolahan, who was one of the party's best backbenchers. He is someone I have high respect for and who, I believe, the Liberals could have built a more centrist party around. Kudos must be given to Anthony Albanese and to ALP national secretary Paul Erickson for running a tight ship throughout the whole election. Even when Labor was in the polling doldrums at the end of last year, the Prime Minister stuck to his guns. He had a plan to win seats, not just to hold ground. And he was right. And to my former colleagues in the Labor caucus, they maintained their iron discipline they have exhibited since May 2022. Australians also outright rejected the feral scaremongering the Greens piled on. The party's projected wipeout in Queensland, and the fact that Greens leader Adam Bandt, a very tough campaigner, is hanging on by a knife's edge in Melbourne, is testament to that. I'm pleased to see the warrior from Wills, Peter Khalil, is hanging on despite the ugliest campaign by the Greens and their far-left allies that I've ever seen. Watching the election from outside the bubble for the first time in nearly 20 years was like an out-of-body experience for me, but as the two campaigns rolled out there was never a doubt in my mind Labor would not win. The cost of living was the key election issue and the Coalition hoped for a grievance election based on an opinion poll of the government. Once Donald Trump's shadow loomed people wanted to know who had the better plan. In my opinion, the moment Peter Dutton flirted with Trump, he completely misread the Australian identity, which instinctively recoils from extremism from the far left and far right. Like our great mates in Canada, Australians voted to reject any semblance of a Trump-esque (or Trumpet) style of government. People wanted a safe option and Labor offered stability writ large. The Coalition did not have a single alternate policy and this was glaringly exposed when it was forced to drop its Trump-style strategy within weeks of the campaign beginning. The cringe-worthy moment Dutton's 'Department of Government Efficiency' elect, Jacinta Nampijinpa Price, donned a MAGA cap should have been the moment every newspaper editor in Australia knew the election result was a fait accompli. It was a campaign that exposed how far removed the Coalition is from modern Australia. In what can only be described as the bizarre revival of Soviet economics, the Coalition was going to create a nuclear industry based on government ownership of the means of energy production. This contradicted core free-market values. It didn't just have a hole in its finances, it dug quarries with its own financial recklessness. Rather than reaching out to help Australians battling the cost of living, the Coalition went on the attack. The scare campaign on people who work from home, which is a major factor for women and families, was embarrassingly wrong-footed and chauvinistic. But it also showed that not having to pay for extra tolls and childcare is a strategy families use to help ease cost-of-living pressures and manage mortgage stress. Everyone – from immigrants, Chinese-born Australians, people born after 1981, women and people who have any connection with the public service in this country – was targeted for existing. There was nothing in it for young people to vote for the Coalition – climate change wasn't addressed and there was no help offered to pay off university debts. In fact, to my amazement, the Coalition was going to scrap the $300 prac payments for people studying nursing at the University of Canberra and other universities. The Liberals also have a problem with people who live in metropolitan Australia, which doesn't leave them with a lot of votes left to win. At the end of the day, the buck stops with the party and the Liberals got everything wrong this time round, not just Dutton. He did make a lot of mistakes, but, on a personal note, it's important for him to remember people were voting for Peter Dutton as opposition leader, not Peter Dutton the human being. When he goes home to see his family, he needs to take that armour of opposition leader off and realise that all the slings and arrows coming at him are about what people see in his job, and he can't afford to take it personally. He needs to rebuild and reconstruct himself, and he cannot afford to let his job as opposition leader define the bloke he sees in the mirror, otherwise he'll go crazy. Ultimately, the result shows us that Australia is a centrist country and Labor has no competition in the middle right now. It's in the best interests of the Liberal Party, and Australia, for it to move to the centre. On a final, positive note, as I stood in the queue to vote as an ordinary citizen, I marvelled at the fact that right around Australia 18 million people turned up to vote peacefully, which shows, despite all our moans about politics and politicians, we are doing something right in this country. Bill Shorten was the leader of the Labor Party from 2013 to 2019. He is vice-chancellor and president of the University of Canberra.
The Age
03-05-2025
- Business
- The Age
Dutton lost his seat. His colleagues were talking about his leadership before a vote was counted
But by 8.30pm, the need for a new leader was clear, and Nationals MP Barnaby Joyce said his colleagues had gotten ahead of themselves. 'There's only been one one-term government in the history of Australia ... And what I never wanted to do, and what I'd say to my colleagues, is don't overbid on what you're saying when you go in,' he said. Liberal National Party senator James McGrath said he would not examine the Coalition's loss so early, but it was clear there must be a 'serious, considered look at the party and how we need to grow'. Loading 'It is not a good night for us. There will be a lot of soul-searching in the party as to how we take the party forward and what we need to do to make sure we are an election-winning force,' he said. Country Liberal Party Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price downplayed her own role in the Coalition's defeat – having generated headlines with a Trump-esque pledge to 'make Australia great again' – but conceded it was a tough ask to unseat a first-term prime minister. 'There's a lot that we're going to have to consider going forward, and regrouping as the Coalition, in terms of the approach we take in three years' time. And considering where we went wrong this time around,' she said. 'Certainly we could have provided our policies sooner to the Australian people ... We could have called out [Albanese's] lies earlier on in the piece.' Finance spokeswoman Jane Hume conceded the Coalition had campaigned in ways 'that we will never do again' but slammed Labor's negative scare campaign that claimed Dutton would cut Medicare to pay for a $600 billion nuclear power policy. 'It was so disappointing to take part in an election where there were so many lies told.' But Hume said her first act on Sunday would be to go through the Coalition's review of its 2022 loss, which she co-authored. 'Because there are some similarities I can see,' she said. 'There is an extraordinary amount of work we need to do, there is no doubt about that. Turning a party around is not an easy thing to do. We will need to start from scratch with great candidates, great policies.' Groups on the left and right of the party had been quietly considering leadership scenarios for weeks, according to factional sources on both sides of the party. Coalition MPs believed Dutton required a five-to-10-seat haul to remain leader. Loading While Dutton lost his seat, Hastie was recording a more than 7 per cent swing towards him in Canning. Taylor, Ley and Tehan all retained their seats without losing significant ground to Labor. Tehan, when asked on Saturday night if he would run to lead the party after successfully fighting off a well-funded challenge by independent candidate Alex Dyson, said: 'I haven't had any time to think about the future'. Hume, seen by other moderates as a future deputy leader, began contacting colleagues in NSW, Victoria and South Australia on Friday, asking for face-to-face meetings or phone calls for Sunday morning. Hume has a close relationship with Taylor, who has been talked about as a potential replacement for Dutton. Hume does not currently hold a leadership position in the Senate, but is a shadow cabinet member. Taylor's path to leadership is complicated by the NSW moderate grouping, which would support Ley, Tehan or Hastie over Taylor, who is one of the leaders of the NSW right. The moderates do not have a clear leadership option in the lower house, where party leaders must sit, making Hume an option as deputy to any future leader, although her comments this week on Chinese spies have lowered her prospects. The NSW moderates have been loyal to Dutton and were only set to change leaders if the Coalition had a disastrous result. Taylor was contacted for comment. Hastie and Taylor are from the right, but it is not clear if Hastie is keen to run. Ley is supported by the small centre-right faction associated with Alex Hawke, while Tehan is a Victorian who does not neatly fit with any group and is battling to keep his seat of Wannon. Out-of-field leadership options include NSW MP Julian Leeser, who was the shadow attorney-general before quitting over the Voice to parliament and energy spokesman Ted O'Brien. Sukkar was also on track to lose his seat to Labor in Melbourne.
Belfast Telegraph
01-05-2025
- Politics
- Belfast Telegraph
Greene writes to Tory voters urging them to back Lib Dems following defection
Jamie Greene crossed the floor last month as he hit out at his previous party's 'Reform-lite' agenda. In a letter sent to voters who have previously backed the Tories, he claimed the party's agenda under new leader Russell Findlay is 'Trump-esque in style and substance'. The drive to convert Tory voters comes after Lib Dem leader Alex Cole-Hamilton was spotted lunching with Conservative Maurice Golden in Edinburgh, with neither denying the attempts made to convince him to defect. Mr Greene said: 'It talks about what it stands against, but has little to say about what it stands for. 'Most importantly, the broad church it was once shifted further and further to the right, alienating many of its members, voters, and in my case its elected representatives. 'I couldn't go on. So I joined the Scottish Liberal Democrats. 'I've found a party that is upbeat and positive. They believe in decency and respect in public life. Getting things done for our local communities is their bread and butter. That's what politics is all about, after all. Getting stuff done. 'So my challenge to you is this: If you feel like I did, politically homeless and scunnered with the Scottish Conservatives, do something about it. 'Come and join me in the Scottish Liberal Democrats and you will be made to feel most welcome, I assure you. 'The language of far-right division doesn't make people's lives better. It won't make Scotland and its communities any better. A positive and inclusive platform does.' But the Scottish Tories claimed the letters could result in a boost for the party. 'The man who enthusiastically campaigned and voted for Nicola Sturgeon's gender reforms can send as many letters as he wants,' a spokesman for the party said. 'We'll post them for him. 'Not a single pro-UK voter will be persuaded by someone who thinks the SNP are right on so many critical issues. 'If anything, this letter will boost support for the Scottish Conservatives.'
Irish Examiner
01-05-2025
- Politics
- Irish Examiner
Greene writes to Tory voters urging them to back Lib Dems following defection
A Liberal Democrat MSP who defected from the Scottish Conservatives has urged their voters to back his new party. Jamie Greene crossed the floor last month as he hit out at his previous party's 'Reform-lite' agenda. In a letter sent to voters who have previously backed the Tories, he claimed the party's agenda under new leader Russell Findlay is 'Trump-esque in style and substance'. The drive to convert Tory voters comes after Lib Dem leader Alex Cole-Hamilton was spotted lunching with Conservative Maurice Golden in Edinburgh, with neither denying the attempts made to convince him to defect. Mr Greene said: 'It talks about what it stands against, but has little to say about what it stands for. 'Most importantly, the broad church it was once shifted further and further to the right, alienating many of its members, voters, and in my case its elected representatives. My challenge to you is this: If you feel like I did, politically homeless and scunnered with the Scottish Conservatives, do something about it 'I couldn't go on. So I joined the Scottish Liberal Democrats. 'I've found a party that is upbeat and positive. They believe in decency and respect in public life. Getting things done for our local communities is their bread and butter. That's what politics is all about, after all. Getting stuff done. 'So my challenge to you is this: If you feel like I did, politically homeless and scunnered with the Scottish Conservatives, do something about it. 'Come and join me in the Scottish Liberal Democrats and you will be made to feel most welcome, I assure you. 'The language of far-right division doesn't make people's lives better. It won't make Scotland and its communities any better. A positive and inclusive platform does.' But the Scottish Tories claimed the letters could result in a boost for the party. 'The man who enthusiastically campaigned and voted for Nicola Sturgeon's gender reforms can send as many letters as he wants,' a spokesman for the party said. 'We'll post them for him. 'Not a single pro-UK voter will be persuaded by someone who thinks the SNP are right on so many critical issues. 'If anything, this letter will boost support for the Scottish Conservatives.'
BreakingNews.ie
01-05-2025
- Politics
- BreakingNews.ie
Greene writes to Tory voters urging them to back Lib Dems following defection
A Liberal Democrat MSP who defected from the Scottish Conservatives has urged their voters to back his new party. Jamie Greene crossed the floor last month as he hit out at his previous party's 'Reform-lite' agenda. Advertisement In a letter sent to voters who have previously backed the Tories, he claimed the party's agenda under new leader Russell Findlay is 'Trump-esque in style and substance'. The drive to convert Tory voters comes after Lib Dem leader Alex Cole-Hamilton was spotted lunching with Conservative Maurice Golden in Edinburgh, with neither denying the attempts made to convince him to defect. Mr Greene said: 'It talks about what it stands against, but has little to say about what it stands for. 'Most importantly, the broad church it was once shifted further and further to the right, alienating many of its members, voters, and in my case its elected representatives. Advertisement 'I couldn't go on. So I joined the Scottish Liberal Democrats. 'I've found a party that is upbeat and positive. They believe in decency and respect in public life. Getting things done for our local communities is their bread and butter. That's what politics is all about, after all. Getting stuff done. 'So my challenge to you is this: If you feel like I did, politically homeless and scunnered with the Scottish Conservatives, do something about it. 'Come and join me in the Scottish Liberal Democrats and you will be made to feel most welcome, I assure you. Advertisement 'The language of far-right division doesn't make people's lives better. It won't make Scotland and its communities any better. A positive and inclusive platform does.' But the Scottish Tories claimed the letters could result in a boost for the party. 'The man who enthusiastically campaigned and voted for Nicola Sturgeon's gender reforms can send as many letters as he wants,' a spokesman for the party said. 'We'll post them for him. 'Not a single pro-UK voter will be persuaded by someone who thinks the SNP are right on so many critical issues. Advertisement 'If anything, this letter will boost support for the Scottish Conservatives.'
