The Liberal Party broad church is groaning under the strain of ideological and personality conflicts. While a fully blown schism at some point before the next federal election or shortly afterwards is improbable, it remains well within the realms of the possible.
Political parties come and go. Minor parties tear themselves apart on an almost annual basis. The Liberal Party has been a monolith in Australian politics since 1948 but that does not mean it has a guaranteed future. In a sense it is its own worst enemy, a collective gaggle of participants from the Menzian centre to the outer reaches of the spectrum on the right.
These were the conditions found within the Labor Party post-WWII and led to the split of 1954-55, keeping Labor from forming a viable alternative government for nearly two decades.
Prior to World War II conservative parties in Australia came and went, often tearing themselves apart over weaknesses in administration and brawling over policy and ideology.
Full column here.
Words to describe a cove who can eat a raw onion like Tony Abbott, Mr Insider. I am reaching for “ballsy”, “fruitcake”, “onion head”, “future PM”, oooops delete the last one!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RchE5c-cYnM
O Henry! To be fair, the chap had an “Abbott moment” , he was in Tasmania and thought he was eating an apple.
I suspect his staff may have been remiss while trying not to overload him with information.
“It’s Tasmania Tony. It is an island. The capital is Hobart. Tasmanians are very proud of their apples. It is very important to eat an apple and say nice things about it.”
Christ, nobody tell him the locals are very proud of their truffles. He could pick up anything off the footpath!
Sonny Bill, a man of actual principle.
Mark him down as contender for inaugural Fred Dagg Free Speech Trophy.
Would the Bulldogs agree with that?
The AFL round 4 starts tonight, get your tip (s) in
I’m in.
Tones should have had Jack as his Chief of Staff. Jack would never have let Tones make the mistakes and errors of judgement that buried him.
This article highlights just how ridiculous the coalition are.
http://www.theage.com.au/comment/the-government-is-becoming-wedded-to-far-too-many-bad-policies-20170412-gvjfgg.html
as to the future of the Libs, well a year ago i thought the Republican Party was on the skids, but right now it’s the Dems who are in strife.
it’s not just that the Clinton campaign was so bad she lost an election to Trump, but they have fewer State and Congressional numbers than i can recall.
the point is that politics is fluid. perhaps by the time 2020 comes around, ‘this time it really, really is my turn’ might be a winning strategy.
The Dems are currently at their lowest point since 1928. Since Obama’s inauguration they’ve lost 900+ state legislature seats, 12 governors, 69 House seats and 13 Senate seats.
And, with the election of President Trump, they’re about to lose the source of power they’re increasingly reliant on, the Federal courts. In his first year, he will name about 14% of federal judgeships. He’s just put Neil Gorsuch on the Supremes, a true “textualist.” But, that just maintains the Scalia status quo. With three members over 80, he will have 1-4 more.
it’s hard to reconcile two thumping election wins for him with the carnage everywhere else.
did they like him personally and not like the policies?
Yes, but it goes deeper. Neither he, nor the Clintons, were really interested in building the party down ballot. It was a vehicle to a destination.
No biggie. By the time Trump has finished the GOP will be on it’s arse till the apocalypse.
i don’t know, but i have a sneaking suspicion that a lot of people keep getting Trump wrong.
The Energy cartel don’t like it but they still get 3 years to gouge the Nation and run interference, interesting the massive increase in donations to the coalition from the Fossil fuel cartel in the last 5 years.
http://reneweconomy.com.au/new-rules-flag-big-switch-in-energy-markets-to-cheaper-smarter-grid-19663/
A few jobs or the GBR ?
https://theconversation.com/back-to-back-bleaching-has-now-hit-two-thirds-of-the-great-barrier-reef-76092
it’s amazing, just talking about a coal mine has caused all that damage, what will happen if they start digging the stuff up.
Bullshit I live here. Do you know how big the reef is? Do you understand what bleaching is? Do you understand what cyclones do to the reef? Do you know within 3 to 4 years it’s exactly the same again?
So you are right and the entire Scientific community is wrong. I am starteing to think you are actually Malcom Roberts. There was evidence presented last week to say the cooling effect from the cyclone aided the reef. You must have the biggest snorkel on the planet to be able to breath with your in the sand.
Just as I have worked over a good deal of onshore QLD, I have also done a number of projects offshore WA specifically very close to Ningaloo Reef and Rowley Shoals and thus have learnt a good deal about and take as many steps as necessary to ensure no damage occurs to those great natural wonders or the marine environment during those projects. QLD is NOT the centre of the universe.
Crikey you can lay it on thick. When you are not saving the environment from nasty oil rigs you are working onshore saving the economy of small regional towns in Queensland. I stand corrected, you are full of it.
Did you find your tissues. If you were not able to move on from land rigs to the big gear don’t be jealous of those that too opportunities presented. Land rigs are a very good training ground but offshore is another level. It is clear you were not able to raise to the standards required.
Go Razor!
The seriousness of this Adani mine to the GBR alone is unacceptable to millions of Australians. Does anyone honestly believe that this company cares about the natural environment at all? You’d have to be deaf, dumb & blind to not see that.
Climate Change denying fossil-fuel companies & the government that supports their unbridled & irresponsible expansions for purely greed, will at some point, be facing the International Courts for crimes against humanity.
http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/adani-boast-casts-doubt-on-1b-coal-project-loan-as-new-footage-shows-abbot-point-spill-damage-20170412-gvjt5e.html
Regards, Bella
The fact is that for at least the last decade these companies have tried to mitigate the risk of dirty coal limitation by funding groups to spread climate change denial. Fact.
This conservative government has shamefully forgotten that they are there for Australians, not for protecting the interests of foreign mining corporate interests.
I see this toxic pack of corrupt hard right old men have now decided to go hard on protestors’ right to peacefully protest hence attacking their legal rights to freedom of speech, threatening arrests, fines & jail time.
Democracy? No, I think not.
If they are unconstitutionally taking off the gloves, then so will the activists.
#LocktheGate
#GalileeBlockade
#StopAdani
#GetUp
#EnoughIsEnough
Go your hardest my friends.
Resistance is duty.
What do you know? the latest tax data shows Hillsong Morrison again is unable to tell the truth. The data shows that Negative Gearing is helping the already very well off more than those on more average incomes. Hillsong continues to claim the opposite deliberately misleading the Nation. No Surprises.
The trouble is our politicians are fantasists, they believe things that are not true. They believe that if you give rich people more money, then rich people out of the goodness of their hearts will spend that money in building jobs and enterprises that will provide jobs and commerce, instead of bunging it in an offshore bank account.
Likewise they believe that if you cut business taxes the money will go into more jobs and development not into dividends, directors fees and CEO’s salaries.
They believe that if they cut regulations and standards, probity and standards will continue to be met.
They believe that if workers protections, wages and conditions are not regulated they will continue to be met.
Both parties are guilty of this.
Until these issues are addressed the will be held in deserved odium.
Tony Fitzgerald has got it right
http://www.smh.com.au/comment/politicians-with-a-winning-at-all-costs-mentality-are-damaging-australia-20170411-gvif0c.html