By Jim McIntosh
Ever wonder why old men yell at clouds? Here’s a case study.
The National Party, riding a wave of self-proclaimed success in the recent federal election, is flexing its muscles within the Coalition. They’re pushing for a bigger role in the shadow government, even floating the idea of a National in the shadow Treasury – Barnaby Joyce, anyone?
Now, I’d never call the Nationals a crew of overconfident rural populists, clinging to a sense of entitlement while ignoring their relatively minor role in Australian politics. That would be unfair. After all, they prop up the Liberal Party, which would struggle to win elections without them.
They do, after all, ensure the diminishing relevance of the now-faltering Liberal Party, which would be highly unlikely to win any elections at all without the Nats as a coalition partner. So when I see an almost sneering Bridget McKenzie stand up and start blathering about the strong position of the National Party, or David Littleproud lamenting the tragic tale of how Labor was responsible for destroying the character of Peter Dutton, thus keeping them out of power, by proxy, for another term, or their former leader is caught slurring into his phone on a Canberra footpath, I would be one of the last to actually come out and say that these folk are in any way out of their league, or let alone say that they’re being rather naive or even pathetically idiotic. Perish the thought.
But picture this: the Coalition wins the next election, and a Treasurer from some remote, drought-stricken electorate takes the reins. How might that play out?
Let’s hope we never find out.
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Mc Kenzie?? Could she run a general store well? Australia’s finances are a greater problem than the machinations of fat grants, petty patronage, lurks. And, could Littleproud leave a meeting of treasury professionals, knowing? It is a conservative opposition which lights no flame of confidence in anything. Policy..? Fantasy.
The Liberals are in a world of pain, wandering in a wilderness of uncertainty and indecision not knowing if they are Arthur or Martha.
Now would be a good time for the Nationals to stand on their own two feet and scrap the coalition (Qld may need special attention) they may even rise again as a political force and even have their own prime minister – something they could never have under a coalition agreement where they are the minor party.
Terry, I seem to recall that they tried that, maybe back in Joh’s day, but three-cornered contests were a disaster for them both.
Here’s hoping they try it again.
This is interesting from Antony Green.
Also gives the history of preferential voting.
The Greens need to learn from this — learn to use the preference system properly.
https://antonygreen.com.au/the-decline-of-three-cornered-contests-at-federal-elections/
Just a twee reminder that the newly anointed Leader of the federal Opposition, in a former incarnation under a Morrison government as the Environment Minister, fought a court case against eight teenagers and an octogenarian nun to prove she does not have a duty of care to young people to protect them from the effects of climate change. She won BTW. Inside the 24 hours of her “win” the then PM declared he would be keeping coal mines open for as long as he could if re-elected, and she announced the coalition would be making it easier going forward for mines to bypass approval processes.
Leopards, stripes, immutability?