The truth behind the Liberals' summer of discontent
The comprehensive rejection of Campbell Newman and his Liberal National Party government policies by an angry electorate will likely shape the destiny of the conservative cause in Australia for at least a decade.
The irony of the double digit swing will also not be lost on Newman. The victory of his father, Kevin, in the 1975 Bass byelection was on the back of an equally stunning swing that triggered nationwide momentum leading to the defeat of Gough Whitlam's Labor government five months later.
In an eerie reflection of 40 years ago, reverberations from Saturday's reversal of electoral fortunes in Queensland have accelerated uneasiness in conservative ranks to near blood-letting levels
Ejection of a reformist, one-term government in Queensland so soon after the Liberals suffered the same fate in Victoria last November captures growing voter anger.
Australians are unforgiving of governments that change their minds and dish up nasty hip-pocket surprises.
No first-term government, particularly those perceived and portrayed as heartless and insincere as the Liberals currently are, can be hopeful of a second chance.
But the unfolding crisis runs deeper than leadership tensions, Prince Philip's knighthood and disquiet around household dinner tables over announced reforms, backflips or backdowns on Medicare GP co-payments and university fee changes.
The fire of Tony Abbott's summer of discontent had been heaped with unwanted fuel when ill-disciplined and ambitious backbenchers raised the spectre of a higher GST and expansion to food and education. The same Coalition backbenchers who campaigned in 2013 to "ease the cost of living" were out in the sun saying it was OK for people to pay more without any savings.
Abolition of the carbon tax and mining tax that dominated the last federal election is now light years away in the minds of voters.
Motorists, particularly those outside metropolitan areas, had already experienced a hit to the hip pocket last year with the abolition of the fuel excise cap. Even with recent falls in fuel prices, country people are paying upwards of 10 cents a litre more than their city cousins. Water, gas and electricity bills keep rising as do municipal rates.
Electoral success of political parties is driven by firm but fair leadership, sharing and mirroring the aspirations of voters and delivering policies that reflect core beliefs.
Sir Robert Menzies did that when he formed the Liberal Party 70 years ago, engaging with the "forgotten people". John Howard replicated his political hero appealing to "Howard's Battlers"
Even Whitlam rode to success with charisma and his brand of vision that Bob Hawke matched a decade later. Kevin Rudd tried to meld all into one, betrayed his party's core values and paid the price.
When all goes pear-shaped, it's easy to turn on the leader as we have seen with the frenzied crescendo in commentary and questioning this week.
But for the Liberal Party, the unfolding crisis is more than bad polls, poor campaigning and unwise decisions, or even the performance of prime ministers and premiers.
When governments sacrifice all for the accountant's bottom line, they will surely lose. The current federal government is putting itself into that very position; blaming the previous administration is no excuse to whack people harder. The electorate voted in a new government to responsibly manage the country with vision, not slash, burn and harm and certainly not a government full of surprises.
That's what has become a defining feature of recent Liberal governments and provides the fodder for opponents to perpetuate their message of uncaring conservatives.
Conservative governments have lost the ability to speak with plain honesty and explain the journey required for sound management, not just of the economy but assets and services, to a significant proportion of the election, the Gen Ys, who mostly have never experienced tough economic times as did their parents.
The same observation can be made of all politicians. But for conservatives, the words in mangled and bungled delivery alarmingly lack clarity, depth and sincerity and send messages of inconsistency.
Politicians are framing the debate around themselves, not the future of the nation. Prime Minister Abbott's comments last week about him being a "good captain making his team look good" were ill-advised and only kept the focus on him and negative perceptions.
The reform agenda rolled out in Canberra and Queensland has at times displayed the impetuous haste once associated with Labor administrations rushing in with zealous fervour, only expecting to be on the government benches for a short time, either not having fully thought through or fully explained their agenda or hidden the little nasties until after an election.
There is nothing out of step in core values and principles of the Liberal Party with modern Australia. But until policy drivers and makers shed their ambivalence to the practical impact of those policies, and particularly on the 20 per cent of voters who decide an election outcome, conservative governments may well be hit with recurring electoral drubbings of the magnitude dished out in Queensland last Saturday.
The disconnect with people on the ground has produced a myopic approach to policy within conservative ranks supported by MPs reinforcing the heartless perception with daily social media rants sledging opponents instead of putting in the hard yards and articulating an alternative vision.
When the Abbott government was elected in 2013, it was with the slogan of hope, reward and opportunity. The immediate challenge is to return hope in government or risk an even bigger rise in support for minor and micro parties which have become a magnet for those disaffected with the direction of Labor and Liberal.
Tony Abbott is only the current symbol of this cancerous and possible out-of-control crisis in conservative politics. Its roots are firmly implanted in the narrow interpretation of Liberal values as applied by some of today's policy makers.
Sincerity and understanding in new policy would be an admirable first step towards reconciliation with an angry electorate.
Chris Earl is a rural and regional affairs consultant, a former editor of the Ararat Advertiser and a former member of the Liberal Party's Victorian Division administrative committee.
http://www.canberratimes.com.au/comment/the-truth-behind-the-liberals-summer-of-discontent-20150204-...
Yes, I do read every quoted article I post, mm12.
