Sensible women and men have had more than enough. They also have plenty of alternatives come the next election if they still feel that the current crop of national leaders is failing them.
Progressive women in the party are being told to know their place,or fight on the right side of the culture wars,or stay quiet. If not,they’re elbowed out and have their noses rubbed in their defeat.
Thanks to their behaviour in the lead-up to and aftermath of the Dunkley byelection,the leader and deputy Liberal leaders risk being cast as the toxic twins of federal politics.
The coastal electorate in Melbourne’s south-east is the sort of territory marked out as future Liberal heartland to replace the inner-urban seats lost to independents and the Greens.
If Albanese doesn’t change,he will go down. It won’t matter how ugly Dutton’s style of politics is,or what state the economy is in.
Millions of Australians don’t know just how many aspects of modern life we can thank Bill Hayden for,but there are many. His time in Canberra should serve as a guide for today’s MPs.
Dutton has shown a predilection for inflammatory language. And with the bloody success of its campaign to destroy the referendum,it’s obvious the Coalition will use the same techniques again.
This is a defining moment for Australia. Ultimately,responsibility for the result of the referendum,and everything which delivers it,resides with us.
Labor’s handling of the Qantas-Qatar controversy was unbelievably dumb. But even Liberals opposing the Voice believe the tenor of the No campaign will ensure Dutton reaps no reward.
The prime minister is already crafting a post-referendum Plan B,while the Liberals seem to be banking on chaos and instability of the past to see them through.
The response from the Liberal hard right to the threat of a schism which 2022 portended has been a redoubling of efforts to purge moderates from the party by stripping them of their pre-selections. It won’t win the teal seats back.