Well thank goodness I’m only two of those things, so I’ll be fine. :rolleyes:

Yeah there was a 9 month period from Malcolm rollling Tony until the next election. The Australian people were overjoyed the mad monk was booted from power and Turnbull’s biggest mistake wasn’t going to an immediate election to capitise on it. After nine months most of his support had crumbled when the public realised the Malcolm they wanted wasn’t there and instead they got a prettier face on an Abbott government. After 2016 the LNP’s numbers have always been down.

It’s in the name. “Liberal” party. Have a look at the meaning of the word. Take a look at this poll, taken prior to the spill:

Q. Which of the following do you think would make the best leader of the Liberal Party?

Look at the Preferred PM numbers under the “vote Lib/Nat” column. Turnbull clearly in front amongst Liberal party voters. Another moderate, Bishop is in second. Where are the conservatives? Abbott takes third, Dutton in fourth and ScoMo takes 5th on a puny 2%. I think the numbers speak clearly that those who vote LNP want a moderate over a conservative to be leading their party.

And why should Malcolm have bothered to help in Wentworth? The conservatives booted him out of the PM’s job because they thought he was too “leftist” and was a liability that would cost them the next election, and they were glad to see the back of him. But now they say losing Wentworth is his fault because they needed his popularity to win that seat. Well if I were Malcolm I would’ve sent them a message rhyming with “get clucked” to that plea.

Luckily the 3 conservative amigos will be ending soon. Dutton will probably lose his seat at the next election, ScoMo wil lose his place at the lodge and sulk off to the backbench and the embarrassment of being an opposition backbencher will probably be too much for the mad monk and he’ll scurry off out of parliament.

As opposed to the minority of LNP party loyalists and staffers, IPA appointees and Sky News commentators who are running the show now?

Sounds like a One Nation or Katter or Australian Conservatives voter. So yes, a minority of about 5-8% of the vote.

Of course he resigned. Unlike Abbott he didn't need a backbencher's pay to survive, and also unlike Abbott he's not delusional enough to think he has another chance at being PM. And of course he spat the dummy. If you'd spent nearly $2 million of your own money to become PM and then your party dumped you, you'd spit the dummy too.

Speaking of delusional, that's how I'd describe anyone who thinks Turnbull is "left wing".

But regardless of what Turnbull did or didn't do, the main reason the Libs copped a flogging in Wentworth is that their salesman-in-chief is trying to sell a dodgy product that less and less people want to buy. When Morrison claims the the Libs aren't getting their message across, he's in denial. People have heard the message, they're just not interested.

Given his history and his long association with the Liberal party I'd call him right-leaning. But apart from that I think he's just an opportunist - and that's being polite. Everything he's ever done has been about looking after himself. He couldn't get a start with Labor so he stuck with the Liberals instead to further his aims.

And it’s a wonderful thing they are now considered “far right”. In the early 70’s “moderate” meant banning non whites from immigrating here and becoming citizens. It meant thinking gays were an abomination that deserved a good smack to the head if they dared expressed their true feelings. It meant thinking it was OK to force young people to join the military against their will and participate in a conflict they wished no part of. It was just a few years off Indigenous Australians not being considered full human beings. It meant the biggest Australian airlines still prohibited women from flying their planes.

Yes, if you held these positions today you would be considered a part of the 5-8% far right fringe nutters or Hanson devotees. And deservedly so. Just like that far right nutter Fraser Anning who tried to introduce a bill restricting non white immigration. What was “moderate” policy in the early 70’s is now considered the lunatic right fringe.

Bad analogy. I didn’t say Hanson herself supported those exact policies (although she has called for banning groups entering the country based on their religion and said Asians are swamping the country, she has called for a reintroduction of national service, she said the 1967 referendum was a mistake, so she’s not far off), but the supporters of her party and other far right nutters like Anning would be inclined to support anti-gay, anti-Asian migrant policies etc that were common in the early 70’s. How many of their supporters would start of a Facebook rant with “back in my youth Australia was so much better, we need Pauline to take us back to the way we were...”etc.

Probably not. As Craig Laundy and others have pointed out, the direction of these reactionary conservatives is mostly being dictated by Sky News after dark. The “shockjockification” of politics. Too many MP’s who’ve come through the party system, and see politics as a game in which the goal is to “own” the opposition.

Like Laundy said moderates like him who try to reach across the aisle to make good policies are seen as “traitors” by the conservative Liberals. A decent swing against the LNP at the next election would see Laundy lose his seat, which would be a shame, as he sounds like a sensible future leader in the party. Better than some reactionaries who would be circling like vultures at that opportunity.

With the current situation in Australia I am voting Independent or maybe Greens.
There is a need to manage energy prices better and also to have medicinal cannabis legal for those that need it. FWIW

If they don’t take your fancy (and you’re in Victoria), check out this party: (disclaimer-I’m not a party member or live in Victoria)

https://reasonvic.org.au/policy/

They seem to have a bunch of good policies, and want drug law reform as well.

Dr Dre, exactly what is needed. Although I don't reside there I'll put my two adult children, that are in Victoria onto them.

Interesting reading about the the latest legislation in Canada on cannabis laws.
NZ is having a referendum soon on the same issue and appears will be passed. Or atleast voted in. It will be up to their parliament to make it law.

Yes to both.

Because the misguided default position engendered by the likes of the AAT is to demand that everyone has some sort of right to be allowed here, be given legal aid to fight removal and change Australian culture and values to suit their minority.