Australian politics
It’s getting even worse for the Liberal Party
Last week’s roundup had a major post on the Liberal Party’s woes. It probably understated their plight, particularly the way they have lost the support of half the electorate – the female half.
In the Saturday Paper – Liberal Party “finished” without reform – Mike Seccombe describes how a “male, pale, and stale” group control the party and its policies. Drawing on the 2022 election study he focuses on the way the party has become almost irrelevant to women and to younger voters.
Confirming Seccombe’s analysis, William Bowe’s Poll Bludger draws attention to DemosAU’s first post-election poll, which shows Labor’s TPP vote up by 4 percent since the election, and of more concern for the Liberal Party, the Coalition’s primary vote down by 6 percent to 26 percent. Among voters aged 18 to 34 the Coalition’s support is 16 percent.
Somehow the Liberal Party’s decision to stand for the rights of the 99.5 percent of Australians who don’t have $3 million in their superannuation accounts doesn’t seem to have gained much traction with voters.
Australia’s leading part in offshore detention
Many Australian liberals take pleasure in observing Trump’s behaviour. Trump’s treatment of so-called illegal migrants has given us plenty of opportunity to enjoy armchair outrage and to compare ourselves favourably with the USA.
We’re not like that: we’re more democratic, and would never have thought of voting for a government like Trump’s. Our newly re-elected government, while it has one or two minor shortcomings, stands up for human rights, the separation of powers, and the rule of law, as the Labor Party always has.
An article in Foreign Affairs – The sordid history of offshoring migrants – by David Scott Fitzgerald should bring us back to earth. While it’s mainly about the USA, Australia’s offshoring policies and their effectiveness in keeping asylum seekers away from journalists get a great deal of cover. The article carries the clear message that Australia’s policies have helped legitimize such policies in other countries.
And we should remember that these policies have had “bipartisan” support – a quaint term referring to support from two old parties supported by only about 60 percent of the electorate.