Joe Hockey would probably make a decent Opposition Leader/Prime Minister. He is a convivial, likeable man. His passion for touch rugby over Dietrich Bonhoeffer makes him a far more palatable dinner guest than our current PM.
But reports that a move is underfoot to have him as the ‘unifying,’ ‘compromise’ candidate in a Liberal leadership spill likely at some point over the next few days are nothing short of bizarre.
Those who think that this debacle is the manifestation of tensions about an emissions trading scheme or leadership styles are wrong. This is a debate about the future ideological direction of the Liberal party. Will it be the classically liberal; will it be progressive? Or will the forces of neo-conservatism win out?
My money is on the latter. Which is why Joe Hockey would be such a bizarre choice. Hockey is classically Liberal. Hockey is further to the left than Malcolm on many issues. Hockey’s immediate predecessor in the seat of North Sydney was a maverick, left-ish independent – Hockey only managed to wrestle the seat back for the Liberals upon his retirement.
So, assuming Hockey runs for – and wins – the leadership, won’t the Liberals be in the same position they were in before? The result would be either (1) a party of conservative malcontents lining up behind a proper liberal leader, or (2) a leader betraying his principles and ideological beliefs so that he has a better shot at the premiership. Either result would be a disservice to the Australian people and to the detriment of Australian political discourse. History appears to be repeating itself before the tragic history of Turnbull's betrayal has been written. How odd.
I should not grumble too much. This cloud of a leadership spill does indeed have a silver lining: Julie Bishop’s going to get the boot.
Showing posts with label Malcolm Turnbull. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Malcolm Turnbull. Show all posts
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Malcolm: in the Middle?
I have always had a profound respect for Malcolm Turnbull. I have always assumed that it arose out of my passionate republicanism, and my gratitude for the enormous amount of time, money, and effort he poured into the cause. But today’s events, and the resignations of Tony Abbott, Nick Minchin, et. al. have forced me to reconsider just why Malcolm holds that special place in my heart and mind.
The results of my soul search were surprising.
Menzies cobbled together the Liberal Party of Australia in the aftermath of World War Two, consolidating a broad coalition of conservative political interests into a single entity. The legacy, as John Howard was so fond of reminding us, is a “broad church” of a political party that counts among its members Thatcher-idolising neocons at one end of its internal spectrum and refugee-embracing, tree-hugging, small-l liberals at the other.
I have always admired the latter group of Liberals: I even vote under the line on my Senate ballot in the vain hope that by placing Nick Minchin ahead of only Family First and One Nation, I can make my own contribution to the small-l liberalisation of the Libs. Turnbull is small-l: someone prepared to stand up for the environment, for gay rights, for an Australian republic.
And then tonight, listening to his inspiring, passionate defence of the need for an emissions trading scheme, it dawned on me. Turnbull is probably my ‘second preference’. Turnbull, certainly more than Kevin Rudd, represents where I lie on the political spectrum – at least when it comes to the issues about which I care.
I vote Green. Bob Brown is my hero. I hug trees. I do not see anything in my life or circumstances that is likely to alter that in the near future. But due to the injustices of the non-proportionally representative Australian lower house, I cannot send who I want to Canberra, so I am forced to choose a second favourite. In the elections in which I have participated so far, that’s always been Labor (even when I was a member of the ALP, I preferenced the Democrats first!) since, as a party, it is more closely aligned with my beliefs. But in a hypothetical electorate where the candidates were Brown, Rudd and Turnbull: Rudd would be #3.
Resurgent social conservatism is a major threat to the Australian polity. Catholics and Evangelical Christians in the Liberal Party are arguing against abortion again. Tony Abbott has suggested the reintroduction of fault-based divorce. In SA, Family First holds two seats in the Legislative Council, and they have used that platform to argue, among other things, that a homosexual partnership is akin to a man marrying his dog.
Breakaway from the Liberal Party, Malcolm. Set up the "middle" party the Democrats should have been: a socially liberal, otherwise conservative, political party. Fuck the “broad church” of the Liberal Party, because it has fucked you, deceived you, and betrayed you and will now betray your principles.
Wait. Perhaps I lied. There are circumstances under which I might alter my Green vote. Do what I’ve said and I’ll move to Wentworth to vote for you.
The results of my soul search were surprising.
Menzies cobbled together the Liberal Party of Australia in the aftermath of World War Two, consolidating a broad coalition of conservative political interests into a single entity. The legacy, as John Howard was so fond of reminding us, is a “broad church” of a political party that counts among its members Thatcher-idolising neocons at one end of its internal spectrum and refugee-embracing, tree-hugging, small-l liberals at the other.
I have always admired the latter group of Liberals: I even vote under the line on my Senate ballot in the vain hope that by placing Nick Minchin ahead of only Family First and One Nation, I can make my own contribution to the small-l liberalisation of the Libs. Turnbull is small-l: someone prepared to stand up for the environment, for gay rights, for an Australian republic.
And then tonight, listening to his inspiring, passionate defence of the need for an emissions trading scheme, it dawned on me. Turnbull is probably my ‘second preference’. Turnbull, certainly more than Kevin Rudd, represents where I lie on the political spectrum – at least when it comes to the issues about which I care.
I vote Green. Bob Brown is my hero. I hug trees. I do not see anything in my life or circumstances that is likely to alter that in the near future. But due to the injustices of the non-proportionally representative Australian lower house, I cannot send who I want to Canberra, so I am forced to choose a second favourite. In the elections in which I have participated so far, that’s always been Labor (even when I was a member of the ALP, I preferenced the Democrats first!) since, as a party, it is more closely aligned with my beliefs. But in a hypothetical electorate where the candidates were Brown, Rudd and Turnbull: Rudd would be #3.
Resurgent social conservatism is a major threat to the Australian polity. Catholics and Evangelical Christians in the Liberal Party are arguing against abortion again. Tony Abbott has suggested the reintroduction of fault-based divorce. In SA, Family First holds two seats in the Legislative Council, and they have used that platform to argue, among other things, that a homosexual partnership is akin to a man marrying his dog.
Breakaway from the Liberal Party, Malcolm. Set up the "middle" party the Democrats should have been: a socially liberal, otherwise conservative, political party. Fuck the “broad church” of the Liberal Party, because it has fucked you, deceived you, and betrayed you and will now betray your principles.
Wait. Perhaps I lied. There are circumstances under which I might alter my Green vote. Do what I’ve said and I’ll move to Wentworth to vote for you.
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