The longest suicide note in political history continues today:
Foreign Minister Julie Bishop has locked in behind Malcolm Turnbull’s comments that the Liberal Party has never been a conservative party, saying the Prime Minister’s speech “elegantly articulates” the party’s values.
…“It’s an historically accurate account of how our founder Robert Menzies called the Liberal Party a progressive party, believing in freedom and the rights of individuals and free enterprise and how Menzies expressly rejected naming the party the conservative party because it was to combine liberal and conservative traditions, what John Howard always referred to as the ‘broad church’ or what Tony Abbott called the ‘sensible centre’, and of course it is in stark contrast to Labor, who believe in big government and is entirely beholden to the unions.”
Mr Turnbull’s comments attracted the ire of 2GB broadcaster Alan Jones who said the prime minister does not understand his own party, which he describes as a party of “radical conservatives”.
“Under siege in the polls and the electorate, staring defeat in the face — to say nothing of his leadership — and now saying that the Liberal Party has never been a conservative party and that Robert Menzies was a moderate progressive leader. I’m not sure Malcolm Turnbull has any idea what his Liberal Party really stands for,” he told his listeners this morning.
“But to anyone who has a Liberal Party DNA, he or she will know what the party stands for and what Menzies stood for. It is a Liberal/Conservative Party… Perhaps that’s what Mr Turnbull means when he says we’re not conservative. He should have added a sentence: we’re almost Labor.”
Nick Greiner can’t help himself:
Speaking in the wake of Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull’s comments overnight that the Liberal Party has never been a conservative party, Mr Greiner said there had always been a range of policy positions within the party.
“I’m sure there are some people who are concerned to be if you like more conservative in a big C sense but that’s not new or unusual,” the former New South Wales premier told ABC radio.
“I frankly think if you look at Tony’s five point plan, most of that is never going to happen.
“No one’s going to reform the constitution with respect to the Senate, whether that’s desirable or not, so if you’re in government putting that sort of stuff up, it’s politics rather than government and at the end of the day.
And Jeff Kennett chimes in:
Former Victorian premier Jeff Kennett has unloaded on Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, describing him as a failed leader and accusing him of showing an “appalling lack of political judgment” during his overseas trip.
Mr Kennett said he was so disillusioned about the state of the modern Liberal Party under Mr Turnbull that he wanted to drink whisky before 9am.
“This latest point he has made in London seems to me to be an appalling lack of political judgment,” Mr Kennett told ABC Radio in Melbourne.
“Why would you do it? Why would you do it from overseas? Why would you throw a can of petrol onto a fire?”
“We’ve never had a period of this incessant brawling because unfortunately Malcolm hasn’t been able to meld the different views within the party.”
…”The leader of the party should have the capacity to be able to bring the party together – be it by strength of personality or through policy,” he said.
“On both grounds I think to date sadly Malcolm has failed.”
Just give us an election so we can move on with hectoring Labor into decent policy.
