Matt Canavan elected new leader of the National Party; two more Iranian women seek asylum
The federal Liberal Party is in a death spiral, according to former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull, due to the shrinking of its “cranky, old and far-right” support base, its support for One Nation-backed immigration and climate policies, and its takeover by conservative “angry” media outlets.
He said he expected the party to strike a preference agreement with One Nation in the upcoming Farrer by-election; This is seen as a crucial test for new Liberal leader Angus Taylor and will be “poison” for the kind of urban seats currently lost to Teal independents.
Turnbull said this would be one of the “final nails” in the Liberal Party’s coffin, but did not rule out that the “vampire” would somehow escape.
Turnbull told an audience at the Climate Action Week Sydney conference this morning that the Liberal Party’s decision to focus on One Nation issues such as immigration ruined the party because it elevated those issues in the minds of sections of the electorate, who then chose to support One Nation over the Liberals.
This was not only a danger to the wider community as it reinforced divisive and destructive ideas, but also to the Liberal Party, which had not only lost urban seats but also lost a generation of talented potential candidates.
He said the presence in his cabinet of Teal MPs such as Allegra Spending or Sophie Scamps would increase his intellectual firepower when tackling important issues such as tax reform and climate change for the benefit of the nation and the party.
