Liberals told to tout ‘values’ ahead of policy revamp
Sussan Ley has no shortage of ideas on what the federal Liberal Party should do to become competitive again after suffering its worst-ever election defeat.
Some MPs have suggested a formal merger with the National Party or the formation of a new right-wing conservative party, similar to LNP-ruled Queensland.
Others discussed the possibility of a split between moderate and conservative wings; this idea was quickly quashed by the Liberal leadership.
While the party’s strategy remains unclear as the coalition continues to work on a wholesale policy review, the opposition leader wants MPs to reconnect with voters on long-held Liberal values of lower taxes and smaller government.
On the 81st anniversary of the founding of the federal party, Ms Ley said the future should be determined by voters’ wishes and party ideals.
“I’m actually proud of all my colleagues for taking this message to Australians that we need to reconnect, because as we work on policies, we will always stand behind the values that built this party 81 years ago,” he told ABC TV on Thursday.
“Liberals are stronger when we stay true to our values and support our aspirations.”
But many MPs are frustrated with how long the policy review is taking.
Five months after the Coalition’s defeat to Labour, the lack of policy means MPs are struggling to express to voters where they stand on various issues.
These include youth crime in Victoria, which became a sticking point following a highly publicized visit to Melbourne by Ms Ley and prominent figures Andrew Wallace and Julian Leeser.
Shadow attorney general Mr Wallace defended the trip on Thursday, claiming criminal law was primarily the state’s responsibility but that it was the federal party’s duty to expose the Victorian government’s “flaws”.
Speaking on ABC radio, he suggested the state’s Labor government, which has been in power for more than 10 years, should do more to fund police and community youth clubs as a “diversionary” measure for young people.
But when asked seven times about how he would tackle youth crime if the federal opposition wins the next election, Mr Wallace did not answer, arguing his party was not the Victorian government.
He has promised to develop a “policy package” on youth crime, but it is too early to say what these will be.
Asked why he and his colleagues felt the need to visit Melbourne when crime was predominantly a state issue, Mr Wallace said it was important to tell Victorians they were “let down by their state governments”.
Senior Nationals senator Bridget McKenzie has called on disaffected coalition partners in the Liberals to switch to the junior party as she pours cold water on the idea of a Queensland-style merger.
Senator McKenzie said the Liberal Party was “rightly going through an internal process”.
He told Nine’s Today program on Thursday: “They’re all trying to redefine the Menzies legacy for modern Australia and that’s something they have to do and I wish them the best with it.”
“The idea that a federal LNP is on the way is not the solution.”
One Nation leader Pauline Hanson has claimed the Liberal Party is losing members “en masse” due to flawed policies, suggesting voters are looking to her anti-immigration party as a political alternative.
The latest News Poll found One Nation’s preselection vote rose to 11 per cent, almost double the vote it received in the May election, while the Liberals remained at near-record lows.
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