PLURES efficimur, quotiens metimur a vobis: semen est sanguis Christianorum. I doubt Tertullian would approve of that more contemporary adage – mouthed or written over the past five weeks by Liberal Party chauvinists: ‘Labor would be worse.’ The Carthaginian polemicist famously declared in Apologeticus that killing Christians only causes them to flourish because their blood is seed. Reap ’em and weep is not far from an accurate translation. He wouldn’t see the long-term fruit to be had, much less the honour to be garnered, in abandoning principle just to register another win built on capitulation. Exit Trent Zimmerman, Katie Allen and Dave Sharma. Enter Miranda Devine and those who still think they know better.
“Glib one-liners just don’t cut it,” Devine wrote in April, contra Albanese. “It’s the economy, stupid, and never more than today.” As a general rule, it’s a good idea to put a few hundred words between censuring a man for triteness and being trite yourself. Neither the contest between Scott Morrison and Anthony Albanese or the future welfare of the nation are wholly or even preponderantly about the economy. If they were, the Prime Minister’s Keynesian panic and his bankrolling of the states’ pandemic terrorism wouldn’t make a strong case for re-election anyway. While it’s true that, unlike Teals, Violets of the Devine school – blue Liberals infused with a ruddy materialism – are loyalists, they are no less damaging to the party for being persona grata.
Devine isn’t the only ‘Labor would be worse’ Cassandra. Several other ‘conservative’ commentators rounded on those contemplating a punitive switch to the rebel right. That their warnings are now clichés – “vote Liberal with one hand… hold your nose with the other,” “don’t waste your vote in a fit of pique” – proves how long-suffering are the “quiet Australians” triennially drafted to adorn this Potemkin-Menzian facade.
The LNP’s policy of using its base to get elected and treating it with contempt verging on loathing thereafter has been going on for years. Three big things brought the balsa wood rort crashing down on Saturday. Speaking personally, I know the exact date I chose not to vote for the government: 17 November, 2021. On that Wednesday, Attorney-General Michaelia Cash announced the scrapping of the “Folau clause” and the conscientious objection provisions for medicos from its Religious Discrimination Bill. There would be no protection for an employee who objected to the left’s pious reverence for gayness, nor for a doctor refusing to refer-on a suicidal patient to a regime-friendly confrère. This shameful surrender was of zero interest to Devine. Instead of railing against it, she attacked the Australian Christian Lobby whose leader, Martin Iles – having decided homicide and prohibiting the Bible were not trivialities of a grin and bear it kind – said the ACL would campaign against the MPs responsible. Devine slammed Iles and friends as “vandals” and the “dormant old faction of conservatives.” Last week she praised Violet bulldozer Paul Murray for doing more than anybody to remind voters that… Labor would be worse.
I had already decided not to barrack for the government a month earlier. On 21 October – assisted by News Corp, with whom the base-nudging move was in some measure strategised – Mr Morrison made known the Coalition was officially converted to the climate change religion. In the unlikely event they held office for another 30 years, the Liberal and National Parties intended to eliminate carbon dioxide emissions by 2050. They would restrict mining, fossil fuel-thirsty industries and gaseous agriculture. Modernity, in other words. The parties of Bob Menzies and Earl Page declared war on hi-viz kulaks but with none of Stalin’s sincerity. This wasn’t about CO 2, of course. It was about winning the inner city seats they ended up losing anyway. The question is not whether Labor would be worse but how much worse it becomes in increments because ‘moderate’ Liberals allow it to roam free in an ecosystem bereft of predatory muscle.
The last of the big three reasons for walking away was the government’s frosty indifference during the covid hysteria of 2020-21 to the nazification of what it was solemnly sworn to safeguard: one of the world’s oldest democracies. The crimes committed against Australians by the states included: house arrest, Chinese surveillance, extreme police violence, renditioning, the doctoring of hospital statistics, deliberate medical lies, wilful exaggeration intended to alarm, an assumption of control – bordering on compulsory acquisition – of all private property, the prohibition of work, education and leisure, the closing of courts and parliaments, the suspension of free speech and assembly, the mandatory violation of bodies, the psychological torture of the dying, the vaxx-molestation of non-endangered children and the derailment of their social development. The only thing the Morrison cabinet did about the atrocities was pay for them. Unlike, say, the vindicated Ron DeSantis, the PM couldn’t see the upside in championing reason, decency, truth and the rule of law for the entire population. Had he seen it, he still might have lost office but would have bequeathed a harvest for the annals to his successor and the Liberal Party.
Unfortunately for the Liberals, once shared values are squeezed out by the political process of gaining and retaining power, the Broad Church becomes an administratively convenient assembly hall.
Very hard to see a way forward for a single ‘Centre Right’ party to cover the wide and contradictory range of policy issues now facing Australian society. Particularly when the next few years is going to throw up new challenges as the Albanese/Chalmers Government flounders it’s way through destroying the energy economy, inflation vs big ticket spending, identity politics, and reimagining the Constitution – with Green support in a marginal Senate.
A split, or decline into incoherent irrelevance beckons.
Bravo CL.
I shall observe with interest the coming years, I will drive my petrol car, travel overseas* when the whim takes me and not do a single climate action now.
I expect a lot of people will be poorer in many ways before things change for the better.
*after reading A Song for Nagasaki I have a yen to visit the place.
De Santis vindicated? He needlessly killed more people by essentially ignoring the problem of covid and stuffed his economy at the same time.
The climate wars are over. People want action on this and they do not even think the ALP will do enough. What about Greensland. no-one picked that.
Eloquently said CL.
You’ve spoken for so many of us here and on the Cat.
Labor will be worse but it was that or 25, 30, 40, 50 years more of uniparty rule – which we might well get anyway, but no one can rack up $1000 billion of debt and expect to be re-elected on his credentials as an economic manager.
No-one other than people who have followed Brisbane/SEQ politics over the past few years. The 2019 election results and the 2020 State Greens election wins in South Brisbane and Maiwar were subtle pointers.
NT, DeSantis did the opposite, of course. You are describing New York. But you already know that.
As for Queensland, federally it is now the heartland of the Coalition, with roughly 40% of Coalition seats. Good riddance to the southern bedwetters.
Still, continue in your deluded state, it clearly keeps you happy.
It was a choice between Liberal Stalinists and Labor Trotskyites, both wanted to exterminate the peasants but proposed different deadlines.
This time the Trots won. Icepick time for Uncle Joe and his team!
Should we be the Disinformation Bored?
Non Mentis
What about Greensland. no-one picked that.
What??? Not even those polls of magnificent accuracy that you have been babbling on about? Shocked, I am, truly shocked!
of course the biggest losers were the minority shareholders in clive palmer companies who bankrolled the UAP, the murdoch press and sky after dark. Then of course there was Matt Canavan and Barnaby who did a bob brown in this election
does anyone really thin k Peter Dutton could win back small l liberal voters who went to the Teals.
Bravo C.L. Reading your piece has brought me to tears because you’ve articulated exactly how I feel about the Liberals.
Thank you.
“does anyone really thin k Peter Dutton could win back small l liberal voters who went to the Teals.”
The Liberal Party, once and for all, needs to walk away from the Teal electorates.
The only hope for the Liberals is to fight against the ‘climate change’ scam. No longer can they claim to believe that CO2 is “destroying the planet” but that they will fight it more ‘sensibly’ than Labor or the Greens.
If it really is an existential threat, then they need to fight it as hard as the Greens. On the other hand, if it isn’t, then they need to point out the flaws in the argument and campaign against the nation-destroying ‘climate’ policies of the climate loons. That would be fun as well as righteous.
They won’t of course. They will continue with their half-arsed approach and, like the nation, slide into irrelevance.
Well said C.L. even though the first bit was a tad too obtuse for me. The last paragraph was superb, and if I had any tears left for my poor country, I would have shed them as well. For people like N.T. common sense will never be common for you and anyone who sincerely believes in climate change wouldn’t be welcome in my party, if I had one. The Liberal Party had many opportunities to turn the boat around and tell the truth to the population regarding climate b.s. but like all the previous Liberal administrations before them including Howards, decided to walk the less perilous path and decide to “go along to get along”. The result is plain to see, everybody trying to appease the lunatic left, and the hysterical masses, with the result of spawning Albanese as P.M. I don’t think this is the end of the world but only the end of civilisation as we knew it.
Thanks, CL. The deepest exploration of the 2022 election by far — moral clarity in a desert of trivia, nihilism and slogans.
I’ve often wondered: do you draw those superb accompanying thumbnail sketches yourself?
Great post CL. Many thanks from one who experienced some of the consequences of refusing vaccination. It was an experience I will never forget. It destroyed any illusions I had about the Libs. Sadly, it also destroyed any fond notions I had about the independent spirit of Australians in general. The exception was the trip to Canberra for the rally. Now those Aussie families restored some of that faith.
Where to from here? The brewing global turmoil will answer to that.
Thank you, CL.
I’ll echo Cassie’s sentiments above.
Knowing some of these people personally and learning of their underlying motivations for seeking office adds more strength to my anger.
Non Mentis
does anyone really thin k Peter Dutton could win back small l liberal voters who went to the Teals.
Only you would think it would be worth trying, when there is a rich field to be harvested in the outer suburbs abandoned by the Liars in their move to the Big End of town.
The Liars have abandoned their base of rural and suburban industrial workers as they snuggle up the silvertails. The Teals are the latest iteration of the Doctors’ Wives, entitled women with too much money and too few responsibilities. Still, they will be able to repay Holmes a’Court for his support by pushing for more subsidies to Ruinable Power, to further enrich him.
I join the calls for the Liberal Party to veer further to the right. That will for sure get them re-elected. Don’t throw us lefties in the briar patch, please!
Non compos mentis epitomises the problem
for Australia and the world.
Brain dead morons.
Idiocracy here we are.
Vicki, there are more unvaxxed than they say.
Real reports from overseas talk of only 2/3rds vaxxed.
They never got over 70% vaxxed anywhere other than maybe Israel.
“Monty” means “useful idiot” in Russian.
I really hope that Dutton and the few remaining Liberal / Nationals hopefully see that the electorate wants them to go right and not further left.
If they can wrest control from the wets in the backrooms, they might be able to turn it around.
But go hard, rip and tear and if they get back into power, keep doing it, don’t go all weak. The party will need to get behind the leader but unlike Abbott, they need to back them not knife them.
The minor conservatives are just too fractured and single issue. Unfortunately for we need a united front against the left so we need a major (large) party to step up. If the Libs won’t, then that’s all folks.
Kick the stuffing out of the left at every opportunity. Start by destroying the ABC and take away any gifts to the commercial msm. Make them squeal too.
“Nazification”? Seriously?
Elbow® and Benny are off to Tokyo for the Honda Accord.
“Perplexed of Brisbane says:
23 May, 2022 at 12:11 pm”
I think you’re right. However I reckon there’s a place for PHON but the other minors…nope .
Now the Liberals could make an immediate stand under new leader Dutton. Every single one of them should henceforth refuse to appear on the ABC until there’s balance.
I won’t hold my breath though.
A more immediate start would be expelling Turnbull.
oh dear reality bites.
If CL was right then the UAP vote would have gone gangbusters. Sorry only the morons voted for it.
If the Liberals cannot win back the teal seats then they will never win government. If you think Dutton can do that I have some Harbour bridge shares to sell to you.
I have never thought any party should have more then two terms. The Liberals have a problem. Unlike the ALP they have little talent. just look as who has been proposed as leader.
In terms of the ALP losing we can throw some scenarios out. They won’t become a divisive rabble like last time if only because the NSW right neither have any ‘strategic geniuses’ like last time and after the Keneally fiasco little credibility.
It is unlikely like Abbott Albo is not up to the job as his record as a minster is okay BUT even if you disagree his cabinet will will chockful of talent.
If you are thinking we are entering conditions to the early 70s then both Treasury and his ministerial team ham have the experience to learn from that.
We will need a change of government two elections from now and if the Liberals think being more ‘conservative’ ( a true conservative would support a federal ICAC as it wouls make instituions more open and transparent as they should be.) they are living on another planet.
You said that exact during the Gillard debacle, master of cringe.
Dutton is an anthropogenic climate change true believer and a Zelensky fanboi. But who else is there?
Liberals lost because the wokerattie in the northern beach style suburbs staged a revolt against the long immovable everyman agenda of the Howard / Abbott / Morrison Liberal party.
Or shorter: Albanese’s tories delivered the election to him so he implements their agenda.
Hilarious.
Of Mice and Menses
It’s all about the wamen
From The Guardian of Crap
History tells us women can turn elections: the Liberals should have listened
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/may/22/history-tells-us-women-can-turn-elections-the-liberals-should-have-listened?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other
Non Mentis
BUT even if you disagree his cabinet will will chockful of talent.
ROFLMAO! Ahahahahahahaha!
Non Mentis
Almost missed this.
If the Liberals cannot win back the teal seats then they will never win government.
To borrow from the idiot munty for the pre-school failure Non Mentis, “Please, jump into that green briar patch”.
The new Prime Minister – Dennis Elbow®.
I suspect that you would be struggling to get a football team of talent if you combined all the members of both the major parties.
PHDs do not make for competent politicians.
Only just discovered your blog. Top stuff.
It doesn’t matter even if Labor is worse. If the Libs are just going to keep moving in that direction, they need to spend time in the wilderness. They’re always more conservative in opposition than in power. Then they abandon us in no time. They will most likely take their loss as a lesson to move even further Left, of course. We’ve already seen the usual suspects push for that.
Even people like Abbott, who I believe is (mostly) a “true believer” in conservatism had his first loyalty to the party room. That’s why he backed down on too many of his promises once elected (and then got rolled anyway). Still the party loyalist, he was out there in this campaign beside Deves. I heard at the Cat that Deves was a volunteer for Stegall against Abbott back in the day. If true, she’s just another wet liberal – a TERF rather than a conservative.
But Abbott was by her side anyway. “Solidarity forever,” as the Labor comrades say. It ain’t solidarity with us, though.
He’s also a Qld ex-cop and big on censorship and limiting online freedoms.
I dunno. Maybe Hastie?
Not much of a talent pool, really.
Even for you, that is comedy gold!
The new Prime Minister – Dennis Elbow®
That should read…
The new
StrineShtrine Prime Minister – Dennis Elbow®.The Well-Healed
Inside Lisa Wilkinson and Peter FitzSimons’ election night party where a Who’s Who of left-wing actors and TV stars ‘healed from the trauma of 2019’ as they celebrated Albo’s victory
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-10843101/Election-2022-Inside-Lisa-Wilkinson-Peter-FitzSimons-Albo-victory-party.html
There are some comedy gems in there, e.g.,
A glittering array of actors, politicians and TV stars attended…
… hosted by media power couple Lisa Wilkinson and Peter FitzSimons
Of course, there’s a photo of the Pirate trying to flog one of his books.
And even [so-called Lib] Matt Mean was in attendance.
Green Kean is the worst. Really need to purge people like that from the Libs. They’ve been on about this “broad tent” thing for too long.
Thank you C.L. your post so eloquently expresses my thoughts – my words I’m afraid would not rise above profanity
Well, I thought carefully about using the word, F.E.
Two schools of thought: ‘Nazi’ and associated words should be used only rarely to describe things exactly like the original monsters who went by that name and committed those crimes.
Or it can and should be used to describe political leaders and political cultures that veer radically, criminally away from the rule of law and human decency. During the pandemic, there was a ceding of absolute control over citizens to dictatorial personages and a genuine malice was obvious in their decrees and behaviour. The police were given hitherto unprecedented powers and violence against dissenters was used as a matter of course. There was also a disturbing marginalisation of, and orchestrated incitement of hatred against, a sub-standard class of people.
‘Nazification’ shouldn’t be used lightly but it shouldn’t be warehoused either – not when there are lessons to be learned from history.
I wish, Tom. No.
For years, I’ve used caricatures and sketches in preference to photographs as a respectful nod to the Wall Street Journal – which didn’t publish photographs until this century. Even on the day after 9/11 in 2001, the Journal wouldn’t budge.
There’s something about that unwillingness to push writing aside for images – and the enlightening compatibility of words and art – that has always appealed to me.
The WSJ is famous for its “hedcuts.” These are stippled portraits – still done by hand – by a specialist at the Journal. So that old sensibility lives on.
cross posted at https://freedomaustralia.freeforums.net/thread/2385/election-thoughts?page=1&scrollTo=8107
‘Veer further right’? If gaslighting is to be effective you can’t be this ridiculous.
Pitchperfect post, C.L.
LOL.
A smidgen to the left and they would be indistinguishable from Labor.
In fact some Labor MPs are probably more to the right than the unlamented Sharma and Zimmerman, among others.