Comment: Bathing in NSW's reflected glory won't do, PM, you need a makeover
There is a conspicuous asymmetry in the Morrison government’s response to recent election results. When it took an electoral drubbing, as in the Longman and Wentworth byelections, and in the Victorian state election, there were apparently no lessons to be had. But when Gladys Berejiklian managed to retain government in NSW, despite the anti-federal government sentiment, there was ebullience, and claims to be re-energised as the Libs in Canberra attempted to bathe in reflected glory.
Berejiklian lost only one Liberal-held metropolitan seat, although the overall swing was almost 3 per cent, dominated by very large swings against the Nationals in key electorates, costing them three seats. The combined vote for the major parties declined again, confirming the post-World War II drift as voters continue to lose confidence and faith in them. There will now be nine seats in NSW held by minor parties and independents.
Clearly, the Nats have lost touch with regional Australia. This was evident with the postal survey on same-sex marriage when, against their very strong expectations to the contrary, 15 of their 16 seats voted yes. They have compounded this by their continual internal squabbling over the leadership, with Barnaby Joyce even stupidly raising the issue again in the midst of the NSW campaign, as well as failing to understand and respond to key regional issues.
Morrison’s only hope is a complete image and policy reset – to recognise the risks to our future and map out a realistic path forward. This will involve the conspicuous ditching of old prejudices, policies and rhetoric.In these terms, a budget that merely extrapolates the Coalition's past, offers more insignificant tax cuts and more unfunded infrastructure rather than solutions, should seal its electoral fate.
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