Future of bruised Australian politics
The Australian politics took a quirky turn this week with the worst form of personality on display that pushed the Liberals to lowest rank in the public trust. The tweaks provided opportunity for opposition party to claim they are ready to better serve the Australian people – forgetting they have had the same history.
Over the decade, the Australian politics failed to find a tall personality who can steer the debate from who to be prime minister to what to be the Australian prosperity agenda. The intra-party feud, leadership hostility, personality clashes and individual interest over national policy agenda are some of the many factors that is dragging Australian politics to fragile and unproductive.
In 2015, Freedom House has warned the weakening democratic values – personality and ideological battle in the liberal party was part of this. Climate change, marriage equality, energy policy, immigration and trade war were pathetic excuses to jump the queue for the top job. This phenomenon has not only affected Australian democratic values but global. Politics continue to become polarized and fractured. Democracy is on defense, on retreat.
Politics has not been progressive – we are going to our roots. The core concept of democracy was to give stability in governance that opens doors for certainty in investment, job growth, economic developments and social harmony. However, the populists are taking over pluralists, the nationalist are closing the open borders.
The attempted rise of Peter Dutton reflect this core culture very much influencing Australian Liberal Party. His defeat has not yet cleansed the shattered party of the xenophobic culture. The next election will definitely give greater space for such groups unless new leader ScoMo comes up with stronger leadership, ideological base and clear policy agenda.
Some Liberal backbenchers have started murmuring the way leadership in the party is determined. Tony abbot had long run his politics bashing Labour during Rudd-Gillard-Rudd clashes. His only strength of winning the election was blaming Labour of giving unstable government, fragmented leadership and weak policies. He studied Labour to such an extent that he was engulfed within it to make it part of his party culture. He shattered, bruised and battered the party yet got defeated. It’s time for him to quit politics for good.
ScoMo and Josh will have tough work to do – build the party from wreckage. His leadership future will depend not on policy but his ability to be captain and tame the disgruntled bunch. Let’s hope for a stable Australian government with progressive agendas.