Labor has won a resounding victory in the Victorian state election. And now, the soul-searching starts.
IMO, the Liberals' big error was thinking they need to hold seats. The disaster in the Wentworth by-election should have been a "wake-up!" call; The demographics of electorates change over time; Voters in well-off, leafy, inner-city suburbs that used to be Liberal strongholds are now more concerned with issues like climate change, pollution, (overseas) poverty and the like. Traffic congestion, urban crime, the (negative) effects of immigration, the cost of petrol and electricity and so-on don't impact their daily lives to any extent great enough to motivate them to vote for candidates that propose policies that address these issues. In any negotiation (and an election is a negotiation, between the voters and the candidate), the power lies with the party who can walk away. But, politicians being politicians, their first priority is always to stay elected. So the Liberals cuck their principles and core-values, to pander to these changes.
By doing this, they give away their power. No wonder the voters are abandoning them. My respect (if not always my vote) goes to the candidate who sticks to their guns and refuses to comprimise their principles and values.
They would do much better to chase votes in the electorates where these more closely match those of the voters. There are many current Labor-held seats where Labor has abandoned its' core-constituency - white, working-class people - who are concerned with crime, unemployment, the price of petrol and electricity and their values and concerns would now align more closely with the "Dry" end of the Liberal Party.
The Liberals would do well to capitalise on this. But to do this, they must stop chasing the Overton Window and plant a stake in the ideological ground. They need to espouse a set of core values and principles, present a set of policies that promote those ideas and let the voters choose. At the moment, the Liberal/National Coalition is engaging in internecine warfare. It may be a while before they have a coherent ideological position and policy set to attract votes again. When they do, they must present a clear, unambiguous alternative to the Socialist ideology and manifesto of Labor and the Left.
In the meantime, expect Labor and the Left to capitalise on this lack of opposition, nationally.
So what can an ordinary, non-Leftist voter do?
LEARN how the preferential (Reps) and quota (Senate) voting systems work. You need to know this, to understand how the system is gamed by and for vested interests and how to ensure the candidates you don't want, are denied your vote.
A vote for either of the major parties is now a waste, so start researching minor parties and independents. None of them will ever form government, but the idea is to get enough people on the cross-benches of both houses, that whichever major party does win government will be forced to negotiate with them, to get every piece of legislation through. It won't stop the rot, but it will slow it down enough to give a genuine opposition to the Left time to consolidate.
Discuss politics and economics with friends and family. Australians have been conditioned to shy away from honest, open discussion on this topic and that only serves the interests of the already politically entrenched. Work out what your core-values and principles are. Find a political position that matches them and argue your case fearlessly. Call out bullshit and bullying.
A healthy democracy requires a free and frank debate along with clear and unambiguous choices.
