No matter how they try to spin it, the result of the by-election in Wentworth was a disaster for the Coalition. It was a record swing against a government and suggests they will get absolutely smashed at the next federal election.
That’s not good for the country or for the future of the Liberal Party. It also highlights just how important the decision of the Australian Conservatives to focus on building a strong Senate team is at the next Election.
The Senate simply cannot be shaped by the extreme Green movement or personality parties. The best interests of our country will be served by having a strong, consistent and principled block of Conservatives influencing the government of the day. That’s what the Conservative Party offers.
What has been overlooked in the Wentworth result was the poor performance of Labor and many minor parties. Labor failed to get even 12 per cent of the vote whilst one personality party leader told me they expected to get 5 per cent. In the end, they obtained less than 150 votes.
The lesson I take from this is that independents, rather than minor parties, may be a determining factor in the formation of government at the next election.
Both the major parties are on the nose with voters and many minors aren’t seen as stable and credible. Despite the political chaos of the last ten years, the appetite for independent MPs appears undiminished.
For many, an independent lower house MP is seen as offering better service to their electorate than the machine men of the big parties who seem to blindly follow the edicts from above.
These major party apparatchiks are quite content to argue in favour or against any position as long as it helps their rise to higher office.
One potential downside of a less structured parliament is the lack of financial responsibility attached to the grab bag of independent wishes.
The most important long-term economic issue facing our country is to rein in our growing national debt and limit the size and scope and reach of government. I can’t think of a single successful independent member (or too many governments full stop) who genuinely and consistently advocate for such a platform.
Swinging electorates inevitably demand to be fed by other peoples’ money, and politicians cave in to that demand.
The belief that taxpayer-funded subsidies or benefits will improve our lives is an alluring one. Those seeking short-term ‘sugar hits’ with no mind to the long-term consequences are increasing.
The Wentworth result has proven no different.
Already the left-leaning government members are demanding another billion dollars to help ‘cure’ climate change. This money, like every previous dollar sunk into this bottomless policy pit, won’t make any difference to the global temperature but it might reduce the political heat for a few days.
Borrowing another billion dollars (or more) to not achieve anything worthwhile is now the answer to political problems from majors, minors and independents alike.
In the end, this approach will create many more problems than it will ever solve. I regret that too many are not open to the message of fiscal responsibility and our obligation to future generations.
However, as far as the Australian Conservatives are concerned, we will never give up trying to do the right thing by every Australian.
Cory Bernardi is the author of seven books and has been a member of the Australian rowing team, a publican, an investment portfolio manager and spent nearly 14 years as an Australian Senator.
