It out of control when Alex Pearce has been counselled, calls for the AFL to fine him, because he gave a like to Kneecap hitting on Israel for its actions in Gaza. At a time when responsible organisations at the national and international level, including Jewish organisations, are also calling out Israel.
IDK why it’s commendable to condemn Russia and other Governments such as Sudan, Myanmar , to call out non State actors for attacks on civilians, for the staggering casualties of civilians and civilian infrastructure, but not Israel.
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Chip Le Grand nails it.
Lesson for the Liberals: do the opposite of what Peta Credlin says
On the Monday morning after the federal election, the sun rose over Spring Street and the inhabitants of the curious little village of Morwell went about their business seemingly oblivious to the broader goings-on of the outside world.
Premier Jacinta Allan rose early, slipped on her favourite high-vis vest, laced up a pair of steel-capped boots and resumed the position at a Big Build construction site. Opposition Leader Brad Battin rose even earlier, drove out to Morwell and promised (yet again) to put more young people in jail.
It could have been any Monday in Victorian state politics. If the premier and opposition leader have their way, it’ll be hard hat and the hardman all the way from here to next November’s state election. But, before we return to politics as usual, let’s pause to reflect on a federal election result that was anything but.
Well-considered Liberal post-mortems are already lined up on this site like Rockettes. Rather than add to the growing canon, what follows is a more concise list of what to do and what not to do if the Victorian Liberal Party wants to form government again.
1. Don’t watch Sky News.
In the 26 years since Sky News Australia began broadcasting, the Victorian Liberal Party has governed for two terms out of nine terms. Is this coincidence or causation? Don’t overthink it. Just don’t watch Sky News.
Whatever Sky News host Peta Credlin says, the Liberal Party should do the opposite.
2. Don’t watch Peta Credlin, especially.
Sky News still resembles a news channel during the day. It is when the sun goes down and Credlin and her friends come on air that the joint turns batshit crazy. If you really must watch Sky News, turn off the telly at 6pm.
3. Be like George.
This is advice, given grudgingly, to Liberal MPs too hooked on Sky News and Credlin’s show to go cold turkey. If you really must watch Sky and really, really must watch Credlin, do the exact opposite of everything she says.
Do you remember the Seinfeld episode where George has an epiphany that every decision he has made in his life and every instinct he has is wrong? From that moment, he vows to do the opposite of what he would normally do.
Credlin, since she served as former prime minister Tony Abbott’s chief of staff, has been the George Costanza of the Liberal Party. Her every instinct is the opposite of what it needs to form stable government. So next time, do the inverse of what Credlin says.
4. Don’t confuse branch members with normal people.
In one of the forementioned post-mortems, former Liberal defence minister Christopher Pyne describes as “chilling” his observation from a Sturt polling place that everyone reaching for a Liberal how-to-vote card was either old or not a woman. While we prepare a hot toddy to help Pyne recover from his shock, have a think about the people who make up your local Liberal Party branch.
Liberal branch members are, with some exceptions, too old to buy green bananas, young fogeys, or just plain lonely. Branch meetings are a terrific social outlet for them, but this doesn’t mean they should determine the direction of a political party with genuine ambitions to govern.
5. Don’t be mean.
This shouldn’t have to be said but if you aspire to elected office, you shouldn’t beat up on black people, international students or public servants. If you think the path to victory lies in stirring up resentment about Welcome to Country and working from home, you’re more suited to branch meetings than parliament.
Remember that on election night, Credlin said the Liberal Party needed to wage more culture wars, not fewer. Refer to rule No.3.
6. Don’t mistake grievance for policy.
Victoria has an 11-year-old state government and a hand-me-down premier, and both are on the nose with most voters. Heading into this election year, Victoria was fertile ground for a coherent and considered Coalition pitch to voters. Driving a truck with Jacinta Allan’s face plastered on it from petrol pump to petrol pump wasn’t it.
The folly of Peter Dutton, in one of the final acts of his political career, pulling his “double trouble” truck into a Sydenham petrol station, in the still very safe seat of Gorton in Melbourne’s west, tells you everything that was wrong about the Liberal campaign.
If you want to win elections, explain to people what you are for, not just who you are against.
7. Just don’t drive trucks.
Not a debt truck. Not Brad’s bus. Not a mobile billboard. Did you see the giant, inflatable three-eyed fish from The Simpsons during the campaign? No one did. That’s because grown-ups in the Labor Party told Trades Hall to pull their heads in.
8. If a party pollster tells you it’s raining, look out the window.
The reason Dutton parked his truck in Sydenham on election day is because Liberal strategists thought the party was a genuine chance to win Gorton. The margin at the last election was 10 per cent. It is still 10 per cent.
Polling is fallible. Freshwater Strategy, the company that provided the Liberal Party with campaign research, was not the only pollster that didn’t see this result coming. Polling done for the Victorian Labor Party in the last week of the campaign indicated the ALP was facing a 2 to 3 per cent two-party-preferred swing against it in Victoria. Instead, Victoria swung towards Labor.
Serving MPs and aspiring politicians have eyes and ears. They are supposed to know their constituencies. Instead of putting blind faith in your pollsters, listen to your instincts. And then do the exact opposite.
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Nice. This article is funny and true. Everything about the LNP atm is very funny. Ley and Taylor are the squabbling chickens vying to scale the shitdripping roost. It’s good stuff.
And where he mentions Peta Credlin…include Tony Abbott…every utterance is toxic.
Absolutely weird but nothing I didn’t know already from knowing people that work for her.
They all love their jobs though and reckon they are looked after well so are prepared to put up with that bizarre stuff
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Sounds exactly what I hear from people we know who work for Tesla.