Key events
Dan Jervis-Bardy
‘Our solemn task is to get ourselves in a state where we are capable of governing again’: Paterson
The Liberals have been locked in an extended period of public blood-letting and infighting after suffering the worst election defeat in its 80-year history at the May poll, with sackings and resignations from shadow cabinet, damaging leaks and frequent outbreaks of disunity all testing Sussan Ley’s authority.
In the speech, the shadow finance minister said a period of “reflection and self-examination” was necessary after the election loss, particularly given MPs’ regret with how robust internal debate was sacrificed for unity under Peter Dutton’s leadership.
But Paterson said it cannot “drag on for ever”.
An ongoing mass public therapy session doesn’t exactly scream ‘ready for government’.
Paterson acknowledged the Liberal party – unlike Labor – granted backbench MPs freedom to speak their mind on policies, reflecting on how he had threatened to cross the floor to oppose the Turnbull government’s proposed extradition treaty with China in 2017.
But, without naming any rogue MPs on his side, he said that “freedom must be exercised judiciously”.
The Liberal party is not a thinktank. Or an activist group. Or a debating society. We are a political party designed to win and hold government. Those of us who remain in parliament have a special obligation to our party and our country. And our solemn task is to get ourselves in a state where we are capable of governing again. The consequences if we fail are dire.
James Paterson says Liberals must end post-election ‘apology tour’
Dan Jervis-Bardy
A senior Liberal frontbencher has called for an end to the naval-gazing that has plagued his party since its disastrous federal election defeat, warning a prolonged “mass public therapy session” makes the opposition appear unfit for government.
The Victorian senator James Paterson said the party must stop the post-election “apology tour” and urgently shift its focus to holding Labor accountable and devising a policy agenda that applies traditional Liberal-conservative values to modern Australia.
In a speech laying out his vision for the party’s future, the Victorian senator said the Liberals must reject the “false choice” that it must turn into either a “free market version of the teals” – in doing so rejecting culture wars – or adopt Nigel Farage-style populism.
Delivering the Tom Hughes Oration last night, a speech in honour of the former Liberal attorney general, Paterson said:
The alternative to these false choices is to maintain the classical liberal-conservative fusion that Menzies built and make it relevant for the modern world.
Welcome
Good morning and welcome to our news blog. I’m Martin Farrer with the top overnight stories before our day’s blogger steers the news ship through the oceans of live updates.
James Paterson, the shadow finance minister, has called for an end to the naval-gazing that has plagued his party since its disastrous federal election defeat, warning a prolonged “mass public therapy session” makes the opposition appear unfit for government. We have more details in a minute.
The International Monetary Fund expects Australia’s economic growth to slow in the coming months as the global economy battles trade tensions and faces risks of an AI bubble. More coming up.
