In the lead up to the election, the commentariat collectively wondered whether the incumbent government could survive the wrath of an electorate fuming about the cost of housing, groceries and essential services.
Australia would follow the path of other nations such as the US, or so the theory went, and expel the ruling party to send a message to those in power about their priorities.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese flanked by son Nathan and fiancee Jodie Haydon on election night. Credit: Dominic Lorrimer
As polling day approached, however, two things became clear to voters. Firstly, that some economic indicators showed the country was on the cusp of cost-of-living improvement and that its incumbent government was taking the problem seriously. A Reserve Bank rate cut helped with that.
Secondly, that a switch to the alternative did not necessarily lead to greener pastures. US President Donald Trump helped with that.
The opposition and others in this campaign appear to have forgotten a basic truth about Australian voters: they reject divisive politics, they will not be fooled by culture wars, they do not endorse hatred or division. They are people of reason who consistently shun extremes. They do not allow political parties to enter the mainstream unless they demonstrate they can conform to the cliche of governing from the “sensible centre.” In seeking their new leader and charting a new course, the Liberal Party must take heed of this fact.
By re-electing the Albanese government with a much larger majority and all but expelling the Liberal Party from the nation’s largest cities, Australians have sent an unmistakable message to the Coalition. It says that a mirroring of the Trumpian approach is not something they want in their country.
They do not want a prime minister so easily distracted by fear and division as Peter Dutton was during this election campaign. They will not be fooled by a leader who overstates Melbourne’s crime wave by suggesting the simple act of going to the shops has become a perilous journey. They see through tough talk on immigration that comes without detailed explanation. They do not want a leader who engages in culture warfare against Welcome to Country ceremonies and public servants who work from home.
At the time of writing, the Labor government of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was set to be returned with a sizeable majority of at least 85 seats in the nation’s 150-seat lower house, leaving the Coalition with less than half of that in electorates around the country, some of which are Nationals seats in rural areas. Although some results may not be decided for days, it is possible the Liberal Party could be left without a single seat in metropolitan Melbourne.
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