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The Forum > Article Comments > Twelve reasons why Australia needs a Conservative Party > Comments

Twelve reasons why Australia needs a Conservative Party : Comments

By Vern Hughes, published 2/3/2010

Political parties of both Right and Left have ignored society for a century in their obsession with the market and the state.

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The sections on Immigration and cultural inclusion, Small is beautiful, and Governance reform are certainly worth considering.

Neither of the major political parties in Australia is worth its salt.
Posted by Leigh, Tuesday, 2 March 2010 9:32:05 AM
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Interesting article, and one that certainly reminds one of the third way as articulated in the infamous Latham Diaries.

The author does however oversimplify and or inaccurately summarises the positions on both the left and the right however.

For example, the right has recently supported intervention in Indigenous communities aimed at making such communities become functional and able to allow Indigenous people to obtain employment and live without violence.

Also, the left have been quite vocal in wanting liberal arts degrees to proliferate.

Finally, both sides have made pitches to the disabled and carers.
Posted by AJFA, Tuesday, 2 March 2010 11:13:04 AM
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I would appreciate the rise of a real conservative party and the burying of the Howard/Costello/Vanstone/Ruddock/Abbot style Liberals whose only interests seem to be power at any cost and making the trains run on time.
It is probably unrealistic but I would like to see Australian politics grow to the point where political parties understood that the purpose of an opposition is not to oppose everything, but to review and offer alternatives if alternatives are called for. A place where it is not the purpose of the Government act dictatorially on all things until they are thrown out of office by an electorate tired of broken promises.
We do not have a democracy in Australia. What we have is a series of time limited dictatorships. Every three years we vote for who will be our dictator for the next three years. Apart from that it is rare for the Australian people to have any influence on political matters.
A new liberal party founded on true liberal principals instead of power, power, and more power could be a step towards changing that. Malcolm Turnbull looked like he was beginning to head to a new Liberal party and I hope that he can still yet be the catalyst for radical changes for those who call themselves liberals.
I voted Labour at the last election and unless the Liberals make major changes to their line up and focus will do so again later this year. It is not that I have any particular love of the Labour party, it is because the Labour dictator looks a better alternative to any dictator the Liberals have to offer.
But the real problem is the people of Australia. It was Hitler who said 'It is lucky for governments that the people do not think.' Until we start thinking about issues we will get the Liberals (and Labour) we deserve.
Posted by Daviy, Tuesday, 2 March 2010 12:51:45 PM
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You people DO realize there actually ARE quite a few Australian political parties precisely like what Vern described?
Not to mention thousands of independents, easily.
Again- google is your friend, use it!

Anyway, I very much agree Vern, Australia is sorely dominated by a disproportionate amount of anti-egalitarian neocons or neoliberals who tend to like a LOT of control over civil liberties.
Ideally a more balanced and comfortable system would be between a liberal-left and a conservative party like you described- BOTH egalitarian and secular and BOTH accept BCIR.
Posted by King Hazza, Tuesday, 2 March 2010 2:59:01 PM
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Anyone having a problem with Vern's assessment has a problem.
Posted by individual, Tuesday, 2 March 2010 6:54:15 PM
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Yes Daviy,

Of the many, many kids that I have tackled on their way home from schools, no one has heard of Constitution or democratic processes.

Have the schools a stake in keeping our children ignorant on matters social and political? Probably yes. Probably teachers prefer dictating to classrooms.
Posted by skeptic, Tuesday, 2 March 2010 9:54:53 PM
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