Accepting always that societies, political parties, and circumstances change (it’s a dynamic process) Baume’s point that the Liberal Party has lost the vital middle ground is far from being merely moot. There was no way I could have voted for the party or its then sitting prime minister in May 2022. Nothing has happened since the election that would encourage me to consider doing so next time. It’s not a return to white picket fence heaven that would draw me (and so many others) back, but a recommitment to moral and ethically based politics and administration. My judgment is that Dutton and his tin drum brigade are incapable of making that leap.

david f,
I think you're confusing Academics with professionals ! Professionals are competent people who used their exposure to Academia to educate themselves into valuable careers. Academics do of course have a place in society but the majority are not quite as valuable as you like to believe ! The average tradesman contributes more to society than the average Academic !

When we return to Menzieism will we all have to wear snappy black uniforms and goose-step around in torch light processions? Just asking. After all Menzies was a NAZI sympathiser, as was the King of England. Menzies loved the royals. When Australia changed to decimal currency in 1966, Menzies wanted to call the dollar...."Royals"... what can we say.

Indyvidual wrote;

"I think you're confusing Academics with professionals !"

Dear Indyvidual,

I think you're confused. My son is an academic and a professional. Besides teaching as an academic he is also an agronomist. He has advised Brazilian farmers on the best way to grow soy beans. Being that he knows both Portuguese and Kayapo, the language of the tribe, he acted as negotiator between the Brazilian government and the tribes people. The tribes people supplied forest products and the government supplied guns, blankets and other items. Some academics become academics because they have a solid base of knowledge and wish to pass it on. It might be good if you should learn a little about academics. He is professor of anthropology. Anthropologists study different cultures and can help people from different backgrounds to communicate. You sound as though you are prejudiced against academics, and the prejudice comes from ignorance. However, I'm sure you can learn if you want to make the effort.

Dear Indyvidual,

I bought in to your distinction between academics and professionals. Actually, academics are professionals. If an academic does nothing but teach, he or she is a professional. To be a teacher is a skill.

You wrote, "Just as little as paying Academics for what ?"

Why do you feel hostile to academics?

As someone who should have been a rusted on Liberal, one thinks there is a simple explanation related to US libertarians, nativists, Christians and Murdoch led media, i.e. the Libs or LNP becoming GOP lite.

Howard's rise (after years of frustration), and maintaining power, was not solo but assisted by (now oligopoly) legacy media with the ascendancy of Murdoch becoming free of constraints and the centre of gravity of the Libs moving north to Sydney (now QLD), for more conservative nativism &/or evangelical Christianity.

Worse has been the imported non native US ideology that crosses from radical right libertarian Koch ideology e.g. denigration of climate science and education to white nativism that is rampant in US, UK & parts of Europe e.g. Hungary.

Further, importing/adopting US nativist or eugenics based ideology of deceased white nationalist John 'passive eugenics' Tanton an admirer of the white Australia policy, visitor, promoter of the 'great replacement' and muse of Bannon, alt right, Sustainable Population Australia etc.

Finally, importance of leveraging ageing demographic for 'pensioner populism' &/or 'collective narcissism' i.e. banking on the self interest of the above median age vote of Irish/Anglo cohorts who are less educated, but with demographic change are being replaced by younger, more diverse and more educated generations; many of the latter have bene dog whistled for over a generation..... not a sustainable strategy.

We are seeing evidence of the latter now but the Liberal Party is toying with going further right, with a shrinking membership/no policy development, when we have compulsory and preferential voting i.e. we're neither the US nor the UK; Labor should remain in government for two term minimum....