BENEATH his notorious negativity, Tony Abbott and his senior frontbenchers are devising a blueprint to change decisively Australia's national policy and philosophical direction.

The carbon tax is the engulfing fog that dominates yet obscures.

It has defined Abbott's leadership since December 2009 and is the instrument he has used to ruin Labor's brand. Yet the Opposition Leader's anti-carbon tax crusade has constituted a dramatic trade-off: the price he has paid to destroy Labor in the nation has been a negative personal rating.

For Abbott, it is a willing bargain. The consequence, however, is the public either remains unsure about the values that will infuse an Abbott government.

While the media recycles talk of Malcolm Turnbull returning as leader down the track, Abbott's hold is entrenched. He is far advanced in the recasting of the Liberal Party. It is not a solo project. On the contrary, it is underpinned by tight frontbench collaboration and deep backbench support.

Global and domestic events have imposed essential changes on the old Abbott, once besotted by the utility of state power. Abbott and the Coalition now stand, above all, for three core ideas.

The first is a deep commitment to the prudent state typified by surplus budgets, debt reductions, dismantling "Labor values" spending and an attack of sorts on the entitlement culture, an idea pushed by economic spokesman Joe Hockey, long seized by the fiscal task he faces.

Second, the Coalition seeks a rebalancing between enterprise and the environment with a sweeping agenda to dismantle Labor "green and red tape", purge regulatory complexity, facilitate development, promote northern Australia as an export food bowl and run environmental policies that are more direct and practical.

In this sense, carbon tax repudiation, important in its own right, symbolises a decisive switch in values.

Third, as a social fabric conservative Abbott wants to curb the idea that "government knows best", limit interference in people's lives, cut social engineering and, as a perpetual volunteer in his personal life, promote Edmund Burke's concept of "little platoons"-Abbott's notion of social communities based on individual initiative and much greater personal responsibility.

In other words Mr
Abbott's concepts remain the same as they've always been -
the politics of money and power. The ideology
of greed, filled by an unbridled commitment to
individualism. They leave no room for social equity,
compassion or the idea of an egalitarian society.

I've just come across the following excerpt from a
book written in 1987 by Peter Garrett. It makes for
interesting reading:

"That uniquely Australian quality of "We're-in-this-together-
and-no-one-should-be-considered-to-be-anything-other-than-
equal," that's been an integral part of politics in this
country since the first European settlement is one that
is rejected by the proponents of the Liberal Party."

"The Liberal Party believes that neither
government nor associations of working people (unions),
should be able to restrict the proper application of
capital (money) in the economy. That people in their view,
either sink or swim. And if they sink, well that's too
bad, because - welfare is
not good for business."

" We are in critical
times in Australia and we do need a re-assessment of the
relationship between labour and capital, a re-assessment
which takes into account the politics of industrial
democracy, profit and job sharing,
and long term planning and preservation of our environment.
What we don't need is the "kick-the-worker-today-and-take-
the-money-tomorrow" attitude that comes from the Cold War
warriors who are currently at work around the place."

Peter Garrett points out that -

"The only way in which the country can work properly is
for management and labour to co-operate with one another
not condemn one another."

"The sad truth is that condemnation is the only language
that the Liberal Party appears to understand."

Mr Abbott and his colleagues should not be encouraged to
allow it to come any closer to home.

Lexi,

Then Labor believes that people are too stupid to run their own lives, and that working hard and getting ahead is a crime.

Dear Shadow Minister,

On the contrary, Labor is very sensitive
to the realities of modern economic conditions.
Greed is not their preferred sin, and their motto unlike
that of the Libs - is not - omnia deducenda.
(Latin for 'everything should be deductable').

Lexi,

They certainly don't behave like it. Your view of the libs is equally far fetched.

Scribbler--Good try, but really? Shame on you! Not the same thing at all ... and you know it. ;)

Why is it not the same thing? The Jews were refugees. Truly homeless.Why
didn't the mass immigration of skilled workers(the Jews) work there.
I am not ashamed because I truly believe what I say, and history backs me up in what I believe.

I do believe this is off topic for this discussion though.