The Liberals once tried to build a big tent to include a range of political positions. Recent conflicts over energy, same-sex marriage and euthanasia show this is no longer sustainable.
Tuesday’s party room mood reflected the sense most Coalition MPs have that to save marginal seats and give the government its best chance of survival, they need to unite behind Turnbull.
The Coalition party room on Tuesday is set for a high stakes, quite personal battle between Abbott and Turnbull over the NEG, with former and current prime ministers shaping up on Monday.
To make a concession to the coal lobby would flout the technology-neutral foundation of the NEG and have much more serious implications than throwing in some money to boost the GST pool.
Delivering the Bob Carter Commemorative Lecture in Melbourne, Abbott said: “Withdrawing from the Paris agreement that is driving the NEG would be the best way to keep prices down and employment up”
Malcolm Turnbull and Energy Minister Josh Frydenberg had clear Coalition party room support on Tuesday to decisively stare down a fresh sortie by Tony Abbott on the National Energy Guarantee.
The latest annual survey from the Lowy Institute shows that 59% of Australians support strong climate action, and 84% want the government to embrace renewable energy even if it’s more expensive.
Australia has been having the same disagreement about what and how history should be taught. We need to move on and listen to the evidence so our children have the best history education possible.
Tony Abbott’s supporters are derided as delusional conservatives, but they have immense political impact and are determined to bring down Malcolm Turnbull.
The Coalition trails 48-52%, compared with 47-53% a fortnight ago. The Australian reports it is only the second time since April last year that the government has come
Many among the public will discount Abbott’s activities as just his usual trouble-making. The noise, however, reinforces the general impression of a fractured government.
It may seem incredible that some 2,500 years since the Homeric epics, women are still silenced in public. But the myths of Archaic Greece resonate today in disturbing ways.
The new pro-coal ‘Monash Forum’ follows in a rich political tradition of think tanks and pressure groups, all with names calculated to lend themselves maximum gravitas and a large dose of obfuscation.
Tim Storer has one hell of a decision to make shortly after the May budget, when the government plans to bring back its legislation to give tax cuts to big business.