Albo to the rescue

[facthunter]

They are Misfits from everywhere and right wing. How will they decide the Pecking Order? Too many Chiefs and Not enough Indians. What policies will they AGREE on?  It's Pauline Hanson's ........(whatever it IS). One Notion. Nev

[Jerry_Atrick]

Despite this, according to a headline on The Age website today, One Nation are in with a decent chance:

 

Reform here, and their predecessor party UKIP (effectively the same but rebranded), spent years without any seat in the House of Commons until the last election, where they got 4. The seat Farage holds is Clacton, one fo the more deprived areas in the country. Despite his voting record which will make the people of Clacton even worse off, they love him and his popularity there has increased. Because they only listen to what they want to hear and reject everything else. Pretty well much how society works these days, I guess.

 

The fact is Hanson offers people who feel left behind, of which more of the population seems to be itself an issue that needs to be resolved), something to blame at least, and therefore an answer to the problems. People will expect to see these problems solved overnight, just as per Chump, but it will take a long time before they stop excusing her. 

 

Also, rusted on Lib voters can never see themselves endorsing Labor - it really is that simple. Libs are in no mans loand between what @pmccarthy correctly terms as Australian conservative values and the rabid right.. They will never compete with Pauline properly unless what is left of the more middle ground is hollowed out completely. 

 

Like Reform, they are more likely to pick up seats the longer out poltical malaise continues. 

[old man emu]

I would rather vote for a Party that actually has experience in running a government. These smaller parties are often single issue Parties and don't have the experience of operating the many varied portfolios that are needed for government. The LIB/Nationals have a lot of work to do in regaining the trust of the electorate after the recent split and reunification. It seems that there is a widening gap between them in core policies. That will have to close before they become a realistic threat to Labor. Not that Labor has all the correct policies, either.

[Jerry_Atrick]

I think there's a real market for a new political party, without necessarily experience of running a government, but with solid central policies that foster innovation/entrepreneurship  and ensure the risk/reward formula rewards well  those who take risks and succeed, but also ensures that those that participate are not left behind - i.e. striking the right balance. The right balance is different for different people - I get it - but at least the rational conversation to try and strike that balance.

 

While I agree that it would be good getting someone in who has experience running the country, by being in parliament, you do get that experience even in minor or major opposition as you are exposed to the machinations indirectly and directly through parliamentary committees and the like. So, you would want them not to take government day 1, but maybe after one or two elections where they have had time to get that experience and build their numbers - and also prove their mettle - or not - to the electorate. 

 

The other reason is that (hopefully) they would come with little political baggage. For example, the issue Jacinta Allan in Vic has in tackling the CFMEU is just that.. a lot of this happened under her watch (and prior). also, when you represent the old guard, coming out and changing things is admitting you were wrong the first time, and the press love that; and people naturally question your competence. She is not the only one - Dutton is a second (although I think he didn't see any wrong he and the government he was very senior in did). For some reason, the electorate hates it when pollies admit they were wrong and learned their lesson and will do better - it's as if everything we try and teach our kids goes out the window when it comes to politics. 

 

Edited 44 minutes ago by Jerry_Atrick