Daniel Dennis writes: I at all times thought he was a politician for whom profession administration was his profession. The average badging was an unconvincing little bit of product differentiation within the political market. As quickly because the get together doorways closed, he was an ineffectual mute whom the onerous proper knew would by no means significantly oppose them.
His ideas, as a lot as they may very well be discerned, have been conservative boilerplate — don’t confuse him with really principled Liberal get together warriors like Fred Chaney and Alan Missen who have been preventing advocates of thought-out positions that weren’t for compromise when the political climate modified. Was I the one one to have had all my suspicions about Birmingham confirmed when he claimed in a post-2019 election interview that the Morrison spreadsheet calculation of rorting funding in direction of marginal electorates might not be questioned on ethical grounds as a result of “we gained the election”?
Birmingham served his get together’s goal as a droning speaking head who might persuade the congenitally undiscerning that the Libs have been a “broad church” when the one pew within the place was the one on the far proper.
Grant Nowell writes: Rachel Withers is spot on together with her evaluation of Senator Birmingham — with the conservatives being overrun by right-wing radicals, certainly the time was proper for the average senator to face up and provide some resistance. Sadly he selected to take a seat on his fingers and look the opposite manner… I’m positive many first rate conservative voters would have appreciated a average voice in Parliament.
Anyway, I’m positive the right-wing, Trump-lite members might be celebrating one other average departing the scene.
Sidney R writes: Right here was an individual who typically vocalised however mentioned nothing.
David Arthur writes: Birmingham and the so-called average wing of what was as soon as the Liberal get together have signally didn’t cease the LNP’s “lurch to nastiness (exit stage proper)” — however for the reason that LNP is not more than the political wing of the Murdoch/mining ecosystem, perhaps Birmingham wasn’t even attempting.
George Megalogenis has lately written about how Australia is best served once we elect minority governments. I’d argue that Birmingham agrees with Megalogenis… and with Malcolm Turnbull, who organized the longest doable marketing campaign for the 2016 federal “Jobson Grothe” election, within the hope that the Australian voters would keep away from returning a majority LNP authorities.
Turnbull will need to have despaired upon realising Barnaby Joyce, Peter Dutton and Ted O’Brien have been nonetheless in his joint get together room. Ever the political newbie, he utterly missed the Pentecostal machinations that really introduced him down.
Hopefully the teals will proceed changing LNP luminaries, a lot as how Helen Haines now stands the place Sophie Mirabella as soon as rampaged.
Geoff Bower writes: Bernard Keane’s article clearly spells out the contrasts between the optimism of a brand new Labor authorities elected on many climate-positive guarantees in 2022, and the pathetic shambles of last-minute laws on the finish of its probably solely time period of presidency [last] week.
After the guarantees and hopes that got here with “Kevin 07” I used to be so upset by the dearth of significant local weather motion that I resigned from the ALP and joined the Greens. With this present betrayal, one can solely hope that an amazing many others will observe that path of helpful voter allegiance.
Robert Kerr writes: The shambles of the final 12 months of the federal government ought to guarantee a Labor-led minority authorities in 2025.
As regards to the Coalition, Dutton and his cronies show abject incompetence with an incapability to soak up even fundamental factual data. Their pursuit to appease the worldwide oligarchs of the fossil gas trade on the expense of their constituents forfeits any acceptance of their proper to kind authorities.
Beau Repaire writes: It’s onerous to flee the conclusion that Albanese is personally hostile to points associated to local weather and biodiversity. His each motion since turning into prime minister suggests this, and any achievements appear to have been made by ministers ducking and weaving regardless of his management, not along with his energetic assist. This a weird positioning, given the chance raised on the final election with teals and Greens permitting a extra progressive relationship with the Senate, however Albo point-blank refusing to barter or compromise.
If he’d had an enormous social justice or financial equality agenda operating parallel that will be perhaps one thing — however he’s made solely limp efforts in these instructions, too. No carry to the dole, no tax reform for equality past what Chalmers squeezed previous him with the tax cuts… He’s an issue, and it’s not wanting nice for Labor’s reelection.
Judy Hardy-Holden writes: The previous two years have been a circus in Canberra. If you’d like clowns in Canberra for one more stint, vote for any of the foremost events (together with the Greens?)
For those who don’t desire a clown to characterize you, vote for another person. In my voters, our main clown thinks nuclear energy will remedy all our issues. Which, after all, it’s going to, within the closing evaluation.
