Copyright smh
A properly functioning coalition would have its partners working in lockstep on a policy as broad, economically important and electorally crucial as energy and climate change. It would operate on the basis of trust, shared beliefs and mutual self-interest. It’s not sustainable for a side of politics seeking the public’s endorsement to form government to consist of two organisations that are only ever one step away from holding each other hostage. But that’s the predicament too many among the current generation of Coalition MPs have galloped towards creating. How did this come about? Obviously, there’s political ineptitude and self-interest. Littleproud has shored up his position, pandering to his party’s support base on climate change by ditching net zero targets. But that is easy. The Nationals are a niche, geographically based party; at the election, they secured a tick over 4 per cent of the lower house vote. Ley is toying with taking the same route to stop the Coalition falling apart. It’s all for what? To hang on to their hopeless positions for just a bit longer? The Nationals may prosper, reversing One Nation’s march. But the damage to the Liberal Party will be profound, keeping both parties out of office. Even if Tehan, now hurriedly pulling together his energy policy, comes up with something utterly profound, how many voters in urban Australia who care about action on climate change – and who the Liberals need to win over – will be persuaded that a Liberal-National government would be credible on the issue? Most of what’s being discussed on climate change policy reeks of the Coalition’s flimflam approaches of the 2010s. Right at the heart of this problem for the major non-Labor parties lies something fundamental to the conduct of politics in the 2020s. The contest between the government and the opposition is between two distinct political models – one old, one new. The Coalition, despite losing solidly in 2022 and taking a beating this year, continues to follow the old model of political behaviour. The ALP under Anthony Albanese is deploying a new model – one that has obviously succeeded so far.
