Responses to my "Menzies moment" analysis

Dear ,

When I circulated my "Menzies moment" newsletter analysing the position the Liberal Party, and therefore the opposition parties, found itself in I asked for responses and promised to respond.

As a result six of you gave me very detailed responses. I also received some verbal feedback.

This is a summary of those responses. I don't think I need to respond in detail to the points raised. Either I agree with the comments, or in the rare cases where I don't, it wouldn't serve any purpose to comment. Not everything has to be argued to the end, and there is room for different perceptions, and therefore different prescriptions.

I'd just like to thank Carol, Paul, Darryl, Matthew, Paul and Sean for their feedback.

This is not an issue that is resolved in the sense that while I think there is broad agreement on the problems, there is little agreement on the solutions. New party? Renovated party? If renovated, which rooms need to be replaced? And so on.

So here is the summary.

Common Themes

1. Identity and Philosophy

There was near-unanimous agreement that the Liberal Party has lost its philosophical coherence and moral confidence.

- Voters no longer know what the Party stands for.

- Many urged a return to first principles-individual liberty, responsibility, limited government, and opportunity-articulated in language suited to modern challenges.

- A few saw this as an existential crisis, requiring either a deep philosophical renewal or the birth of a new political formation.

2. Campaign and Messaging Failures

All respondents were sharply critical of the 2025 campaign.

- Advertising was described as weak, cluttered, and incoherent, with too much focus on policy detail and too little emotional appeal.

- The Party failed to counter Labor's scare campaigns over Medicare and nuclear power.

- Decisions appeared to rest with inexperienced operatives disconnected from the grassroots.

- A call for simpler, more visceral communication recurred-one suggested a "basket of groceries" as a better symbol of cost-of-living pressures than policy talking points.

3. Leadership and Organisation

Leadership and internal culture were seen as major impediments.

- The attempt to "soften" Peter Dutton's image was judged misguided; contributors thought he should project strength and decisiveness rather than conciliation.

- There was strong criticism of the Party's top-down structure and lack of two-way communication with members.

- NSW and Victorian divisions were repeatedly described as dysfunctional, and the quality of candidates and staff was said to have declined markedly.

- Several contributors provided first-hand accounts of operational incompetence at branch level and poor campaign discipline.

4. Policy Weakness and Incoherence

Respondents agreed the Party's policies were ad hoc and derivative of Labor's, lacking both philosophical and practical clarity.

- The Party offered no credible plan to restore fiscal discipline after the pandemic.

- Housing, cost-of-living, and immigration were cited as major missed opportunities.

- Repeated backflips-notably on work-from-home-undermined trust.

- The failure to articulate a coherent energy or defence strategy was noted, with one observing that defence "hardly got a mention despite world issues."

5. Social and Cultural Positioning

Many lamented the Party's timidity in cultural debates. They argued it should defend the institutions that sustain a liberal democracy-family, faith, education, and national identity-rather than cede the terrain to the left.

- Some saw the Party's accommodation of progressive rhetoric as hollowing out its base.

- Patriotism was identified as a missing emotional anchor, especially when contrasted with the civic pride observed in the United States.

- Most rejected gender quotas as tokenistic; the so-called "woman problem" was seen as overstated and wrongly framed.

6. Voter Base and Outreach

All agreed the Party has lost touch with Middle Australia-small business, outer-suburban, and regional voters who once formed its core.

- Migrant communities were seen as an untapped constituency whose values of family, thrift, and enterprise align naturally with the centre-right, but who are rarely courted effectively.

- Several linked youth disengagement to left-leaning educational and media environments, particularly the ABC and school curricula.

7. Is the Liberal Party Salvageable?

The majority view was that the Party can be salvaged, but only through radical reform.

- It must reclaim a clear philosophical foundation, restructure internally to empower members, and attract more capable candidates and campaign professionals.

- One contributor argued it may be beyond repair under its current constitution; another declared it "cooked."

- Nevertheless, most held that renewal is still possible if the Party embraces genuine change rather than cosmetic review.

8. Tone and Tactics

Respondents overwhelmingly called for a bolder, more confident, and combative stance-tempered by professionalism.

- The Party should stop apologising for its convictions and fight assertively for its principles.

- Attempts to moderate tone or mimic Labor's style were seen as self-defeating.

- Contributors wanted "more mongrel," but of a disciplined kind: conviction-driven, not populist.

- A small minority cautioned against importing Trumpian theatrics, arguing that moral seriousness and steadiness are more persuasive in the Australian context.

In summary: clarity, courage, and competence were the desired watchwords.

Underlying Currents

Beneath the detailed criticisms ran a shared emotional current: frustration mixed with residual loyalty.

Participants were disillusioned by the Party's drift and decline but still believed the centre-right has a vital role to play in Australian public life. The unspoken consensus was that technical failures-messaging, organisation, candidate selection-stem from a deeper cause: a loss of philosophical conviction and self-belief.

Kind regards,

GRAHAM YOUNG
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
AUSTRALIAN INSTITUTE FOR PROGRESS