16 May 25
Another election, another brutal defeat. But this isn’t just a temporary setback, it’s an existential threat.
On current results, more Australians voted for minor parties and independents than for the Coalition. This fact should shake Liberals to their core.
Yet some within the Liberal Party still believe it’s the voters who are out of step – not them.
If Liberals want to fix the country, they must first fix the party.
That starts with rediscovering the party’s purpose and speaking to the Australia that exists today.
This result didn’t come out of nowhere. The warning signs have been flashing for years – collapsing support among young voters and women, the loss of urban seats and a growing sense from Australians that the Liberal Party does not have answers to the challenges in their lives.
“We are not here just to win an election. We are here…to do something for our country.”
Prime Minister, Robert Menzies
That sense of purpose has faded. Recently, it feels like Liberals only fight to stay in the race.
Contrast this confusion with Labor’s clarity. After losing the unlosable election in 2019, Anthony Albanese declared that Labor existed “to change the power balance in society, whether that be economic power, political power or social power”. In other words, Labor had a purpose beyond winning.
High on the priority list for the new leadership team of Sussan Ley and Ted O'Brien MP should be clearly articulating why the Liberal Party exists, and how its values can improve Australians’ lives.
Right now, most voters don’t know the answer, and too few Liberals can offer one.
Beware the wrong path
The immediate temptation after a defeat of this scale is to retreat to perceived ‘safe’ ground and fight culture wars. This is self-destructive. Australians have rejected grievance politics and performative outrage.
Equally misguided would be lurching to the left. If Liberals only offer a watered-down version of Labor and their policies, voters will correctly conclude that there is no reason to change.
There are no easy answers. In an era of constant political noise, a weak or ill-defined voice is quickly drowned out. Liberals must be firm in their beliefs and loud in sharing them.
Reimagining Liberalism
For too long, the Liberal Party’s rhetoric hasn’t matched their actions. There is a lot of talk about enterprise and making tough choices, but too often the party merely accepts Labor’s approach in policy areas of perceived weakness. Other times, the party just panders to the loudest voices in the commentariat.
This was not the approach of Menzies or Howard. Their long periods in office were based on articulating a positive vision and then delivering it. But Liberals cannot simply live off past accomplishments, especially when many Australians have no memory of them.
Voters are now younger, more urban, more multicultural and under more financial pressure. Liberals must understand their aspirations and act to solve their concerns.
This starts with crafting a robust economic vision. One where power is decentralised. Individuals are trusted. Aspiration is rewarded. Opportunities are plentiful. And the economy is growing.
Liberals do not pursue economic growth for its own sake, but because it lifts living standards for all Australians and funds government investment in essential services.
Prosperity doesn’t flow from Canberra. It flows from citizens – their risk-taking, their drive to build something better. A Liberal government’s job is to create the conditions for Australians to succeed on their own terms.
This approach is seen in the words of former Howard government minister Philip Ruddock: “the Liberal party always knows how to bake a bigger cake…the Labor party only know how to cut it up.”
Liberals do not pursue economic growth for its own sake, but because it lifts living standards for all Australians and funds government investment in essential services.
Looking towards the future
Australia faces real problems: falling living standards, stuttering productivity, a broken tax system and the eye-watering cost of housing. But before Liberals can fix Australia, they first need to fix the party.
Liberals must engage with modern Australia: urban and rural, new Australians and old, workers and entrepreneurs – clearly demonstrating how their strong economic vision will improve voter’s lives. This includes reaching out to lost voters, especially young people and women, who increasingly feel that the party no longer speaks to their values or their future.
During the next three years on the Opposition benches, the Liberals need to listen closely to businesses, local government, and community organisations. These groups see the impact of policy up close – they understand what’s working, what’s not, and where the delivery gaps are.
Ultimately, Liberals must answer a simple question from a voter: ‘What is the purpose of the Liberal Party?’ My answer is: to return power to Australians, trusting them to make their own decisions, while ensuring everyone has the opportunity to thrive.
If the Liberal Party fails to learn from these defeats, it will be rendered increasingly irrelevant. But if party leaders and members are honest and bold, they can once again win the trust of the Australian people.
This article was originally published on LinkedIn:
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