RICHARD WILSON: Cautious Libs’ lack of vision proved costly in election

[Pelican Press 0]

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

RICHARD WILSON: Cautious Libs’ lack of vision proved costly in election

This is a very disappointing result for the Liberal Party. Nevertheless, despite some missteps from politicians on the trail, the party’s campaign headquarters largely did its job.

Voters knew who their local Liberal candidates were, what the party was offering and what the problems with the Albanese Government had been.

In a highly fragmented media landscape, cutting through is difficult and the Liberal campaign managed that.

But the campaign also exposed a deeper challenge: the absence of a compelling, forward-looking vision for the country.

The Opposition chose a cautious path. Proposals like a temporary fuel tax cut and matching Labor’s health funding commitments were politically safe and designed to avoid controversy.

Defence policy acknowledged the need for higher investment, but lacked clarity on how that funding would be spent.

Feel like giving the politicians a rating this Federal election?

Our Pollie Rater lets you do just that.

Rate the politicians

This caution wasn’t accidental.

Strategists aimed to keep the spotlight firmly on Labor’s record and avoid alienating key undecided voters in a tight contest.

But campaigns are about more than critiques.

They are auditions for government.

Without a clear, positive agenda, the Liberal Party left too much space for others to define it. Labor’s scare campaigns — particularly around Medicare — were predictable, but effective.

Broader public unease with the global conservative brand, especially images of chaos and division from the US, further clouded perceptions.

The absence of a strong, positive vision made it easier for these external forces to shape voter perceptions.

Had the party articulated a clearer sense of direction, those attacks and anxieties would have been far less likely to stick. It is critical that the Liberal Party defines itself before others do it instead.

That’s the key lesson from this campaign. A future Liberal campaign must start by setting out a positive vision — not just what the party opposes. Australians want to know where the country is heading and how a Liberal government would help them and their families get there.

That takes policy grunt work: thankless, technical and often behind the scenes, but essential. It cannot be crammed into the final months before polling day.

Shadow cabinet and the wider party must start that process now.

With a sharper agenda and a clearer purpose, the Liberal Party can present a persuasive alternative and reconnect with Australians seeking future-focused leadership.

Richard Wilson is a former WA Liberal Party president.

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

#RICHARD #WILSON #Cautious #Libs #lack #vision #proved #costly #election

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up