I watched Q&A the other night for the first time in ages and it was a relief to see that it was 'politician-free'. I was enchanted by the Egyptian political commentator, Mona Eltihawy, who spoke with passion and is clearly a voice of her generation, trying to break through the entrenched views of the status quo.
I was intrigued by Tim Wilson, the so-called Freedom Commissioner. An advocate for competition in business and a staunch speaker against government largesse, he nevertheless accepted a position which was never advertised on a salary of $325000 p.a. It's funny how our beliefs go out the window when enough money is involved.
What intrigued me is that he described himself as a 'classic liberal', and most of what he said supported that. When the Liberal Party was founded in the 1940’s, Robert Menzies said:
...what we must look for, and it is a matter of desperate importance to our society, is a true revival of liberal thought which will work for social justice and security, for national power and national progress, and for the full development of the individual citizen, though not through the dull and deadening process of socialism.
The name Liberal was chosen deliberately for its associations with progressive nineteenth century free enterprise and social equality
There was certainly a need for that element in Australian politics as the Liberal Party was in Government for the next 22 years. The way that Tim Wilson spoke on Q&A, he comes from that tradition - a believer in free enterprise and competition, but a fighter for social justice. I suspect he called himself a classic liberal to dissociate himself from the conservative excesses of the Tony Abbots and the George Brandises.
Sadly, today's Liberal Party is a shadow of the original party. Social Justice has gone out the window, elitism and preference for big business are the priorities. To be fair, the party should change its name; it's a true Conservative Party
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