Tuesday, July 11

Good on Malcolm Turnbull who has made a speech in London reminding members of the Liberal Party where they came from and why they are called  'Liberal'.  He reminded all of us of what was in Robert Menzies' mind when he established the party, not the stultifying conservatism of the U.K. Tory tradition, but the centrist idea of working towards the common good which developed in the Victorian-era as 'liberalism'.  Menzies was a progressive leader who had the foresight to frame the Australian society which, in many ways, is the envy of the world.

John Howard started the rot, pushing the party further to the right and unravelling the philosophy of allowing all to share in the benefits of the growing economy.  It's been downhill from there and the modern Liberal Party has become a haven for the mean-spirited, a party which looks to Rupert Mrdoch for spiritual guidance and lists among its heroes Bronwyn Bishop, Tony Abbott and Peter Dutton.

Good luck, Malcolm, but I wonder whether you could only make such a speech at the safe distance of England and whether you will have to replace the muzzle when you come home