By Darryl Mason
Having some trouble working out why the Labor and Liberal parties spend so much time agreeing with each other? Do you find it surreal that the main point of contention this week between the mainstream 'The Left' and 'The Right' in Australian front bencher politics appears to have been something to do with signs in school yards? Do you find it a bit unnerving that the only voices of true opposition to just about anything of major importance seem to be coming from The Shooters Party or National Party backbenchers?
Obviously you'll need a little bit more time to adapt to the new 'Centrist' reality. But his lead editorial in The Australian explains why you should just sit back and float downstream (excerpts) :
Such is the centrist nature of contemporary Australian politics that it is not beyond imagination to see Malcolm Turnbull as a Labor leader and Kevin Rudd as a Liberal. It is not that the ideologues have departed the scene, just that today's political parties are driven by policy and pragmatism rather than the blind tribalism of earlier decades. In this context, it is easy to see the Opposition Leader being courted by, or courting Labor.
Australian politics has sometimes been deeply divided along ideological lines, but our general temperament is more centrist. These days, voters are keen on conviction and competence in their politicians, not outdated ideological positions.
The true opposition party with the numbers to do some real damage to Labor at the next election is not The Liberals, but, of course, The Greens.
I wonder why Malcolm Turnbull didn't pester The Greens for a gig back when he was auditioning for Labor? It's what a true maverick would have done.
