There is a video circulating on Instagram of a crocodile in Indonesia floating on its back, waving two of its paws above the waterline. The caption (alarmingly) reads: ‘Crocodiles have started pretending to drown to lure in human prey.’
It’s probably click-bait bollocks, but at the same time, animals aren’t stupid. Seagulls pretend to be injured in exchange for sympathy chips while a squirrel in Canada was caught trading leaves for nuts having picked up on the human cash system.
Regardless, the image of an apex predator feigning injury to lure Good Samaritans to their demise reminds me of politics.
The West is cursed with a political class that wears the cloak of perpetual victimhood – tricking sympathetic voters into supporting nasty policies.
These politicians want voters to engage in the Saviour Complex – to feel powerful through their apparent do-gooding where traditional valiant deeds have been replaced by putting a mark next to the righteous option on election day. No hard work or personal sacrifice required. It’s the tithe.
The worst offenders? It is difficult to pick between the Teals and the Greens. They are two branches of the same doomsday cult.
Sometimes the drowning crocodile motif is subtle.
And sometimes political leaders wade out into the surf wearing expensive suits while posing for a campaign poster.
It is my hope that, come the federal election, voters steer clear of the politicians thrashing around in the water with their hands outstretched.
Australia is, however, in the process of drowning. Our prosperity has been squandered and the natural gifts which used to make us rich are either being locked away by racial bodies or kept out of sight while the Net Zero lie is milked to its last.
Voters are looking for salvation and are dismayed by what they find.
There is no equivalent conservative revival to match Trumpism, Reform, or the surge of the right in Europe. We are adrift.
As an historic blue ribbon voter, my personal opinion is that Peter Dutton is wholly unworthy of the leadership due to a fundamental disregard for liberty. Forgive me, but appreciating freedom should be the founding block of a leader’s philosophy. Instead, his instincts are frustrating.
Remind me, how many times did Dutton ask for ‘detail’ on the Voice? Where is his apology for the censorial legislation drafted and passed when the Liberals held power? Or even their thought bubble about the Under 16 policy? Why did the Morrison-era attempt to ban cash and create a pathway to a cashless society? Why do they continue to fawn over the eSafety Commission? Why did the Liberals shield vaccine manufacturers from public health complaints by sending takedown requests to social media companies? Where is all that Covid-era money and how much of it went straight into landfill? Liberals are meant to be careful with taxpayer dollars.
They were reckless. And they are not sorry.
The minor parties are thriving on the Liberal Party’s self-inflicted wounds and many conservative voters are getting worried that this fracturing of voters is going to deliver a Labor government purely based on the disarray.
Even a casual observer can see that the solution.
After a few grovelling apologies, all the Liberal Party needs to do is stage an in-house reformation. Listen to the public.
One of the benefits of social media is its function as an electorate focus group. We are able to read what the people want, not what the media assumes they want.
Several days ago, I asked: ‘If you could get the Liberal Party to do something, say something, or implement a policy – what would it be?’
The question received over 500 responses, most of them perfectly reasonable.
‘Represent Australians again,’ said Michael. ‘A complete reversal of government overreach.’ Demi Anderson added, ‘I would want to see the Liberal Party stand by their purported values of individual rights and freedoms.’
Sall Grover said:
‘Repeal the 2013 amendments to the Sex Discrimination Act, implemented by Labor, that allowed men to claim to be women under the law.’
That would be an interesting test of their integrity. The Liberal Party says that it cares about biological truth. That it supports women. But does it have the guts to challenge the trans activists to reclaim the law in the name of sanity? I double-dare a reporter with access to Dutton to ask the question…
Following on a similar topic, Phil Dye suggested: ‘Stop all gender affirming treatment for under 18s including puberty blockers and hormones. Have a full independent inquiry into it. Stop all gender education sessions in schools.’
Prue MacSween added: ‘Abandon Net Zero targets. Pause immigration. Audit Indigenous spending. Cut public servant numbers. That’s on day one…’
These topics were repeated many times. I cannot see the Liberals disentangling themselves from Net Zero. There are too many mining interests riding on public policy and grants. Not to mention it would mean admitting that many of its former ministers and candidates ran climate scare campaigns to get votes. The closest we will get to ending Net Zero is what they like to call a balanced approach to clean energy where the renewable energy companies get to keep their government kickbacks while the Liberals woo the electorate with promises of nuclear energy that they have no intention of delivering within our lifetime. They win power. Their industry friends get their money. We keep the expensive energy bills.
‘Make super contributions voluntary,’ said PurryCat.
‘Cut taxes and stop overseas funding,’ said Jen.
‘Legislate racial equality; ban treaties and racial land access restrictions. All Australians are equal…’ Wayne Karlen.
‘As a migrant myself, I believe Australia should remove the free money and benefits to migrants and stop fake student visas. Then the hardworking migrant who pays the tax and benefits the economy will stay and the rest have to go and live somewhere else that they can afford,’ said Mehran Ahmadi.
‘Announce publicly the end to all censorship; distance yourselves from the eSafety Commissioner’s ironclad grip … legislate a Bill of Rights,’ said Gerrie Hoogland.
‘Abolish the eSafety Commission and the eKaren,’ Elizabeth.
‘Pull out of all global initiatives that aid others to our detriment. Australia first. When we get things sorted, we can look at what we can do for the rest of the world,’ said Prospector.
‘Dump any policy or taxes that stops Australia from moving past Uganda on the economic complexity index,’ said RustyFox.
Nbo: ‘Appoint a leader that’s actually conservative.’
John Ruddick, NSW MLC for the Libertarians who wrote Make the Liberal Party Great Again before defecting, added: ‘The Liberal Party should emulate the Canadian Conservative Party who let their 700,000 members vote for their parliamentary leader. That leadership selection model is far more likely to produce a true leader (like Pierre Poilievre).’
This is all pretty straight forward stuff. Most of it is uncontroversial. None of it will be implemented.
Being told to ‘join the party’ is hopeless. The Liberal Party has battened down the hatches. It is run by factions. Those who tried hardest to reform it, devoting decades of their life to the cause, have all left in despair. If they cannot fix the party, I guarantee the average member can’t do it either. Giving the Liberals more money to enact hopeless leaders with bad policy is not a solution to the problem facing the average Australian.
Putting public pressure on political leaders at the brink of an election is the answer.
In my experience, politicians have to be shamed and dragged, kicking and swearing, to the light. That is never going to happen until commentators and voters stop making excuses for the inexcusable things they do when in power.
I do not have any ability to ask Dutton these questions, and those who do, won’t and even if they did, they would never pin the Opposition Leader down in the detail of his answer.
Dutton can save the Liberal Party if he wants to. I want him to want to. Like you, I do not enjoy this least worst epoch.
