Thread by @Monocotyledon

#AusVotes22 🧵
Been thinking about the new right-wing talking point (straight out of the PMO?) that Labor voters should vote against their instincts & for the Liberal candidate in Liberal seats threatened by climate independents endorsed by @climate200 .

I call horseshit.

1/10

The argument goes that if the alleged "moderates" lose their seats, and especially if Frydenberg does, their absence in the parliamentary Liberal Party will skew to the right. Possibly to the extent that Peter Dutton (ugh) will become Leader of the Opposition.

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And that's true. Dutton could well become leader if the L-NP loses and Morrison resigns & if Frydenberg's out.

But somehow, that's supposed to be Labor's problem and progressive voters are now meant to panic and do what the Libs can't & won't do.

Save the "moderates".

3/10

But that is, frankly, disingenuous bilge.

As @SimonJackman points out in this podcast, Right-wing Libs have been losing seats for years now. Howard to McKew. Mirabella to McGowan. Abbott to Steggall.

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theconversation.com/below-the-line…

But the Libs haven't got the message: the electorate just isn't that into far-right, climate-denying ideologues, fellas.

Meanwhile, "moderates" have left, voluntarily. J. Bishop, Pyne, Brandis, O'Dwyer, Smith, Banks.

Whose fault it that? Not Labor's.

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The reality of our compulsory voting system is that when a party is captured by extremist ideologues (the sort of Liberal Party that Morrison is trying to create, something I talked about below) it's not going to be able to capture the mainstream.

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https://twitter.com/Monocotyledon/status/1515848843036102662

Now, it's really not healthy for a democratic system to have one of its two largest political blocs being unelectable. So in the short term, if the far right entirely captures the L-NP, that's definitely not fabulous. But longer term?

7/10

We're moving into fascinating territory. Maybe, we're seeing governments being dragged kicking and screaming into acknowledging that minority governments can be both productive (oh hi J. Gillard!) and more representative. They are unremarkable in much of the world.

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And maybe there's room for another, new party on the centre-right, drawing from Liberal moderates and the right fringe of the ALP.

Would that be such a bad thing?

A party actually representing the values of its members?

9/10

So if you're wavering over supporting a climate independent because you're worried about what it'll do to the Liberal Party, consider this.

It's nothing the Liberal Party hasn't been doing to itself.

If you want action on climate & integrity, follow your instincts.

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