In his quest for immortality, Voldemort – Harry Potter’s evil nemesis – split his soul into small pieces and hid them around the world to avoid destruction and seek eternal life.
Like all good children’s stories, the heroes prevailed; locating and destroying every Horcrux until the final encounter with the pitiful whimpering remnant of Voldemort’s tortured soul. Splitting his soul and scattering the pieces was ultimately Voldemort’s undoing. Divided, he was conquered.
Like Voldemort, Australia’s major centre-right political party, the LNP, has effectively splintered its soul by pandering to every activist group from the indigenous industry to climate alarmists to the transgender movement. Broad church indeed…
LNP leadership claims it is adhering to party values by ‘being careful’ about the battles it chooses to fight, but this is likely an attempt to avoid left-wing media sniping. The small-target strategy is proving catastrophic to the LNP vote.
Queensland has a state election scheduled for October 2024, and a federal election somewhere between August 2024 and May 2025. Until these elections are done, the only LNP leaders that matter are David Crisafulli (state) and Peter Dutton (federal). Coincidentally, both represent electorates in Queensland, the last bastion of conservative politics in the nation.
To break out of the small target losing streak, these leaders should call out the nonsense that adorns media headlines, simply and clearly presenting their values to the electorate. Surely, the clearest way to communicate values is to seek out – or even create – controversy. The Greens do this by instinct, fearlessly and ruthlessly summoning their core beliefs from the writings of Marx and Alinsky.
At the opposite end of the spectrum, how difficult could it be to lead a political party that supports nuclear power, an even playing field in female sports, live animal exports, a Covid Royal Commission, tax reform, smaller government, and smaller public debt? How hard is it to oppose race-based Indigenous treaties, late-term abortion, draconian medical lockdowns, and arbitrary changes to the national anthem?
Taking a firm position on sensible values will inevitably draw criticism. Good leaders will make themselves a target, and in the process expose the flawed arguments of the whining hordes. Good leaders will confidently enter the lair of the ABC’s QANDA, Insiders, The Drum, Radio National and challenge the values of the hosts and their audience. Good leaders will ask why the hosts support unrestricted late-term abortion and watch the hosts squirm, because deep inside they know where the bulk of public opinion resides.
The same goes for nuclear power — ask them why not. When they say ‘it’s too expensive, too slow, and too dangerous’, ask them why is it okay for every other country? Ask them if they would want their daughter playing sport against a man?
Be prepared, have good arguments. Don’t be afraid to tell these activists their views are abhorrent and belong in the Museum of Failed Ideologies, along with Stalin, Marx, and Mao. Paying tribute to the Greens is not the path to election victory. It didn’t work for Kirkup, Marshall, Perrottet, and Frecklington. Morrison walked both roads. He won on coal in 2019 – after bringing a lump into question time – but lost on Net Zero in 2022. The lesson is clear.
Going further back, which centre-right politician won a landslide victory on a platform of abolishing the carbon tax, stopping the boats, and no changes to superannuation? An Abbott-like figure today would say: no to the Voice, yes to nuclear power, and yes to a Covid Royal Commission.
When you offer a small target by not standing up for your values, no airtime is given to these necessary debates. Shadow ministers need to be making detailed policy arguments, while leaders challenge Woke headlines. Being a leader of the party gives you that freedom and responsibility. Nobody cares about your policies if they can’t trust your values, and nobody knows your values if you don’t constantly champion them.
An absurd headline deserves to be called out, along with its supporters. This creates the right kind of attention. Left-wing media will fall over themselves to play clips of ‘right-wing politicians’ saying sane things. Saying sane things attracts voters. Attracting voters wins elections.
Western democracies are crying out for strong leadership, with only a few examples in recent times. Ron DeSantis, originally elected as Florida’s governor in 2018 by a few meagre percentage points, romped home in 2022 with a 20 per cent margin. Donald Trump, despite an unprecedented four-year negative media campaign, increased his voting base even while losing the 2020 election. Boris Johnson made bold conservative promises and secured UK election victory. Scott Morrison unexpectedly won the ‘climate change’ election. These men did not offer small targets; they did not back down from media attacks. They took on the woke whingers and succeeded.
In the face of outrageous attacks on the principles underpinning Western society, what do leaders have to fear from committing to their values? Do they fear support and encouragement from similarly minded people, aka – the vast majority of voters?
Abandoning the field on simple issues and giving in to every activist group that wants a headline is splintering the LNP’s primary vote. Voldemort is a fairy tale, a children’s story. But the lesson for the LNP is real — an eternity in opposition awaits.
Ben is an electrical engineer in the gas and power sector.
