The position of two celestial bodies when their longitude differs by 180 degrees, especially in a configuration in which Earth lies on a straight line between the sun and a superior planet or the moon, is called an opposition. It’s one of the more obscure definitions of a noun that also describes a political party or an organised group opposed to the party or government in power.

Which brings us to the Coalition, that celestial body that sits across the aisle from that other somewhat less heavenly body, the federal Australian Labor government of Anthony Albanese.

According to most dictionary definitions, the Coalition should be either in conflict with or antagonistic towards the Labor government, or at the very least behaving as an obstacle to its actions.

Currently, there are reports that the Liberal party’s shadow treasurer Ted O’Brien is planning to do some kind of ‘bipartisan’ horse-trading with Labor to allow an increase in taxation on superannuation accounts so long as it doesn’t include the unholy horror of an unrealised capital gains tax, although as we go to press he appears to be having second thoughts, possibly prompted by disquiet within Coalition ranks. As this magazine has argued, the idea of a government taxing fantasy ‘paper’ profits is obscene enough, but when applied to an individual’s superannuation savings it is an abomination. The argument that it is preferable for the Coalition to support some increased taxes on superannuation if it means this monstrosity gets ditched is understandable, but misses two key points. Firstly, what’s to stop Labor from re-introducing unrealised capital gains taxation in a different guise further down the track? And what does it mean to the Coalition ‘brand’ – already severely damaged by the election campaign – if it now plays footsies with Labor in raising super taxes?

The more principled course of action would, obviously, be to oppose any changes whatsoever to superannuation. As Mr O’Brien belatedly told the ABC, ‘There is not one component of their [superannuation] tax that we like. This is a tax increase.’ Good. But the sad reality is that Labor will either introduce some form of tax increase after bargaining with the Coalition or a far more destructive increase with Greens support. Such is the world we now live in courtesy of Peter Dutton’s cowardly and futile betrayal of so many conservative positions during the recent election campaign.

As a matter of pragmatism and, yes, self-interest, some Coalition supporters would probably greet Mr O’Brien’s ‘bipartisan deal making’ on a less bad tax with a resigned shrug. But the larger question is: what next? What other ‘deals’ will the Sussan Ley-led opposition be happy to do to prevent the Greens and Labor adopting an even-worse position? Is this what Australia can now look forward to for the next three years – the government imposing either really horrible and bad policies with Greens support or not-quite-so really bad and horrible policies with Coalition support? And where on earth will our economy and our culture lie at the end of such a process? In ruins?

Bipartisanship, allow us to point out, is highly overrated. The opposition must grab hold of a dictionary and look up the meaning of what it clearly failed to do during the election. And the critical opposition the Coalition must now provide is to net zero. Not a half-baked, timid, a bit-of-this and a bit-of-that emissions-cutting nonsense, but rather, a full-throated, passionate, antagonistic and aggressive no-holds-barred opposition to the ruinous climate change and net zero idiocy.

Another Covid disgrace

With the news that the TGA has altered its guidelines for the Covid-19 vaccines for those under 18 to now say, ‘the benefits of vaccination are not considered to outweigh the potential harms’ is a disgrace. (And what changes when you turn 19?) Rebecca Weisser , Ramesh Thakur and others were saying this in this magazine years ago. For our troubles we were admonished and demonised on many fronts, including, among other travesties, having fraudulent ‘conspiracy’ and ‘misinformation’ accusations made against the editor of this magazine in the Australian Senate. Elsewhere, parents, horrified by the thought of putting their children at the very risk that has now been admitted to, went through hell in either trying to prevent their kids taking the vaccine or berating themselves that they allowed it to happen. Absolutely disgraceful.