Following the recent New South Wales state election, and the disastrous Aston by-election result, Tasmanian Liberal Premier Jeremy Rockliff has a unique, once in a lifetime opportunity before him.
Many people have wrongly construed these election results as meaning the end of the Liberal Party in Australia for the foreseeable future; or that Premier Rockliff and his Government should rush to the left in order to try and save themselves in 2025.
While it is true that that the Australian electorate as a whole has clearly moved to the left, and as articulated in my last column that the Liberal Party has specific challenges with the Under-40s demographic, it would be wrong to assume that the Liberal Party’s only hope is as a pale imitation of Labor.
Times change, but values are forever. The challenge the Party faces is to reconcile its timeless Liberal values of choice, of reward for effort, and of individual responsibility with our post-COVID world.
And Premier Jeremy Rockliff, as the last Liberal standing, has the chance to shape the future shape and direction of the Liberal Party. Not just in Tasmania, but across the nation.
Importantly, he also has an opportunity to get some previously unimaginable outcomes for Tasmania.
On this point – what’s often forgotten is that no matter Tasmania’s size, the voice and vote of Premier Rockliff (and his Ministerial colleagues) carries equal weight to that of mainland states at National Cabinet – and the various Ministerial sub-councils.
While generally the decisions of National Cabinet and the Ministerial sub-councils are carried by consensus, from time to time decisions are taken by vote.
Which means, there is now an even greater opportunity than previously for the Tasmanian Government to withhold their support for various agreements and measures, pending securing the best possible deal for Tasmania.
More significantly, Premier Rockliff is now the most senior elected Liberal in the country. Others may seek to quibble, but whichever way you look at it, Premier of a state – even the small state of Tasmania – trumps Federal Opposition Leader. It certainly trumps Lord Mayor of Brisbane, which I’ve heard claimed by some as more senior.
But with such great power, comes great responsibility.
Liberals across the nation are turning their eyes south, and looking to Tasmania, its Liberal Government and to the performance of Premier Rockliff.
And, let’s be frank. Not all of them are being complimentary about what they see. In some mainland eyes, what they see is a Liberal Premier and a Liberal Government which is more focussed on a “green/left” agenda of things like raising the criminal age of responsibility, increasing the size of Parliament and supporting “The Voice” ; than it is on a Liberal agenda promoting economic growth and responsible financial management.
Which, while true to some extent, is not entirely fair.
As I have said before, in many ways Premier Rockliff is the Liberal leader for our times with his more moderate and “progressive” views.
And, his Government has recently shown signs of coming to life on the economic front with a new slogan of “getting things done”, and direct intervention in some contentious planning issues.
The problem is, the Premier seems loathe to actually articulate his Liberal values.
On Sunday morning, in response to the New South Wales election result, he tweeted congratulations to the new New South Wales Premier Chris Minns, inanely adding that in Tasmania “we will always do things our way”.
Whatever that means – Frank Sinatra, maybe?
But imagine if Premier had tweeted had instead said something along the lines of:
“It is a great responsibility to be the only Liberal Premier in this country. As a proud Liberal, I will continue to uphold Liberal values and keep the Liberal flame alive, while working constructively with the Prime Minister and Labor Premiers to get the best deal for Tasmania.”
And then followed it up on Sunday and Monday after the election talking on every radio and television outlet about his vision for the future of the Liberal Party.
If you think that’s a bit much, consider what would have happened if the boot were on the other foot and say Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews was the last Labor Premier in the country. He would absolutely be grabbing the microphone in this way.
It’s certainly something you can imagine former Premier Peter Gutwein doing if he hadn’t hung up the boots last year (interestingly, he’s been doing a bit of it from the sidelines over recent months).
Just quietly, you get the feeling that perhaps Premier Rockliff isn’t the biggest fan of the direction the Liberal Party has taken in recent years. Hence his reticence to own the Liberal brand.
Here’s his chance to change that.
To use the bully-pulpit of power to drive the future direction of the Party.
It’s the stuff dreams are made of. If only the Premier chooses to take it.
- Brad Stansfield is a political and campaign strategist and a partner at Font PR and Font Publishing.