While the election post-mortems will focus on what went wrong for the Liberals during the campaign, the seeds of their demise were sown more than a decade ago by Tony Abbot and his supporters, including Peter Dutton. Under Abbot’s leadership, out went the serious policymaking of the Howard era, replaced by a harsh brand of negative attack politics, with primary focus on culture wars and party internecine battles. This has continued ever since. The fallout for the party has been a damaging “brain drain”. Capable, credible leaders and backbenchers who didn’t fit this playbook, including the likes of Malcolm Turnbull and Julie Bishop, were either pushed out or got heartily sick of the party’s internal culture and departed politics. The result is a political party bereft of solid talent and consequentially incapable of developing credible policies. It should be no surprise that the Liberals were brutally exposed during the election as just not up to the task of campaigning, much less governing. In the aftermath, even diehard far right-wing political pundits are now left scratching their heads over who left is capable of leading the Liberals, such is the dearth of talent in their ranks (“Demands for quotas as three post-Dutton leadership options firm,” May 5). David Wilkins, Berowra
Credit: Cathy Wilcox
Not so Liberal
George Brandis tries to spin his way out of the election disaster with tales of the grand “liberal” tradition of his party (“Liberals look like a train wreck,” May 5), but all he talks about is winning, never serving the Australian people. He even suggests the UK’s David Cameron as a role model for Australian conservatives to get back that winning edge. This is the man who gave UK Brexit, then jumped ship, handing the reins to Boris, Liz the lettuce and Rishi. The truth is, there is no “liberal” tradition left in the Coalition. They are a combination of conservatives, libertarians and whatever the Nats are these days. They really should consider a more honest title reflecting their elitist, anti-woke warrior values … maybe the Generals or the Landlords? Phil Bradshaw, Naremburn
George Brandis correctly identifies the need for the Liberals to better court the centre of politics if it wants to win elections. For more than two decades, the party has been increasingly driven by the influence of hardline, short-sighted extremists with pet causes and petty grievances. I, for one, am sick of their climate and culture wars, and tired of the self-righteous sniping, the foot-stamping petulance and the born-to-rule arrogance exhibited by so many of its parliamentarians who are simply irritated by the impotence of being in opposition. The sooner they learn that the privilege of government is an honour bestowed by the majority of ordinary Australians on those who’ve worked hard to earn it, and not the birthright of a resentful self-appointed few with axes to grind, the better their chances will be of being trusted with it. Adrian Connelly, Springwood
How did we get here? Herald journalists pick over the entrails of an unelectable opposition leader who was more focused on how to win than how to govern (“Inside a downfall of a party that couldn’t campaign, let alone govern,” May 5). That task was largely outsourced to the Murdoch media. Liberal grandee George Brandis correctly points out that Menzies designed the party to be liberal not conservative, centrist rather than far right, and that successful Liberal PMs had largely stuck with that. He implied that the Liberal Party’s salvation was to return to the centre. One difficulty there is that its backers, the Murdoch media, certainly aren’t of the centre, and Rupert certainly knows how to play hardball. And the centre is already occupied by the teals. Meanwhile, Labor has to get on dealing with the dangerous Trumpian world. Gary Barnes, Mosman
The departure of Malcolm Turnbull and Julie Bishop added to the Liberal Party’s “brain drain”, writes David Wilkins.Credit: Alex Ellinghausen
The “campaign chaos” became really obvious to voters at pre poll and on Saturday. Peter Dutton and the Liberal Party made a huge error in subcontracting the work of canvassing for the blue team to a mysterious group of activists who had suddenly, en masse, become politically aware. Next time, they should entrust this important work to party loyalists, if they can find any. Glenn Johnson, Leura
Moderate Liberal senator Andrew Bragg believes that preferencing One Nation was a bad idea for the Liberal Party, however this seems to have worked out for Ben Small in the division of Forrest in Western Australia. One Nation will now want its pound of flesh, though. This is what happens when you break bread with the devil, and this is not the devil you know. You are, Mr Small, and all those who voted for you, about to find out. Shaun Davies, St Peters
The media and political commentators now claim that the opposition did not read the electorate, yet days before the election they too failed, forecasting, at best, a minority government. After the event, what everybody seems to be ignoring is the fact that the Nationals won every one of their 15 seats, many even with increased majorities. This they did against the same ALP campaign waged nationwide. Why is this so? Is it that the regional voters live in the real world and are not so gullible to the campaign of lies and untruths of the Labor campaign? It is indeed a political pity that the opposition neglected to highlight and refute the many untruths espoused by the Albanese government, both before and during the election campaign. In all honesty, where is the honour in such a tainted victory? Tiit Tonuri, Cowra
Chance for tax reform
The strong position Labor finds itself in provides a rare opportunity to completely review and reform the Australian tax system. The current tax settings disadvantage wage earners and the young, and inhibit productivity. Labor should seize this opportunity for reform, as Hawke and Keating did a generation ago, and they would be wise to involve Allegra Spender and Ken Henry, both of whom have done substantial work in this area. Mary Tanner, Queens Park
Former Treasury secretary and independent MP Allegra Spender during a tax reform green paper conference in 2024. Credit: Dominic Lorrimer
What an interesting election. Peter Dutton became the third Liberal leader in just the past 20 years to lose their seat. We can only hope that the Liberals show common sense and heed the messages the electorate has been giving them, namely, it does not like extremism; it no longer believes that the Liberals are the only good economic managers; that it wants the Liberals to stop treating women as second-class citizens; that it wants to see sound economic policies, in particular the wholesale tax reform so sorely needed; that it wants to see the end of policies of welfare for the well-off ; to have implemented the many tax reforms recommended in numerous reports over the past 20 years or so; and above all, a change in the attitude that the Liberals “are born to rule”. Without these reforms, the Liberals are doomed to opposition. Stephen Healion, Wang Wauk
Journalists and letter writers alike have applauded Albanese for his sensible, “steady” response to Trump’s erratic behaviour. Now that Albanese and Labor have convincingly won a second term, I urge the government to speak the truth loudly about Israel’s onslaught on Gaza. Does Albanese have the backbone to do so? Therese Curtis, Marsfield
Albo, you have the mandate and the confidence of the Australian people, so do something about tax and negative gearing, do something about four-year terms and do something about extra funding for the ABC. Lyle Keats, Miranda
Enough about Dutton
Anthony Albanese has won in a landslide with a slew of progressive policies. The people have not just spoken, they’ve shouted from the rooftops. I would like to make an appeal for fewer stories about “what went wrong” and “rebuilding” the Liberal Party and more stories about the government’s policies, which is what actually matters now. The first working day after the election weekend, and it’s still all about Dutton. We know what went wrong – they were out of touch. There, fixed it for you. When Albanese and Labor were in opposition, there was almost nothing written about them. Alison Stewart, Riverview
Peter Dutton after addressing the party faithful and conceding defeat on Saturday night.Credit: AP
I put the Liberals’ poor poll performance down to the Voice referendum. Many Liberal voters in Liberal seats would have voted “yes” and were quite disgusted by the “no” campaign. Then in the general election campaign, when former leader Peter Dutton said he would never stand in front of an Aboriginal flag and wanted to cancel the Welcome to Country ceremonies, they realised the Liberals had crossed a moral line that they would not follow them over. Those beloved “quiet Australians”, very quietly, probably put the Liberal Party down the bottom of their ballot paper where they always put One Nation. The two Coalition politicians (one independent now) who refused to follow the party “no” campaign, being Julian Leeser and Andrew Gee, were both comfortably re-elected. Victoria Heffernan, Walcha
After the disastrous and xenophobic result of the Voice to Parliament referendum, I had almost given up on my fellow Australians. Thank you for restoring my faith in our nation and our people by re-electing Labor and recognising that kindness is strength and that global economic problems are our shared economic problems that will take time to resolve. This is the dawn of a great opportunity for the Labor government to once and for all act on climate change, housing and the cost of living, and to continue to repair our very damaged international relations. Tony Bennett, Broke
The Albanese government’s victory is indeed a big accomplishment after its massive fail in the Voice referendum. Ironically, this fail may indirectly have been a major contributor to its victory in the way it may have confirmed in the Coalition’s mind that negativity, fear and a lack of detail was a winning formula. Stephen Daley, Tamarama
Corflute overkill
Now the election is over, it is time for new rules and guidelines around the unprecedented proliferation of corflutes. This oversaturation in the seat of Gilmour was truly mind-boggling. They proved a useless exercise anyway after the Liberal candidate was clearly defeated, so there is clear evidence that corflute overkill is a flawed strategy. Questions need to be asked why they needed more than 40 along the pathway entering the Ulladulla Civic Centre polling booth. Ditto for Kiama and Nowra, coupled with hundreds scattered throughout the electorate. It is time for regulation of this excess. Every polling location should be limited to 15 corflutes per candidate and 200 per candidate for other locations, with permission of private landowners. Power poles and the like and all council land should be prohibited. Peter O’Brien, Shoalhaven Heads
I shudder to think how many millions of corflute signs, glossy leaflets and custom-made T-shirts have been produced for this election, only to be discarded now that the campaigning is done. The over-production and the intrusive use of merchandise has been outrageous; the waste will be a monumental disgrace. Undoubtedly one of the biggest losers in this election will be the environment. Meredith Williams, Baulkham Hills
The corflute battle between independent Zoe Daniel and Liberal candidate Tim Wilson in Melbourne.Credit: Simon Schluter
Dignity brings pride
US President Donald Trump (and America), watch and learn. After the election result was called, winner Anthony Albanese spoke with humility and enthusiasm and acknowledged the uncertainty for Peter Dutton after the loss of his seat. Dutton, with great dignity, acknowledged Labor’s win and congratulated Albanese as well as the winner of his seat, Ali France. There was no shouting or ranting, no tantrums, no rude messages and no storming of Canberra. The two men showed class in acknowledging and accepting the situation. Very proud to be Australian. Felicity Cresswell, Rylstone
I am so lucky I live in a country where both leaders were so gracious to each other after the election (as opposed to you know where). I have never felt so proud to be an Aussie. Maureen Edwards, Caringbah
The election results show that Australians are not mugs. We love our country and we want it to aspire to be a place “where no one is held back and no one is left behind”. Voters said no to nuclear, no to bullies, no to culture wars and no to divisiveness. We can do our bit by being kind and showing responsibility, especially in living a sustainable lifestyle. Bea Hodgson, Gerringong
Palmer’s profligacy
Once again, Clive Palmer has flushed some $50 million down the toilet to no avail, other than to annoy millions of us with his unwanted text messages (“Bats, not bouquets for Palmer, Hanson,” May 5) Think about how much good that money could have done if given to charitable causes. So come on Clive, wouldn’t it be better to be remembered for your philanthropy than your buffoonery? And I’m sure there would be many who could show you that lawn bowls can be exciting. Craig Forbes, Lewisham
Good for the Greens
On election day I passed on the democracy sausage but I quietly accepted the three how-to-vote flyers that I was offered – Labor, Liberal and Green. The latter was the only one that acknowledged the First Nations’ contribution to our nation. As an old Anglo-Saxon bloke, I voiced my thanks to the Greens helper as I was leaving. Keith Bell, Earlwood
Make way for renewables
The Coalition proposed that, if elected, it would “consult” with communities affected by its proposed nuclear power plants, and then build them anyway. It was going to declare them “nationally critical infrastructure” and it said if given the mandate of an election win, it expected all opponents to accept it and simply “get out of the way”. Now the tables are turned, does that mean the Coalition will accept Labor’s thumping mandate and “get out of the way” of our renewable energy network build? Brendan Jones, Annandale
Peter Dutton’s campaign was interrupted by anti-nuclear protesters.Credit: James Brickwood
Dutton’s loss now means that the seven nuclear power plants will not be built, which is exactly what would have happened had he won. Kenneth Smith, Orange
Warriors with no war
My condolences to those brave keyboard warriors who no longer have Peter Dutton to put the boot into. What are they going to do? What will life be like? I dare say they will find someone else. Roger Cedergreen, Kirrawee
Take a break, Albo
In some book I read there was bloke (it insists it was a bloke) who did everything he could do, then on the seventh day “he rested”. Surely there’s a lesson here for the prime minister. Albo, we are all exhausted. How about giving your team a few days off to rest, to catch up with loved ones and be refreshed for the 1095 days ahead before you do it all again. Peter Skinner, Beecroft
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