Political instability a serious risk

Liberal Party national director Andrew Hirst was speaking in his party’s interests, but he was right, when he said a vote for “fake” pro-climate independents increases the risk of a chaotic hung parliament, with Anthony Albanese as prime minister. The last thing Australians need as the nation claws its way back to full recovery after the Covid-19 pandemic is political instability.

The Liberal campaign machine is set to target the “independents’’, funded by Simon Holmes a Court’s Climate 200 group, who are standing in once-safe Liberal seats. In Sydney they include Allegra Spender in Wentworth, Kylea Tink in North Sydney and Sophie Scamps in Mackellar and, in Melbourne, Zoe Daniel in Goldstein, Despi O’Connor in Flinders and former Labor Party member Monique Ryan in Kooyong, held by Josh Frydenberg. Mr Holmes a Court, who claims he is a Menzian Liberal disillusioned with the party’s climate change stance, is aiming to raise up to $20m to campaign against Liberal MPs.

The Greens are targeting similar seats, including Higgins in Melbourne and Ryan in Brisbane. In Perth, independent Kate Chaney, whose grandfather and uncle were federal Liberal ministers, is standing against Liberal MP Celia Hammond in Curtin, formerly held by Julie Bishop. Diverting campaign resources to formerly safe seats will compound the Morrison government’s problems at the election, with the latest Newspoll showing the two-party preferred gap has widened in favour of Labor, on 56 per cent, with the Coalition on 44 per cent. Mr Albanese has made up ground as preferred prime minister. The Opposition Leader, on 41 per cent, trails Scott Morrison on 43 per cent. In early December, the gap was 9 per cent in the Prime Minister’s favour. In August, he was 16 per cent ahead.

Despite the poll, the nation is making strong economic headway, with unemployment set to fall below 4 per cent this year for the first time since 1978 when monthly records began. The Treasurer campaigned on jobs on Sunday: “With unemployment at a 13-year low of 4.2 per cent compared to 5.7 per cent under Labor, there are now 1.7 million more Australians in work, including 1 million more women, compared to when Labor was in office.”