Liberals and Greens must look for long-term leadership

Over the next week, Liberals and the Greens have the rare opportunity to elect long-term leaders able to move both parties back towards the centre, where the majority of Australia’s political will resides, and thereby end nearly two decades of tumultuous political conflict that have not delivered Australia gains in prosperity or social licence.

If the cultural changes and political settings are to be truly refreshed, there should be a recognition that new leaders do not exist in the current pool of touted contenders.

Kevin Skinner, Lauderdale, Tas

The Liberals must summon the courage and political nous to deliver an effective federal opposition party or the country will slowly join Victoria in the bottom of the barrel.

The two factions of the Liberal Party, the left-leaning moderates and the conservatives, are squabbling like teenagers and Labor factions about who will lead them. They need a seance visit from Robert Menzies to remind them of their core values, which they have been ignoring for a decade while destroying themselves. Both Paul Kelly (“Liberals must revive ‘broad church’ and reject false demons”, 7/5) and Peta Credlin have just given the Liberals expert advice to go hard with their values and not to indulge weak Labor-lite leanings for short-term appeasement.

The Liberals should take the advice right now or slowly take the country down with them with a parliament that doesn’t work.

Betty Cockman, Dongara, WA

I couldn’t but agree with Henry Ergas (“No, the Liberal Party is not OK”, 9/5). The Liberal Party ran a dreadful campaign.

It allowed its leader to be demonised and its policies trashed without any fightback. When there was an enormous advantage to be had in running a negative campaign highlighting the cost of living and the government’s many failings and failures, the Liberals ran a positive campaign.

The Liberal Party needs a skilled campaign team. And, for starters, some new blood on the executive.

Paul Everingham, Hamilton, Qld

Surely it is senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price’s decision if she considers a move to the Liberals from the Nationals the best way for her to take the fight to Labor (“Price blows up hope of any Libs peace deal”, 9/5).

She was kept on ice during the election campaign – not a wise move. As someone with a broad view in many areas and with her on-the-ground knowledge and history in Indigenous affairs, she will be a fighter wherever she is placed.

Claire Jolliffe, Buderim, Qld

A quick bit of mental arithmetic tells me that since the 1949 election, the first one I can remember clearly, the Coalition has been in majority government for about 52 years and Labor for about 22.

If the Liberal Party wants to maintain that tradition of success, it might perhaps see fit to take the advice of its founder, Robert Menzies. He said a party should set a clear set of principles and policies before the people and let the people decide whether they want them.

The party as it now stands must learn that chopping and changing policies late in a parliamentary term and announcing new policies late in an election campaign are the stuff of which muddle-headedness is made.

The public should know very early in an election campaign exactly what the party’s policies and proposals are and no changes should be made before the election. That seems so elementary that even the party strategists must be able to understand its merits.

David Morrison, Springwood, NSW

I can fully understand the disappointment that the National Party feels in the wake of Jacinta Nampijinpa Price jumping the political fence. However, she has been underused by the Nationals. Nationals leader David Littleproud recognises and acknowledges Nampijinpa Price’s ambition and drive. She is one of the Coalition’s women who displays strong passion for what she believes in.

Nampijinpa Price’s defection to the Liberal Party is just what the opposition and the country need.

All that needs to happen now is for Nampijinpa Price to become an integral member of the opposition’s leadership group, and if that means treading on some old toes then so be it.

Peter D. Surkitt, Sandringham, Vic