One top performer can’t fill all Liberal gaps – and he is in the wrong chamber
Who can be trusted to front the media, go bravely on to the ABC and defend Sussan Ley’s leadership on Sky TV? James Paterson.
Who can take over the red-hot portfolio of home affairs at a moment’s notice and not miss a beat? James Paterson.
Who can sensibly apportion and accept blame for the Liberal election loss? James Paterson.
Who can put the best gloss on Andrew Hastie’s resignation and rebellion without antagonising the former frontbencher? James Paterson.
The Victorian Liberal senator now covering four portfolios, including finance and home affairs, is the political equivalent of Ghostbusters – who else can you call? – but unfortunately for the Liberals and Coalition opposition. Paterson can’t be the answer to every question and just epitomises the lack of talent and depth in the depleted opposition.
Paterson was a confident and mistake-free voice and face for the Liberals during the election campaign, and has displayed a competency and calm beyond his experience, but he must not be the only voice for the Coalition on radio and television. A written statement does not cut the mustard any longer.
Since taking over home affairs last Friday, Paterson has pushed his way into live media where few other opposition MPs dare to go, and sought to prosecute the only viable political agenda against Anthony Albanese at the moment over what he knew about the “secret” bringing back of the Islamic State brides.
Likewise opposition leader in the Senate, Michaela Cash, pursued on Tuesday what the Prime Minister knew in Senate committees and declared the refusal to provide information on the ISIS brides “has turned into another Albanese government cover-up’’.
Yet one of the biggest problems the opposition faces is that Paterson is not in the House of Representatives.
While Liberal senators pursued the PM over ISIS brides, Sussan Ley’s team in the house did not ask a question on the subject and concentrated on the Optus triple-0 catastrophe.
With only weeks before the summer parliamentary break, Ley has to act quickly to find other answers to the Paterson questions or write off 2025 as a disaster and go into next year on an even more diminished political platform.
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There is only one answer to a series of vital questions for the bowed and beaten Liberal Party going into the final parliamentary sessions for 2025 and that answer is James Paterson.