Former federal Liberal Alexander Downer urges party to rebuild by hammering cultural and economic issues

Former federal Liberal leader Alexander Downer has revealed what he thinks the party got wrong in the lead-up to the election – and what it will take to rebuild.

Former federal Liberal leader Alexander Downer is urging his “too timid” party to rebuild from electoral disaster by hammering the “salami slicing of society” and “excessive government spending, debt and budget deficits”.

In an interview with The Advertiser, Mr Downer said the Liberals needed to stop worrying about confronting opponents, accusing both major parties of waging a boring campaign by “repeating back to the public what the polling says”.

Mr Downer, Australia’s longest-serving foreign minister, said the Liberals had conceded economic management during the campaign by declaring they would outspend Labor during the next two years.

“What sort of message is that? That’s an incoherent message. I mean, is the issue of excessive government spending, excessive debt and budget deficits, is that an important issue or not?

“That should be a fundamentally important issue because that gets to the stability of the economy.”

The-then foreign affairs minister Alexander Downer (left) with Prime Minister John Howard during Question Time in federal parliament in August, 2002.

Mr Downer insisted cultural issues were critical too, particularly underlining “the notion of the equal value of all individuals”.

The occasional Welcome to Country ceremony had its place, Mr Downer said, so rather than ripping into them, the Liberals should be “asserting the egalitarian principles of the country”.

“This notion of salami slicing society into their cultural groups, their racial groups, their ethnic groups, and having a hierarchy – it’s completely antipathetic to everything that a liberal democratic person would ever believe in,” he said.

“You have to find a way of doing this – but absolutely hammer those issues. That is absolutely fundamentally important to them and I think they’re nervous about it, really.”

Asked about the impact on next March’s state election of the Liberals now holding none of Adelaide’s seven metropolitan federal seats, Mr Downer said the state branch was “in real trouble”.

“They need to differentiate their product from the Labor Party, not just criticise. What is going to get them elected is if they differentiate their product totally and they come up with a new approach to governing the state and people are confident and excited by some of the ideas that they have,” he said.

Liberal James Stevens after losing the eastern Adelaide seat of Sturt at his election night event at Norwood’s Robin Hood Hotel. Picture: Kelly Barnes

State Opposition Leader Vincent Tarzia said the Liberals would soon begin releasing “more big-ticket items” of policy, which are believed to include an energy policy focused on maximising gas to firm renewables.

“Political parties exist to win elections. We accept the result with grace and humility. The party will quickly review the campaign once all the results are in. Of course we are disappointed – but, as a party, we will listen, learn and recommit to earn the trust of South Australians,” he said.

Former Sturt MP James Stevens is expected to seek a career in private enterprise, while defeated Boothby candidate Nicolle Flint was noncommittal on Sunday.

Originally published as Former federal Liberal Alexander Downer urges party to rebuild by hammering cultural and economic issues