The Liberal Party Terrorists

If I was in Barnaby Joyce’s shoes, I’d be tearing my hair out over what is going on within the Liberal Party. As a member of the coalition group, The Nationals fortunes to a large degree rely on a strong and united Liberal party.  Instead, the Liberal Party are beset with infighting, and accusations of disunity and divide. We have the ex-Prime Minister who takes every opportunity to stick in a barb despite stating he wouldn’t do that. We have a Prime Minister who appears to not be able to reign Abbott in. We have media who feed off this stuff and the willing leakers who are providing them with anything that will create a negative headline. I don’t mind admitting that as a member of the Liberal Party, I am tearing my hair out and I know for sure I’m not the only one. 

After years of relative stability and prosperity we plunged into the dark ages of six years of Labor. I won't rehash their failings they are well known. It was with a sense of overwhelming relief that the LNP coalition sweep into power in 2013. It wasn’t long before key election commitments were delivered. Boats, Carbon Tax, Mining Tax gone. Then came the budget and the ‘ship floundered’. We were paddling madly to stay afloat. 

Progress was stalling and every little glitch, stumbled word, fleeting glance was front page news. Relationships that were tenuous unravelled before out eyes. Internal power plays became the standard game. In February 2015 a message was delivered to Tony Abbott; take control of the bridge, get back on course or face the consequences. 

The next seven months were a low point in our Liberal history. The accusations and infighting continued. The get squares and removal or sidelining of anyone who posed a threat to positions of power was par for the course. “You leak and blame the other guy” strategy was in full swing. We continued to flounder. The parliamentary party said enough and in September we had a new leader. Once more there were signs of relief but this time we also had the insidious declarations of open warfare. It took no time and we were back where we started. The architects of the destabilisation were still there. Only their motivation had changed. This time their sights are set on bringing down the so called usurper Turnbull and with it, the  Liberal party. 

Had the ship had been in good shape in 2015 there wouldn’t have been a ‘mutiny’. But it wasn’t. While change was needed there is a group in the parliamentary party that did not, will not and cannot accept that. The same applies to the anti-Liberals within the community.

The upshot of that is we now have within our parliamentary ranks a destructive rogue gang. Some label them the Liberal Taliban. I think that's an accurate description. They are hell bent on wrecking the Turnbull Govt and along with it the country. 

Over the coming weeks there will be more and more destabilisation. We are hearing and seeing the commentary around the so called rift between Malcolm Turnbull and Scott Morrison. Much has been made over Scott Morrison’s exclusion from the PM’s inner sanctum meeting on Sunday night. The Telegraph and Australian both ran stories today stating who and isn’t in the inner sanctum. The laugh is, they have different lists. I think the leakers need to liaise more before they feed this stuff to the press. 

We can expect to see an increase in contradictory statements made by the rouge group to those made by Malcolm Turnbull, Scott Morrison and the rest of the cabinet.  There is a deliberate strategy to distract the media and the public from the key message, to spook the electorate and fire up the disenchanted. 

Two of our female Ministers will be key targets. Don’t be surprised if there are more leaks relating to our subs contract. That's part of the get square. People within the rogue group will do everything within their power to thwart the DD strategy. They are still hanging onto the feigned hope of an Abbott resurrection. Winning government from a DD hurts their cause. 

The puerile campaign to let's make Malcolm look stupid is underway with the ridiculous stories, cartoons and media comment associated with his “Continuity and Change” comment. Claims it was stolen from Veep highlights the lack of intelligence of those pushing it. The study and adoption of Continuity and Change strategy has been around well before some cheap comedy. India and Russia have included “Continuity and Change” as a Foreign Policy foundation for years. It's frequently used in academic texts, including here. Religions use it as do businesses. A quick Google check proves it. For the record Veep used “Continuity With Change.” I think is a great vision statement but we do need to see what the plan is to achieve it. The budget and election policy plans should make that clear. If it doesn’t yet it needs to and it needs to. 

So folks batten down the hatches we are in for a rocky ride. It will get dirty. The true nature of the rogue gang will be evident. The usual line up of media bile pushers  will be out in force salivating over every bit of juicy gossip. 

In the meantime Bill Shorten and Labor are going about their business, largely unchallenged and just sticking their heads up from time to time to point the finger; hey look at that lot over there. 

That we have people within our own Liberal parliamentary ranks who’d rather destroy the party instead of our opposition I think is reprehensible. No wonder Labor are laughing at us. Let's just pray they don’t take the rest of us down with them. 

Dear Prime Minister Abbott

Dear Mr Abbott

You have many fine qualities which I admire and I value in a leader; courage, loyalty, tenacity, decency, values and strength. Strengths I want to see in leaders, in all walks of life.

But in saying that, it is sometimes those very qualities, that if misused, can also lead to a leader's downfall. Sadly, the perception I have, is that some of those qualities are being misused by you and as a result, they are letting you and many of your conservative supporters down. I know from discussions I have with many longstanding conservatives,  I am not the only one who feels this is the case. 

I accepted, that is was never going to be easy, for a first term conservative government, coming to power after six years of the chaos of Labor. And, in particular following a Labor government, who left more land-mines than in the killing fields in Afghanistan. That said, as a conservative supporter, I’ve hung in there through thick and thin. But I’m finding it harder to keep supporting what I am now witnessing.

I had high hopes when the Liberal & Nationals were handed the keys to The Lodge. In opposition I watched a strong team, unified in their mission to rescue the country from years of waste, dysfunction, back stabbing and chaos. Sadly, now I am witnessing similar behaviours in your team.

I am a middle of the road conservative. I am concerned about the economy, our security, jobs and growth. I believe in an environment where people are encouraged to be self-sufficient and not be a drain on the ‘public purse’. I accept that in a world driven by social reformers, who believe the government ‘owes’ people a living, that driving to self-sufficiency is a huge change effort and some ‘eggs will be broken” along the way.

I believe, as Australians, we can compete with and lead the best in the world. I am disappointed that important drivers that enable that, like the economy, our security, jobs and growth are being highjacked by soft issues such as same sex marriage. As a result, Labor, the Greens, the left media and sadly some within our own party are driving the political debate. I was delighted when you announced your intention to consider a plebiscite. I was hopeful the debate would settle down and government could get on with the important issues. But alias, that was not to be. I will come back to this point.

I know many good things are still happening. The passing of the research fund. Good news on the economy and jobs. But apart from the odd program like Bolt or articles such as the one published by Peter Switzer, in his excellent piece of August 18 headed up “Be warned. A politician called Joe Hockey is telling us the truth” (link below), we see nothing in the news unless we search for it. And we hear little from you, talking this up. So the vast majority of people only see and hear the negative stories promoted by the ABC, SBS and Fairfax with the able assistance of Sky and the rest of the electronic media. No wonder the faithful are losing faith. Add to that, the disgraceful misleading TV ads by unions and we have a sense of despair creeping in.

Sadly, far too much of the negativity is being fuelled by some within our own party. I was therefore very pleased to hear today that you will be taking tough action against leakers. Great, but we need to see action, not just words. It’s fine to present a different point of view to the public. In fact it’s healthy. But when key discussions are leaked or when MP’s and Ministers air their very vocal opposition to decisions made, in a public forum,  the message the electorate hears is; one of disunity. That is not a good look Mr Abbott. “We load the gun and hand it to the opposition to shoot us in the head.”

Which leads me to my next point; loyalty. You have a well deserved reputation for loyalty. But loyalty can also blind us to the perceptions of others; perception is reality in the eyes of many. I feel (and I know I am not alone) that Malcolm Turnbull and Christopher Pyne have demonstrated their disloyalty on a number of occasions, and therefore they need to go. Bronwyn Bishop was sacrificed over the expenses scandal and Christopher Pyne supported her accuser, Tony Burke.  The man who bullied Mrs Bishop out of office and who has been proven to be a significant serial abuser of tax payer dollars.  That is appalling. Malcolm Turnbull on the other hand made a big show of catching a train from Melbourne to Geelong; an act of deliberate public mocking. Disgraceful.

I should add at this point, that it is to your credit, that you appointed a team to review politicians expenses and that shows you have courage. I am sure, many within your own party,  who seem to think that access to tax payer funds is a right regardless of questionable justification, were not happy about that. But, you responded to the overwhelming electorate outrage and I am grateful that you are dealing with this obvious abuse. Well done. But, following your announcement in confirming the report would be completed first half 2016 was a huge disappointment to me. I feel that is far too long.  The report needs to produced before the end of the year. If it isn’t, it simply looks like delaying tactics and an opportunity to restore faith with the community will be wasted. People have short memories.

So back to loyalty and solidarity. I would never support any group where every member of the team thinks the same. Different viewpoints are important and essential to the effective performance of any team. However, once debate has taken place, the arguments from all sides heard, and the decision of the collective group reached (based on the agreed decision criteria be that unanimous, 80/20 or the power of one) then that final decision must be supported in public. That is an important key in maintaining faith with the electorate. I haven’t always agreed with every decision your team has made. However, if I understand the logic, the overall benefits (not necessarily a personal benefit to me) then I support the decision. And, in my own small way I do that in public, to my own detriment at times. It was very disappointing therefore, to have Ministers breeching the party room decision on SSM. Christopher Pyne in particular was very vocal in condemning the process and the inclusion of the Nationals team. Malcolm Turnbull was another who could not wait to voice his concerns to anyone prepared to listen. Once again the perception of the electorate is that of a divided team with some members outwardly undermining the leader. That’s hard to defend.

It is blatantly obvious your PMO is not doing their job. With respect Mr Abbott, neither are you. The Labor Party and the Greens supported by an ever increasingly left learning media are winning the battle. They lie, they bully and you and your PMO appear to do nothing.

You have a good story to tell. Many of the pressing issues we asked to be addressed in changing government, have been delivered and are being maintained. Carbon and mining taxes repealed. Boats stopped, borders secured and the backlog of people in asylum centres and in the community being assessed and necessary action taken. Hundreds of children released. The economy is being dealt with; challenges acknowledged. Since the second budget was released, hardly a word of dissent has been heard; well done. Social Services, under the very capable guidance of Scott Morrison is addressing issues such as welfare abuse. Great news. Trade deals with major trading partners signed. But all of this great work is constantly overshadowed by soft issues like SSM, which frankly benefits a very small minority within the community.

People like me who want to see an LNP government returned next election are growing weary. I’m tired of the undermining within the party that results in members cancelling their membership, after 20 years of loyal support as some have. I’m tired of the one sided media push and the open bias of the ABC (in particular). I tired of spending hours of my time on social media platforms, on blogs etc, defending our government who appears incapable of using those same resources to defend themselves and to support us.

So what do I want from you?

I would like you to have the courage to deal with those in the cabinet who are playing into the opposition's hands. Strip them of portfolios, demote them, force them to resign. I don’t care, as long as they are dealt with in the most efficient way. In essence remove the deadwood.

I would like you to have a media strategy to take the opposition parties and unions head on. Call them out on their blatant lies, particularly those being pushed by unions via various TV ads. Even the ABC showed a union ad attacking Commissioner. That is appalling.

I would like you to clean out the deadwood in the PMO and to set-up a mechanism for listening to what people are saying on social media and to actively respond to feedback. We need a greater share of voice in all media areas; print, electronic and particularly social.

If you can’t or are unwilling to do what is necessary, I would like you to consider stepping aside and handing the reigns over to someone who is capable of taking control back. We want to win the next election but time is running out. We are rapidly losing support and without dramatic change that will only get worse if not dealt with now.

I don’t think that is a lot to ask Mr Abbott. Courage, loyalty and strength, you have those attributes, now it’s time to act. We simply can’t afford to let a Labor/Greens government back into power.

Be Warned: A Politician Called Joe Hockey is Telling The TRUTH

Work Smarter, Not Harder: Political Game Plan

The name of the game is working smarter not harder. Using what assets you have available to you to achieve your ultimate objective; reclaim office in 2016.

In politics, the leader who is faced with ministers and others who are not performing and this is coupled with the internal challenges of people sitting in different camps he/she has only a few options.  The camps could probably be managed but when those camps are stocked with immature backbenchers, the challenge becomes even greater. Let’ face it, the Conservatives have an overabundance of immature backbenchers. They don’t have the staying power needed, to deliver unpopular change which is essential to set us up for the future. It’s all about self with them.  

So what are some of the possible limited options?

• Move people on and then face an internal revolt from the opposing camp? It might work if the anti-camp numbers were on the lower side. But very dicey if not. You could possibly afford to do it, if your electoral 'stocks' were high and you have time to weather the storm. But in the case of our PM his stocks are unfairly low and time is pressing. So, if you are presiding over a camp of vipers, who have already tried to destabilise you, it's probably not the best option. 

• You can leave the deadwood and the traitors where they are. In essence do nothing. That would surely mean continuing to fight leaks to a salivating media. Disenfranchise your support base (we are seeing evidence of that already).  You would risk certain further challenges to your leadership. All of this can be distracting and if you are an achiever as the PM is, incredibly frustrating; always looking over your shoulder to see where the next knife is coming from. That is debilitating and exhausting and it takes you back to scenario one at some. The point where everyone on both sides as had enough.   

• Or you can stand back and let ‘nature’ take its course. Take the arm’s length approach and let someone else determine the 'deadwoods' fate. Be that the media, the electorate or even the opposition. Or simply let the deadwood hang themselves. You achieve the desired result, you don’t have blood on your hands and you are responding to the electorates’ demands.  

In the third scenario you will cop flak (a bucket load of it) certainly from your supporters. They will judge you as being weak and indecisive. In fact it’s the opposite. Those would seek to drop the ‘flak bucket’ with all due respect aren’t perhaps that strategically minded or aware of the internal goings on at a deeper level. I think this is the game Tony Abbott is playing. It's risky, it's courageous but in my opinion, it's smart.

Mr Abbott has a lot of deadwood and far too many gutless backbenchers who turn at the slightest bit of pressure. Remember the 39 would be assassins? There is one less now, but they are still there.  If Mr Abbott had moved on Bronwyn Bishop many of those assassins would have been screaming for a spill.

I like Bronwyn and let’s face it; we have too few good women in politics. Bronwyn has been a long standing loyal servant and whilst I think her helicopter misdemeanour was foolish, it wasn't a hanging offence. Certainly not in light of what has surfaced since. But the question that has been overlooked in the helicopter fiasco is her performance.

Having declared my personal feelings toward her I need to be honest and say, she wasn't the greatest Speaker. It's fair to say she was tested day in day out in QT by the recalcitrant children on the opposition bench. But even I cringed over some of her decisions and I have a ‘blue eye’.  That said, nothing was going to improve and she was becoming a distraction. QT was turning into Labor 'versus with the speaker' battleground deflecting the Govt from its task of demolishing the opposition. You only had to follow the twitter timeline to see that. Over the last two sittings in particular running comment was about the Speaker and who on the opposition bench she had kicked out, not the Govt frontbenchers silencing the opposition and highlighting the flaw in the oppositions attack.  So thanks to the opposition, media and electorate Mrs Bishop is gone. Hopefully, the new Speaker will be a secondary player and not manipulated by the opposition to play the starring role.

Managing costs is a burning issue for the PM. He is well aware of the gross abuse of parliamentary travel rorts. As we have discovered this is a problem everywhere. LNP, Labor, Independents & Greens all have abusers within their ranks. If the PM was to try and fix this he would be slaughtered. It has been tried in the past and voted down. Now, the electorate outrage is at such a level even Bill Shorten agrees something has to be done.  

And I should add Christopher Pyne isn't the greatest performer. The electorate will judge him harshly over his travel rorts.  I dare say a few others will also fall into that camp as well and hopefully a few will be consumed by guilt and jump ship.

Sadly Mrs Bishop was the sacrificial lamb and we owe her a huge debt.

So yes, I think Tony Abbott is playing a very interesting game. There will be more ‘outings’ over coming months. There will be endless rumours of challenges. The media has already started their three monthly ‘leadership challenge’ rumours (now called hints). As Conservatives we need to stand firm. Weather the storm. There is a plan, that plan has been put into play. You either choose to ride with it or continue to attack those you purport to support. The true blues will ride it out.

To quote Sun Tzu:

 "A military operation involved deception. Even though you are competent, appear to be incompetent. Though effective, appear to be ineffective"

"All men can see these tactics whereby I conquer, but what none can see is the strategy out of which the victory is evolved"