Malcolm Fraser quits Liberal Party

[foreigncorrespondent]

Mr Fraser resigned in December, shortly after Malcolm Turnbull was turfed as opposition leader over his support for emissions trading, The Australian Financial Review reported.

He allegedly told friends his replacement, Tony Abbott, was "all over the place" on policy and disliked the racist overtones adopted by the party in the debate on immigration.

Mr Fraser, the prime minister from 1975 to 1983, confirmed his decision to quit yesterday, saying the party was no longer a liberal party but a conservative party.

Link: http://www.theage.com.au/national/former-pm-malcolm-fraser-quits-liberal-party-20100526-wbes.html?autostart=1

There is also a poll there asking if you believe the Libs have gone too far to the right.

I found this one very interesting this morning. I have been saying (at home) for a while now, that Abbott could end up being the death of the Libs, and with a big cohort like this leaving, it will be interesting which others may quit the party as well, which could just leave this to being the end of the Libs and a new party being formed.

[gemini_liberal]

1. I've just won a bet with someone I know

I knew he'd dump the party. Not surprised the ideological coup of December was the straw that broke the camel's back. I remember that day well. A lot of life long Liberals became independents that day. I remember John Hewson was absolutely livid about what happened - it would not surprise me if he follows suit.

For years the Liberal right has taken over the Liberal party, both on the state and federal level. Unlike the ALP, the factions in the Liberal party are purely ideological. The Right has stacked the party's branches, worked against moderate members and non-compromisingly forced its twisted ideology into the party platform.

While being a hateful extremist who militantly wants to defeat the government may rally your troops and give you some short term strength, in the long term you'll end up destroying the party. The only hope for the Liberals is that they lose massively this year and attribute it to their experiment with extremism and wisen up. Otherwise they are just going to destroy eachother. (scapegoating and evicting the small l's, the moderates, the soft rights, a right member who once said on a tv interview that an ALP member was "a nice guy" etc.)

I really think the Liberal and National parties should merge and stop using their misleading monikers (the Liberals are most certainly NOT liberal and a party that exists with the sole purpose of representing a regional minority cannot be "National") and just call themselves the Australian Conservative Party.

[Matilda]

3. I still really believe that Abbott couldn't have got such traction

if Rudd hadn't dumped the ETS. The loony Right will always gravitate to people like Abbott, but he seems to have
attracted moderate conservatives as well - the people in the marginals who decided to vote for Rudd largely because
of his stand on climate change.

A backflip might do Rudd less harm than sticking to his guns - he's currently exhibiting the same kind of weak
stubbornness that was such a characteristic of Howard. If he could get together with Bob Brown - and he'd be very
foolish not to recognise that he's going to have to deal with the Greens, come what may - and announce a carbon
tax that would be in place until a new treaty replaces Kyoto, he might be able to win back some of those swinging
voters. That is, if anybody believes him any more,.

[foreigncorrespondent]

4. I hope it was a good bet, mate. :)

I remember back in the day when the Libs attracted a lot of people simply because they managed to keep taxes lower. My Grandparents were drawn to the party because of that reason, I bet my grandfather is turning in his grave now, to see what has happened.

I agree that the two parties should merge, maybe in an offbeat way it will happen now, only the Nationals will be picking up a lot of disinfranchised Lib voters, and the Libs will attract the extremists in this country only, and might never see another election win again. :crazy:

[Matilda]

2. He's certainly mellowed over the years.

He really was an arrogant prick in the 70s, when he teamed up with Kerr to get rid of Gough.

I really thought, when Abbott was elected, that only the far right would support him, but I was shocked at how
high his support became. I really do think he's very unstable; too quick to embrace the nuttiest ideas just to
get a quick kick in the polls.

I wonder how much of his support is really due to people identifying with his ideas, and how much is anger at Rudd
throwing out the ETS?

[foreigncorrespondent]

5. Funny...

...I home school the kids, and this year we are doing Politics as one of the subjects. I have taught them the difference in parties, and started them off easily. But recently we got talking about the Libs and I said the same damn thing about Fraser. LOL

Well I think things will settle down again, and we will see a fast exit of support for Abbott, because as you said, he really is unstable, and I think even the blind can see that. Either that, or Abbott will back something so stupid, he will shoot himslf in the ass. LOL