As an erstwhile Coalition supporter and economic rationalist, I am sure I am not alone in feeling disenfranchised at the coming election. Malcolm Turnbull seems unwilling to campaign on obvious Coalition strengths such as border security, national security, highlighting Labor’s union links, opposing the carbon tax and bringing the budget under control. Instead, all he is offering is a Labor-lite alternative to the real thing. Little wonder conservative voters are peeling away support from the Liberals. Tony Abbott wasn’t a successful or popular prime minister, but at least he was committed to conservative values.
John McLeod, Sunshine Coast, Qld
Jennifer Oriel, pleading for conservatives to stick with the Coalition, inadvertently indicates why many won’t, regardless of short-term consequences (“Returning Labor may punish Liberal wets, but consequences are dire”, 6/6). Her view that the political class should have grasped the fact that the public has no appetite for the knifing of sitting PMs is belied by the fact that, clearly, the Liberal Party hasn’t. If they had grasped it, they would not have followed the Rudd-Gillard-Rudd playbook in knifing Tony Abbott. A resounding Turnbull victory could easily be seen as vindication of such knifing, and that is enough to turn off many conservatives.
Tim Fatchen, Mt Barker, SA
(I can’t let this next one slip by unremarked. Independents like me wouldn’t be running if the Liberal Party hadn’t deserted its base and followed Labor and the Greens in a lurch to the left. It’s about putting the blow torch to the belly and as Don Chip said, keeping the bastards honest)
I found it alarming to read that voters were intending to vote for the minor parties and independents. We are still reeling from the Greens, Tony Windsor and Rob Oakeshott in the Rudd-Gillard years. The Greens are never held accountable for their outrageous promises. They are only interested in trees and refugees.
Voters have to realise we must learn some constraint and live within our means. Bill Shorten must have a hidden money tree in his backyard because he is spending like there is no tomorrow.
Dawn Jakovich, Ardross, WA