Farrer result becomes part of our political history and possible future
The scene of the Liberal Party’s landslide loss to One Nation in Farrer over the weekend is part of the nation’s political history – but why is Albury so symbolic and what does the result tell us?
READING LEVEL: ORANGE
COMMENTARY*
A block and a half west of where One Nation members celebrated their historic win in the seat of Farrer stands an Albury landmark*: the Mate’s Building.
Students of history among Albury’s orange-clad One Nation faithful may already know the symbolism* of the Federation Free Classical* building. It was in the top floor lounge in December 1944, with Australia still fighting in World War II, that Robert Menzies* called the final meeting of 60 non-Labor delegates*, men and women, to formalise the structure and direction of a new centre-right* political movement: the Liberal Party.
BIRTHPLACE OF A POLITICAL MOVEMENT
The birthplace of Australia’s modern conservative movement was midway between Canberra and Melbourne. The meeting’s chosen location was a message to regional constituents* that the Liberal Party would be broader than just a party for the cities.
It took another five years, but unifying the centre-right parties ushered in the longest serving and most successful party of government in Australia’s history.
But on Saturday night, a new movement was confirmed. One Nation’s candidate David Farley won a seat the Liberal Party and the Nationals have held since its creation in the year Menzies was elected.
NEW KID ON THE BLOCK
The new face of the centre-right has little in common with 1944 and the Liberal Party’s collapse in Farrer was fast.
Just 12 months ago, the Liberal Party held a primary vote in Farrer of 44 per cent. It has been as high as almost 60 per cent in past elections. Today it sits at 12 per cent.
The lesson from this result – and what happened with Nigel Farage’s Reform UK* in England last week* – is that when faced with a choice between an establishment party trying to renew itself and an alternative, voters will choose the alternative.
WHY IS FARRER SO IMPORTANT?
Following on from the South Australian election result, the result in Farrer suggests One Nation could easily pick up a senator in each state at the next federal election.
With two MPs in the lower house and the likelihood it could win more at the next election, One Nation would have a party room the size of the Greens, possibly larger.
There is no good news out of Farrer for anyone except One Nation, whose leader Pauline Hanson exceeded the expectations of the published poll. The picture is so bad for the Liberal Party that it also disguises bad news for others, including Labor.
With independent Michelle Milthorpe and the Greens underperforming, it would appear that up to 50 per cent of any potential Labor vote may have instead gone to One Nation.
WHAT DOES IT MEAN FOR THE TWO MAJOR PARTIES?
The result gives Labor cause for concern. But it will take time for the Liberal Party to digest the event’s scale and what it means for its future.
And it may take another two election cycles for this to all play out, if One Nation can sustain the size of the primary vote it attracted in Farrer.
The reality is dawning on some senior Liberals: the party may ultimately have no alternative but to form a coalition* with what was recently a fringe* right-wing* party that posed more of an annoyance than an existential* threat.
At some point there may have to be another Albury conference of non-Labor parties because there are too many centre-right players for all of them to survive.
The Liberal Party will endure, but the Nationals could eventually split or even disappear.
Liberal Party Leader Angus Taylor talks of the need to rebuild the party. But if Farrer is a hint of what is to come elsewhere in the nation, the talk will very soon turn to the bigger question of whether we will see a total reinvention of the centre-right in Australia.
* Please note this piece is an example of commentary, otherwise known as an “op-ed” or opinion piece, by political analyst Simon Benson. It has been edited for Kids News.
A commentator and former political editor at The Australian, Simon Benson is an award-winning journalist and former President of the NSW Press Gallery. He has covered federal and state politics for more than 20 years. A former environment and science editor, he won the Australian Museum Eureka Prize in 2001.
POLL
GLOSSARY
- landmark: a prominent and easily recognisable building or feature
- symbolism: when meaning is expressed or suggested by something
- Federation Free Classical: an Australian architectural style popular in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, moving away from the Victorian era to a looser interpretation of classical elements
- Robert Menzies: Australia’s 12th and longest-serving prime minister. He held the office twice, from 1939 to 1941 and from 1949 to 1966
- delegates: people chosen or elected by a larger group to speak or vote for them, especially at a meeting
- centre-right: represents moderate conservatism, generally supporting capitalism, private property, traditional values and a market economy, while favouring a smaller welfare state than the centre-left
- constituents: the people who live and vote in an area that politicians have been elected to represent
- coalition: people from different political or social groups who co-operate to achieve a particular aim
- fringe: the outside edge of something, in this case mainstream or major parties
- right-wing: has conservative views
- existential: relating to human existence, experience or being
EXTRA READING
Nationals’ leadership rodeo ride
Liberals fire up the leader barbie
QUICK QUIZ
- When did Robert Menzies call the final meeting to agree the structure of the Liberal Party?
- What was the primary Liberal Party vote in Farrer 12 months ago?
- Which party won the seat of Farrer on the weekend?
- Who is the new federal Member for Farrer?
- How many times in its history has the Liberal Party lost the seat of Farrer before now?
LISTEN TO THIS STORY
CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES
1. Create your own political party
Work in small groups of 3-4 students to create your own political party. In your planning, answer the following questions:
- Your party name
- Logo, slogan and colours
- Three key policies
- Which groups you want to help and are focused on getting votes from (families, environment, farmers, young people etc.)
Present your new party and what it stands for to your class.
Time: allow 30 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English, History, Civics and Citizenship, Personal and Social, Critical and Creative Thinking
2. Extension
Why do voters sometimes stop supporting major parties?
Discuss this statement by writing a detailed paragraph of the possible reasons why.
Time: allow 15 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English, History, Civics and Citizenship, Personal and Social, Critical and Creative Thinking
VCOP ACTIVITY
Read with Kung Fu punctuation
Pair up with this analysis between you and stand up to make it easy to demonstrate your Kung Fu punctuation.
Practise reading one sentence at a time. Now read it again, while acting out the punctuation as you read.
Read and act three sentences before swapping with your partner.
Take two turns each.
Now ask your partner to read a sentence out loud while you try and act out the punctuation. Can you keep up? Swap over?
Try acting out two sentences – are you laughing yet?