Fanning the Winds of Change

It pains me to say it, but I don't think I am alone in predicting the Labor government will be returned at the upcoming election. To the extent an IT guy from Geelong can read the mood of the electorate, I'm not confident of a 'blue wave.' In fact, I don't think Labor is in danger of having to share power with the Greens or Teals. I just don't see Peter Dutton's mob making enough gains for a hung parliament to become an issue. It is an indictment on the 'right' side of politics.

The trouble is, I haven't always been this pessimistic about the election. When Dutton announced support for nuclear energy, I was delighted. That single policy change represented decades of hard work by activists to shift the Overton window. Of course, nuclear energy campaigner Will Shackel must be given due credit for his courageous advocacy. Yet, for years prior, the Libertarian Party (formerly the Liberal Democrats) was a lone voice in the wilderness decrying the ban on nuclear power. Liberals privately supported the idea but never had the courage to support it. I hoped this policy shift meant the Liberal Party had found its balls.

Alas, my hopes were short lived. Whilst keeping the nuclear policy in their manifesto, Dutton has run dead on it. No detail, no attempt to make the case for why nuclear is not only viable but an essential addition to the energy mix. Instead, the Labor Party and the renewables lobby mock Dutton, accusing his nuclear plan of costing $600 billion and taking 25 years to build. I can only assume it is fear that holds Dutton back from defending his policy. In failing to do so, he allows himself to be beaten over the head with it. If he doesn't believe in nuclear enough to defend it, how can he expect the electorate to support him on it?

My dismay at the Coalition's bungling of the nuclear issue turned to outright shock when they allowed Labor to promise tax cuts uncontested. The measly 2% tax cut in 2026 from Labor was hardly a mighty hurdle for Angus Taylor to jump. As the Australian Taxpayers Alliance has pointed out, there’s no shortage of simple, commonsense tax reforms available. Yet, the Liberals haven’t seized any of them. When Dutton backflipped on his return to the office for public servants’ policy, I finally checked out. This opposition believes in nothing and isn't willing to fight for anything.

What all this means for libertarians is we have a lot more work ahead of us. We cannot rely on the political class to make the case for small government, cheap energy and bold taxation reform. To the extent the Liberal Party still believes in liberal values, it simply doesn't have the courage to advocate for them. It is because being bold is politically costly. The focus groups aren't overwhelmingly in favour of nuclear, particularly in the Boomer dominated, Teal voting electorates the Liberals most fear losing. Until the pain of staying the same exceeds the pain of change, the Coalition will play it safe.

We have more work to do in our communities, boldly making the case for individual liberty. The culture in Australia tends toward government playing a role in every sphere of life. That bias can shift but it's not going to come from political parties at election time. Changing the conversation relies on individuals making the case for libertarian ideas with friends and family. If even one person at work, the footy club or church makes the case for small government, they can change people's thinking. They don't need to be a statesman, just bold enough to say, "what if we did this differently?"

The cultural shift Australia needs won’t come from parliament, it will come from us. Just as years of relentless advocacy brought nuclear energy into the mainstream, it will take the same courage and consistency to push libertarian ideas into the national conversation.

Political parties will follow where public sentiment leads, but that sentiment must first be shaped by individuals willing to challenge the status quo. If you're not already involved - whether by joining a party, writing a blog or simply having the difficult conversations in your everyday life - now is the time. Real change doesn't start with an election; it starts with people willing to speak up. If we want a freer Australia, we must stop waiting for the political class to lead and become the leaders ourselves.