Greens claim opposition leader ‘trying to ignite a culture war’ – as it happened
This blog is now closed.
- Peter Dutton confirms Liberals will oppose Indigenous voice to parliament
- Paul Karp: Peter Dutton's bid to tank the Indigenous voice is breathtaking - and locks him in as Abbott 2.0
- Get our morning and afternoon news emails, free app or daily news podcast
Birmingham calls for end to culture wars on fringe issues'
So Simon Birmigham wants the party to modernise, but keep its Liberal values. So essentially ditch the culture wars and get back to Liberal basics - small government, small business, families (although Birmingham argues for inclusive family support now).
Well, it is, in that it concerns only a relatively small numbers of people, frankly, on either side of the debate. And so having, in the lead-up to the Aston byelection, debate ensuing in the Victorian division of the Liberal party around trans rights, Nazis, all of those sorts of things that were being thrown around, was clearly very, very counterproductive.
And I think that's acknowledged right across the leadership of the Liberal party. And so trying to make sure that, whilst there has to be space to deal with issues where international sporting organisations are making rules and laws, but we shouldn't take that into into a realm where suddenly there are public protests supported by Liberal MPs or anything that suggests there is a sense of disrespect other than careful, thoughtful policy consideration.
Continue reading...