“The Liberals need to be what they haven’t been: united, effective and policies reflective of what Labor isn’t doing. That’s a contrast we want and need to see, even Labor,” says political columnist ANDREW HUGHES. 

It’s been a month of contrasts: contrasts with those who want to be in government, those who are, and those who aspire to be part of a government. 

And contrasts in politics are important to voters. They want to know there is a meaningful difference between parties and candidates. That you stand for something you believe in. So let’s look at five contrasts shaping territory politics. 

To contrast 1: the Liberals. They justified nearly all the criticism they’ve received internally and externally by the events of the first weeks of November. As of time of writing, 33 per cent of the parliamentary party have been former leaders! I don’t know of any other opposition party in Australian political history with that metric. Nor should I. Nor should you. 

For all the claims of unity, leadership and strategy, it was Leanne Castley herself who turned the lights out on her time as ACT Opposition Leader. Jeremy Hanson, the loyal deputy, followed her. 

With so few of the nine in the parliamentary wing of the party seemingly not touched by the drama, it fell to the only obvious choices for leader and deputy to take the reins, Mark Parton and Deborah Morris. 

They are contrast 2. Perhaps the contrast the Liberals need. The mix of Gen X and Gen Y, gender balance, but… wait… didn’t we just have that? 

So the real contrast they need to be is what the Liberals haven’t been: united, effective and policies reflective of what Labor isn’t doing. That is a contrast we want and need to see, even Labor. 

Hopefully, iron sharpens iron. But will it though? Listening tour? No! Just. Do. It. 

Mark Parton, please, put up thought-out policies an alternative leader should offer. No more bus lanes across bridges ideas. Just reflect the broad church and work up from there. 

So the Liberals dream of being more like contrast 3. Labor. 

The contrasts between the Liberals and Labor right now could not be more stark on the three key areas of policy, party and leadership. Literally night and day, east and west. Example? 

When chief minister in the waiting/box seat Chris Steel became the first politician in over a decade censured, understandably, over his handling of the MyWay+ rollout we saw how Labor handled their leadership rumblings. 

While Steel likely saw the MyWay+ faults as nothing in comparison to the big items he would be focused on as treasurer, like debt repayment, he would have also thought that the social-media feeds would move our focus on to more important issues, like just who a former Canadian PM is dating, it did not. 

Why? Because tangible everyday issues, such as public transport fails, don’t go away unless they are addressed. No, actually corrected, not fixed via some buzzwordy banditry in a vague presser/s or chirpy social media post. 

Chief Minister Andrew Barr, top personal vote winner in election 2024, knew this. To prevent ongoing brand damage he used common sense and experience, issuing an apology when Steel couldn’t even say the word, highlighting the contrast between leader in waiting, and leader in power. 

It was a clear and ruthless projection of internal Labor politics. A statement saying: “You may think you are ready. But you aren’t. I’m still what this town, and the party, needs.” 

The current and the would-be leader are clearly in, to borrow a social media term, the “it’s complicated” part of the relationship. 

And so to contrast 4. In the midst of all the internal factional going ons, there was Thomas Emerson. Lifting rocks down at the Murrumbidgee with close friend David Pocock, both with muscles on full display, super hero like, but just missing the cool outfits. 

Since he’s been elected Emerson has been enjoying acting like a leader. Meet-and-greets with anyone and everyone, and using social media to tell that tale with style and emojis. It’s what we love seeing in a leader – aspiration with no limits. Hope on tap. Energy to match any solar panel output on a summer’s day. 

And yet this shows the ongoing pressure for contrast. Which contrast 5 also helps show, even if largely forgotten by the prior events. The Greens censure motion on Steel. 

It was smart politics. A reminder that they are the third biggest party in the Assembly. An easy and public chance to grab contrast points on Labor. 

Yet it also showed that they are under pressure to differentiate. Leader Shane Rattenbury knows that getting and keeping contrasts in politics is a high-risk, high-return, but necessary game. 

The contrasts we’ve seen in the last month are telling us much about who stands for something, and those who are standing for themselves. And that’s a contrast we all need to see.