“Although of their own making, the Liberal Party has had a rough trot sitting in opposition for a quarter of a century. This is really their last chance to demonstrate they are a capable alternative to the government,” writes political columnist MICHAEL MOORE.

There is finally a chance for a “forever opposition” in the ACT Assembly to break the cycle. It beggars belief that the Liberals have been so long in opposition, but they only have themselves to blame.

The first column that I penned for CityNews was in November 2006 when the Liberals were in a similar pickle. That column concluded: “The incumbents could put the dummies back in their mouths, climb out of the sandpit and work together to do the job for which they were elected.”

On being elected Opposition Leader Mark Parton used different language to describe the same thing. He declared it was time “to put that shit behind us”, calling on his colleagues to look forward, to get out of the sandpit and to act like an alternative government. 

In 2006 the question was posed: “So what options are available for the Liberals to do the job they have been elected to do – to be a strong, intelligent, co-ordinated critical opposition and a real alternative to the current government?” 

At the time my column argued it ought to be relatively easy to demonstrate capability as an alternative government when the majority “Labor government was presiding over school closures, health blowouts, deteriorating infrastructure and economic chaos”. 

In 2025 the minority Labor government presides over declining health and education standards, a broken corrections system, a budget that is so far out of control that Standard and Poors have yet again dropped the credit rating (now at AA+). Rates and land taxes are always on the increase. 

The potential was there 19 years ago. The same is true now. It ought to be relatively easy to demonstrate competence as an alternative government. 

Parton is a seasoned communicator. He spent 17 years as a popular and effective radio presenter in Canberra. He is also a moderate within the Liberal Party. His philosophical approach is likely to be more acceptable to Canberrans than the approach run by the Canberra Liberals over two dozen years. 

Keeping the hardline conservatives in check will be one of his biggest challenges if he is to neuter a key element that has kept the Liberals out of power for so long.

He has well-honed communication skills and may finally provide the leadership to break the Labor deadlock on government in the ACT.

Parton must demonstrate that he can work with both independents and, more challenging, with the Greens. If he can find some common ground, he will be able to demonstrate the ability of his team to work in a non-partisan way.

Parton has been successful in his role as Speaker of the Assembly. In that he dealt fairly and without favour to all members. It is a good indicator that he just might have what it takes to both hold the Liberals together and to work with other MLAs.

In his first press conference, on taking over the role of Opposition Leade, he explained that he did not want to dwell on the past saying: “I am not even looking at that rear vision mirror, I am looking straight out the front,” and later, “I am not here to explain how we got here… I am here to get us out”.

The Liberals have elected Deborah Morris as Deputy Leader. She is unlikely to cause alarm in the community. Hardly anyone I know has even heard of her. Despite being shadow minister for police, for corrections and for the prevention of family and domestic violence, she has not been a strong voice in the media.

These portfolios provided an extraordinary chance to build the profile of a person who was prepared to hold the government accountable for its failures.

Perhaps the leadership of Mark Parton, and her new role, will provide the opportunity for Morris to demonstrate that she is a capable and effective MLA.

Although it is of their own making, the Liberal Party and its elected MLAs have had a rough trot sitting in opposition for a quarter of a century. This is really their last chance to demonstrate to Canberrans that they are a capable alternative to the government.

They can do this by demonstrating they are putting the interest of Canberrans above political games. 

Michael Moore is a former member of the ACT Legislative Assembly and an independent minister for health. He has been a political columnist with “CityNews” since 2006.

Here’s Michael Moore’s prophetic first column for CityNews, from November 25, 2006

Wake up the Liberals: Grow up and get out of the sandpit

So, what should the ACT Liberal Party do now? 

The nonsense that has consumed this party over the last few weeks hardly bodes well for the local Assembly. Our community depends on a strong co-ordinated opposition to keep the government on its toes. However, the level of infighting and personality clashes that permeate the parliamentary arm of the Liberals makes this seem the last thing possible.

This is the first Assembly that has had a majority government when the role of a vocal opposition becomes even more important for accountability and where they can demonstrate competence as the alternative government. Would anyone seriously consider the current Liberal Party in the Assembly as an alternative government?

So what options are available for the Liberals to do the job they have been elected to do – to be a strong, intelligent, co-ordinated critical opposition and a real alternative to the current government? This should be relatively easy with the Labor government presiding over school closures, health blowouts, deteriorating infrastructure and economic chaos.

The challenge for the Liberals is hardly helped by a party president who puts internal strife in writing and opens the dirty laundry to public gaze. When those in political life put such things in writing, they do so with the expectation that the document will be made public – whether they leak it themselves or not. 

If the frustrations of president Gary Kent are so great, having presumably done all he can to correct the internal machinations, then he should simply step down and allow someone else to sort out the issues. But is there anyone at all within the party who is competent enough and possesses the appropriate skills to wake this lot up to themselves? The role for a party president is to stand above the infighting, keep a foot in each faction, support the parliamentary leader and nip dissatisfaction in the bud. 

So what are the options for the Liberal Party?

The first option is probably the most logical and the one that would receive most support from the general public. It requires all of the elected MLAs to fall on their own swords and resign. With our Hare-Clark system replacing these Members will follow a sensible and orderly process. 

The newly elected MLAs are likely to include people like Lucille Bailie, Ron Forrester and Gordon Scott in Molonglo, Steve Doszpot and Karen Schilling in Brindabella, Bob Sobey and Ilona Fraser in Ginninderra. Having observed the shambles of the current mob it could be expected that they would be able to form a team and get on with the job. Actually, at a glance this group looks like a team that could make a positive contribution – if they were able to put the community and the party before personal ambition.

Unfortunately, the same ambition, the same self-centered approach that is the base cause for the infighting will be the very traits that prevent this option being adopted.

So what is the second option? Actually this is two options in one. We get Bill Stefaniak as Opposition Leader or Richard Mulcahy.

A tougher approach by Bill Stefaniak is likely to raise even more ire – if that is possible – and see yet another coup. Having now ‘thrice rejected the kingly crown’, Richard Mulcahy waits his turn. It doesn’t really make much difference. Neither has what it takes to be able to quell the infighting. Neither is centralist enough in political views to be able to win an election with a leftist leaning Canberra electorate. At least Mulcahy does seem to understand the economic issues facing the Territory.

For the next option we have to ask – who is left? Zed Seselja and Vicki Dunne are also certainly too far to the right to provide electoral hope for the Liberal Party. This option, therefore, is the highly unlikely back to the future Brendan Smyth – who we now recognise managed an almost impossible group of people quite effectively for nearly four years. 

There is one final option – but it really beggars belief – the incumbents could put the dummies back in their mouths, climb out of the sandpit and work together to do the job for which they were elected.