“A growing pessimism among the conservatives that they are facing a long sentence in the wilderness does not lessen the need for a serious refocus on policy and structural reform,” Malcolm Colless writes in The Australian today. “But if they are serious about fighting back … the conservatives must first slap down their own small-minded factional dinosaurs.”

The Liberal Senate leader and the former deputy federal director of the party, Nick Minchin, has been quick to show his credentials for the task of rebuilding. He’s dusted down the report he worked on after the Coalition’s 1983 loss, Facing the Facts. “The report in particular made a series of recommendations about the Liberal Party organisation which, nearly 25 years later, are remarkably compelling in their logic and common sense,” he has written.

Yet Minchin is actively playing the factional game, too. He was able – just – to award the federal parliamentary leadership to Brendan Nelson. Crikey also understands Minchin intends to play the kingmaker’s role in the party organisation.

John Howard lost his seat. He isn’t around to take the wrap for the Liberals’ loss. The only victim sacrificed so far has been the party’s president, Chris McDiven, who announced last year that she would not recontest the position.

McDiven was scarcely central to the Coalition’s campaign. She was not one of “the royal family,” the Howard retinue in charge of strategy. She has been pushed out for faction reasons, and factional politics seems set to be central to choosing her successor.

After deciding who will lead the opposition, Minchin is also determined that he will decide who will be the Liberal Party president.

The party will rebuild, but in his image, and Minchin can be the tyrannosaurus rex of the faction dinosaurs.