What becomes of the Liberal Party?

Saturday Apr 8

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What becomes of the Liberal Party? Now that Labor has successfully painted the entire mainland red and pulled off a once-in-a-century byelection victory, politicians and pundits are rightfully asking the obvious question. In the pages of Crikey this week, Guy Rundle explained what the party could learn from former NSW premier Dominic Perrottet's brand of politics, and Maeve McGregor traced the source of the Liberal Party's malaise to the hovering ghost of John Howard.

Elsewhere this week, Cam Wilson updated us on what two former Liberal staffers are up to, Julia Bergin uncovered what reality television contestants are hunting for dinner in Tasmania, and Anton Nilsson reported on the Greens' vision for cannabis legalisation.

Plus, what is the latest in Lachlan Murdoch's case against Private Media?

We hope you're having a special long weekend and thanks for your support.

Gina Rushton,
Editor

Dom is the dom! In NSW, Perrottet shows the Liberals how it’s done

GUY RUNDLE

Rather than being the loser the commentators were flogging, the former premier's election result is actually looking damn good.

Former NSW premier Dominic Perrottet (Image: AAP/Pool/Edwina Pickles)

How the ghost of John Howard haunted the Aston byelection

MAEVE MCGREGOR

The one true architect behind the Liberal Party's growing malaise is the man who poisoned the very soul of democracy in Australia.

Former Liberal prime minister John Howard (Image: AAP/James Gourley)

ASTON LA VISTA

After Aston, the right has — hahaha, I can’t finish this headline

GUY RUNDLE

The Liberal Party isn't going to split. But its secular-moderate core must now devote themselves to bloody internal struggle for years on end.

Liberal candidate for Aston Roshena Campbell (Image: AAP/Julian Smith)

The perennial problem of defining Peter Dutton

CHARLIE LEWIS

Following defeat in Aston, some Liberals think they need to better 'define' Peter Dutton to the electorate. How's that gone in the past?

‘Bloody and accursed despotism’: the wild tale of the last byelection lost by the opposition

CHARLIE LEWIS

Aston was the second time since 1920 that government has won a seat off the opposition in a byelection. What happened the first time?

Ex-Liberal staff have set up a ‘patriotic, pro-family’ tech company making tools to pressure politicians

CAM WILSON

Far-right groups are already using tools offered by Overton Solutions to 'increase their reach and impact on society'.

The logo for Liberal staffer-run tech Overton Solutions and its tool being used on far-right Turning Point Australia's website (Image: Overton Solutions, Turning Point Australia)

Trump’s rambling Mar-a-Lago speech post-perp walk — and the roads that led us here

CHARLIE LEWIS

Donald Trump is the first US president to be arraigned on criminal charges. Crikey looks at an extraordinary day and how it came about.

Former US president Donald Trump speaks at his Mar-a-Lago estate on Wednesday (Image: AP/Evan Vucci)

News Corp keeps talking, but fewer and fewer are listening

CHRISTOPHER WARREN

With its business model failing and its culture-war shots increasingly missing their mark, is News Corp's political power waning?

(Image: News Corp/Private Media)

What should the NSW Parliament do with Mark Latham and Gareth Ward?

MICHAEL BRADLEY

Ostracism appears to be the best course. It may seem infuriatingly mild but their fellow MPs hands are somewhat tied.

NSW MPs Mark Latham and Gareth Ward (Images: AAP)

Australia’s ‘great burnout’ is here — but we have the solutions

KRISTINE ZIWICA

Australian women have long suffered with emotional and physical burnout, but now men are also feeling it. Structural change is needed.

(Image: Moodboard)

Eggflation hits Easter as prices… rise again

JASON MURPHY

Cocoa, sugar and milk are all experiencing price surges, and that's having an inevitable effect on our beloved chocolate treats.

(Image: Adobe)

VOICE TO PARLIAMENT

Liberal Party says ‘no’ to government’s Voice to Parliament model

ANTON NILSSON

'The prime minister is dividing our country and the Liberal Party seeks to unite our country,' Peter Dutton said.

Peter Dutton (Image: AAP/Lukas Coch)

Dutton isn’t just ignoring First Nations peoples — he’s spitting in their faces

MICHAEL BRADLEY

The Liberal Party was always going to reject the Voice to Parliament. It's important to ask why it was so easy to predict.

Teens are already scheming about how to get around NSW’s school phone ban

CAM WILSON

High school students say they hate NSW Premier Chris Minns' school mobile phone ban and think it won't work.

Students respond on TikTok to the NSW school phone ban (Image: TikTok)

I was part of Whitlam’s reforms for women spanning abortion, family law and more

ELIZABETH EVATT

Elizabeth Evatt, the first chief judge of the Family Court of Australia, on Gough Whitlam and revolutionising women's rights.

Gough Whitlam with singer Little Pattie (Image: AAP/David Crosling)

Aussies could smoke weed at Amsterdam-style coffee shops under new Greens bill

ANTON NILSSON

There would be a six-plant limit for home growers but no upper limit on possession under the Greens proposal.

(Image: AP/Seth Perlman)

Crikey given more time to update defence against Lachlan Murdoch as judge loses patience

JOHN BUCKLEY

Crikey owner Private Media has a week to update its defence, which could now include personal correspondence between Murdoch family members.

Lachlan Murdoch (Image: AAP/Steven Saphore)

Contestants on Australia’s new survival reality TV show can only hunt dinner off an approved menu

JULIA BERGIN

No matter how hungry a contestant is, if they find themselves looking at an animal that’s not on the Tasmanian government’s game list, they’re obligated to send it on its way.

The cast of 'Alone Australia' (Image: Supplied)

‘False flag event’: is the government setting up conditions for an illegal war?

MAEVE MCGREGOR

The inquiry into war powers reform has tucked a very odd recommendation into its report, and it's raising eyebrows.

Former Australian PM John Howard and former US president George W Bush (Image: AP/Charles Dharapak)

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