Hi
@debono and
@Piste Skier
I agree ... a dream result that rogered most pundits, bookies and pollsters and even parliamentarians.
Abbott was flawed, fixated and monotonic. He could only function in parliament as a brawler, his blood splattered over many of the nastiest political times and events of the last decade.
I assumed Abbott was so entwined and the Libs so flawed that the Libs had to lose the election for Abbott to be a good chance of losing his seat. I assumed I had to vote elsewhere after about 25 years of voting Liberal. I was wrong.
Morrison campaigned hard across Australia and yesterday won seats in multiple states. But as far as I am aware, Morrison never once stepped foot in Waringah , nor offered support ... Waringah was just one of 2 ( I think) Liberal losses. It’s hard not to read that the Lib hierarchy wanted Abbott gone and imo, they cut him adrift during the campaign imo.
Imo, Morrison alone won the election for the Libs ... he won it appealing to moderate, middle, sensible, hard working Australians, not the vocal conservative minority. In the coming months I think it will drop that Morrison has a mandate for middle Australia and a mandate to stare down the conservative minority if he chooses.
Morrison and his political vision for the Liberal Party has the potential to be multi term imo if he hangs on to his campaign vision and doesn’t get distracted or thwarted by factional politics.
I haven’t checked tally results yet today as to whether Morrison has a minority or slim majority government and how locked the senate might end up being.
But assuming it’s a minority government and a locked senate, the ONLY differences from the previous decade of impotent governments is the absence of Abbott’s disruption and dissenting take on politics to fan the conservative faction and the presence of a few independents that have declared their likely support for many of the liberal policies.
I hope for clever, consultative leadership from Morrison, discipline from all elected to his team and a level of bipartisanship from some on the cross bench.
Cheers
Dex