Cowboy Barnett
An interesting thing about this election that I've noticed is Colin Barnett's insistence to stand alone under either the guillotine or among the thrown roses. Just have a look - Barnett is out there with the camera in his face every day of the campaign spouting policy as though he was the only person in the WA Liberal Party. Some of the policies, especially that of the prison closure, seem to almost be ones that he himself has cooked up independently. "I will do this" "I believe this" "he said that". Lots of "I" not so much "we" "the Liberal Party" etc.
This starkly juxtaposes with the way John Howard runs the federal party. While Barnett is charging into battle by himself, Howard is more like a field marshal directing his officers while still giving them the vital freedom to make their own combat decisions. You noticed Costello pushing and defending his own tax decisions, Abbot going on the pro-life walkabout, Ruddock and then Vanstone announcing refugee policy, and Nelson personally rebutting Latham's hitlist. They all cop their own share of roses or rotten vegetables, yet the party is still united with Howard pulling them in line or propping up a key policy when necessary. This has been remarkably successful and was a contributing factor to continued Liberal power.
By putting himself in the spotlight Barnett is going to either be taking all the blame for an election defeat, or he will be WA's next big thing. It's a gamble personally but it really isn't great news for the party. If a party has multiple points it can be attacked weakly on, the party is harder to bring down so long as everyone works as a team. It also leads to greater diversity of opinions and ideas, meaning the party is more likely to have a stronger platform of policy.
Barnett's strategy is reminiscent of Latham's tilt at last year's election, as Greg Craven discussed in the Weekend Australian (subscription required).
"...he has impressed voters as daring, imaginative and visionary. He has also worried them for the same reasons. Their reaction is to admire his guts - while moving swiftly towards the certainty of a dull but safe government."
That was just like what Latham was like, and the Libs countered this swiftly with attacks on his credibility and the interest rate line. Craven thinks that Barnett needs to stick to the core issues, to look more like a rock than a loose cannon. And most importantly, don't let the canal drown everything else out. Barnett needs to make the electorate trust him, the ALP needs to stay trustworthy and not give Barnett much room to be spectacular. Like Peter Tucker argued, oppositions don't win elections, governments lose them.
Roses or a guillotine? I guess we will find out in 11 days.
This starkly juxtaposes with the way John Howard runs the federal party. While Barnett is charging into battle by himself, Howard is more like a field marshal directing his officers while still giving them the vital freedom to make their own combat decisions. You noticed Costello pushing and defending his own tax decisions, Abbot going on the pro-life walkabout, Ruddock and then Vanstone announcing refugee policy, and Nelson personally rebutting Latham's hitlist. They all cop their own share of roses or rotten vegetables, yet the party is still united with Howard pulling them in line or propping up a key policy when necessary. This has been remarkably successful and was a contributing factor to continued Liberal power.
By putting himself in the spotlight Barnett is going to either be taking all the blame for an election defeat, or he will be WA's next big thing. It's a gamble personally but it really isn't great news for the party. If a party has multiple points it can be attacked weakly on, the party is harder to bring down so long as everyone works as a team. It also leads to greater diversity of opinions and ideas, meaning the party is more likely to have a stronger platform of policy.
Barnett's strategy is reminiscent of Latham's tilt at last year's election, as Greg Craven discussed in the Weekend Australian (subscription required).
"...he has impressed voters as daring, imaginative and visionary. He has also worried them for the same reasons. Their reaction is to admire his guts - while moving swiftly towards the certainty of a dull but safe government."
That was just like what Latham was like, and the Libs countered this swiftly with attacks on his credibility and the interest rate line. Craven thinks that Barnett needs to stick to the core issues, to look more like a rock than a loose cannon. And most importantly, don't let the canal drown everything else out. Barnett needs to make the electorate trust him, the ALP needs to stay trustworthy and not give Barnett much room to be spectacular. Like Peter Tucker argued, oppositions don't win elections, governments lose them.
Roses or a guillotine? I guess we will find out in 11 days.
posted by Nic White at
9:55 PM
