Refit the ship of state

Wednesday, 18th March 2009

The post-war era of smooth sailing is over, says John Heard, and Australian conservatives must repair the damage

Certainly, the base of the Liberal party, if not the membership, is firmly conservative on social issues. They should have socially conservative leaders. Australian conservatives can complete the process of reform by becoming the party of mainstream values. Australian conservatives must take the lead in calling for public and private standards of virtue: financial prudence, environmental stewardship, localism, educational excellence and executive accountability.

Indeed, when Ian Harper surveyed the post-war era, he claimed that: ‘Old-style moral oversight is scarcely possible in an internationally mobile society where there are innumerable encounters with strangers every day; where place of work is separated from place of residence; and where, once one has made one’s pile, local reputation ceases to matter.’

Australian conservatives could work for a nation where these pitfalls of modern living are neutralised, where institutions of moral oversight are strengthened, and communities and institutions are reformed from within.

They must start by repairing the conservative movement, by renewing the promise of the Liberal party. Then, when all the holes have been filled, they can present themselves as model captains of a truly transformed and transformative ship of state.