It's Time

We often think of politics in Australia as rather slow moving. Our political parties have been quite stable for some time, with the slow rise of the Greens coinciding with the demise of the Democrats as the "third option" or protest alternative to the two major political forces that have battled it out for supremacy almost since Federation.
That's been the tussle, though - the Labor party, backed by a labour movement, & their opposition, often a coalition of conservative & centrist ideologies that find common ground more in what they are opposed to rather than what they believe in.

Every so often, the name changes, the make-up, the basic ideology, but that opposition to the labour movement keeps the electorate's interest enough to ensure that, no matter how dramatic the circumstances of the party's birth, supporters will be found within the span of a government's term.

The Liberal party has had the longest run of the right-wing parties.
The only ructions to touch it seriously have been the creation of the Democrats (now defunct) & the merging of Liberal & National party interests in two states (still members of the coalition).
You could say that this is indicative of the different states' political needs, or else that, at its core, the Liberal party is past ready for its next incarnation - whatever that may be.

Each of the historical changes has been under the guidance & leadership of someone who was or became a great political leader. They were people within the political system who thought that their party had lost its way & had the courage to do something about it - Hughes, Lyons, Menzies.
In two of those cases, the party had reacted to their opposition by forcing them out.

Perhaps it's time for another leader to take that definitive step & create something new, something relevant, from the ashes of the conservative movement & bring it back to the middle ground from which it can show itself to be a palatable alternative to the labour movement.
By all means, leave the Liberal Party as it is, but I think that Malcolm Turnbull should leave it & forge a new movement more in keeping both with his own very liberal (small 'l') beliefs, & as far away as possible from the arch-conservatives who have been molding Liberal Party thinking for quite some time now.
Regardless of party donations, I believe that the electorate would appreciate a more considered centrist approach than what we are seeing now from the party of such heritage.

I can fully envisage a situation where these new liberals would still be a part of the coalition - it makes perfect sense - but I can also see a situation where they would be considered the natural leaders of the party even if they were the minority partners.

I believe that Malcolm does represent a distinct shift in thinking for the Liberal Party, & it is obvious that he is not comfortable being in the same party as his conservative cohorts.
The question is whether he has the courage to do something about it.