The Liberals become even less liberal

In today's Australian, the candidates for the new leadership position in the Liberal Party are planning a future course which shows the Liberal Party entirely abandoning its manifesto and policy platform, and steering towards a vague, social welfare and interventionist set of policies. With each day, the LDP becomes the only remotely *liberal* party functioning in the Australian political landscape.

Mr Turnbull, who failed in a bid to convince federal cabinet to ratify the Kyoto Protocol on climate change, said yesterday that Kevin Rudd had a mandate to do so.

"I don't think anybody can reasonably oppose that. He has clearly got a mandate to do that - that's fine, that's done, it's an important symbolic act," Mr Turnbull said.

Now the Liberal Party is no different to the Greens when it comes to supporting free market solutions. The Liberal Party clearly believe more rules and regulations, and a crippling intervention into the energy industry is needed and that a government department should be established to implement these draconian measures.

Dr Nelson said yesterday he was the right man to take the party forward and foreshadowed a rise in the importance of social welfare, "relative to economic rationalism".

"(It will be a balance) not only of economic but also human and social objectives for our country," Dr Nelson said.

"What I will be offering ... is an alternative which is the right balance of experience and stability but also care, commitment, conviction and vision, not only for economic but also human and social objectives for our country."

Social objectives are whatever our elites tell us they are.. like more welfare, or baby bonuses, or free injecting rooms or who knows whats next. This idea allows government to redefine its role, its scope and its size whenever they sniff an opportunity for good PR. Who knows what will be regulated next - fast food ? Sports ? Alcohol ?

Some Coalition MPs are even pushing for the party to concede the Work Choices reforms went too far.

Yet none will contend that it doesn't go far enough. Nobody even proposes that government has no business interfering with workplaces in a free and prosperous society.

Sigh ........