A Victorian Landslide, Men Behaving Badly And Government Survival

Another wipeout for the Liberal Party in the southern state of Victoria means their federal counterparts need to watch out, with their election due by May 2019. Was Victoria a win of the good over the bad? No, it shows winning election campaigns can be run on a positive agenda and the big message is: say what you do, and do what you say. But are you listening, Scott Morrison?

Leaders are being changed at the drop of a hat or, in the case of the NSW Labor leader, Luke Foley, the dropping of pants. Another MP caught up in sexual harassment, and he's had to resign from his position. Alcohol, journalists and politicians is not a very good mix, but why do MPs of all persuasions decide it's OK to harass and molest women in politics? What type of community standards are set when conservative Senators make lewd comments about women in parliament? It's time they shut-up, zipped up their pants and kept their fingers to themselves.

It's the question on everyone's lips: will this government last the full term? It's impractical to call the election now, so we think the federal election will be held in early March or May 2019. But this government is divided, has little in the way of an agenda, and is prepared to say and do anything to win any argument and score political points. It's a disaster for the Liberal/National Party, and the leadership changes, a lack of a clear agenda, as well as its general nastiness, could consign it to the dustbin – and possibly worse – in the first half of 2019.

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