We are currently witnessing the death throes of the Liberal Party. To a good chunk of the electorate that voted for the current government, that doesn’t matter,except that it leaves Labor in full power with no meaningful opposition. Ten years ago former Liberal prime minister Malcolm Fraser predicted this moment would come, and he spent his final years working on the answer: a new political party, built on traditional liberal values but without the now-toxic name.

Bernard Keane joins the podcast to revisit Fraser’s plan to replace the Liberal party. The detailed ‘Renew Australia’ manifesto remains remarkably relevant, and takes a surprisingly progressive stance on issues like immigration, our relationship with the US, intergenerational equity and a post-carbon economy.

In 2025, could Fraser’s new party accelerate what the community independents movement already started? 

Read more:

• Read the full Fraser manifesto
• Malcolm Fraser’s vision for a new centrist political party could be just what voters (and the Liberals) need
• ‘Fit for purpose’: How a Labor veteran helped create Fraser’s vision of a new political party
• Chasing One Nation is a dead end for the Liberals — and would guarantee a split
• The Liberals are dead and the rot will kill its moderates. What next?

Get the headlines they don’t want you to read in Crikey’s free newsletter: https://www.crikey.com.au/newsletters

Crikey’s independent journalism is supported by readers — 98% of our revenue comes from our subscribers. We’re not accountable to billionaires; we’re accountable to you.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.