Ideas & Society Program The Australian Liberal Party

By general agreement the performance of the Liberal Party in the May 2025 federal election was the worst in the party’s history.

Was the poor performance simply attributable to mistakes made in the campaign and the quality of the Party’s leadership or do the problems facing the party go deep?

Was it a mistake for the party to concentrate on the outer suburbs at the expense of the inner metropolitan seats?

How well has the party responded to the challenge of the Independent candidates known as “the Teals”?

Some supporters of the Liberal Party think that the party has abandoned the mainstream “centre” of Australian politics and moved too far to the Right. Others think that the party has lacked conservative courage and moved too far to the Left. Which assessment is more accurate?

How has the Liberal Party responded to the challenge of the new style of aggressive populist conservatism associated with the Presidency of Donald Trump?  How far is Trump responsible for the problems the Liberal Party now faces?

Is it true that the Liberal Party has alienated women, “multicultural” Australians, indigenous Australians, and the young?

The Ideas and Society Program has assembled a stellar panel to analyse in depth and from different angles the past, present and future of the Liberal Party of Australia:

Professor Andrea Carson

Professor of Politics at La Trobe University and President of the Australian Political Studies Association

Professor George Brandis KC

Former Attorney-General and Liberal Party Senator

Sean Kelly

Political columnist for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age. Former political advisor to Prime Ministers Kevin Rudd and Julia Gillard

Tom Switzer

Executive Director of the principal liberal-conservative think-tank, The Centre for Independent Studies and former opinion editor at The Australian

Cathy McGowan

Former Independent Member for the House of Representatives seat of Indi