What will the coaliton do when the inevitable occurs and they return to the dreaded opposition benches? I hope for their sake they do not choose to follow in the footsteps of the Australian Labor Party, that is for sure!
The biggest single mistake that Labor has made in opposition is not to take advantage of the opportunities it allows. The opportunity to correct the corruption that will inevitably creep into any party that is Government for a lengthy period. Absolute power corrupts absolutely - so with the loss of power the coalition must quickly eliminate moral and ethical weaknesses and corruption.
Secondly is learning from defeat - studying what went wrong for the Coalition, and what Labor did right to defeat the incumbent Government. Appreciating their 'enemies' strengths will allow the Coalition to learn from their enemy, and plan more effecitvely for the next election. Underestimating the victors is inviting a long stint in opposition - take Labor's lack of appreciation of their own failings and inability to appreciate Howard's strengths and successes, particularly in the 1998 and 2001 elections.
Finally that disunity is death - limiting the necessary blood letting and purging that must take place after the inevitable loss is paramount. Then the coalition must quickly settle on new leadership and shadow cabinet / frontbench team - and stick by them! Internal fighting that can so easily flare up after the comforts of the Government benches are left behind must be avoided at all costs - just look at Labor's last five years!
If economic / environment / security disaster does not cut short the Government's reign, I'd expect that the inevitable defeat would occur after Costello's first election victory. Howard will hand over in about 2008, Costello will win in 2010 before losing in 2013....
1 comment:
i think you forget that John Howard will be fighting this election, and he ain't going down with out one mother of a fight. I don't expect Rudd to win.
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