The term “liberal” has changed over time and continues to be widely contested. Nowadays true liberals - who endorse more freedom and lower taxes - may be returning to the fray, writes John Dawson.
Liberalism
The non-liberal Liberal party: isn’t it ironic?
It’s a rich world of irony in Australia’s political world, from the Labor Party who tries to end union power to a conservative party called the Liberals. Bill Collopy investigates our political language.
Berg: Australian politics is drifting with no ideological anchor
Australia isn’t deeply divided along ideological lines — unlike the US — and our politics is worse off without it. Without a strong party ideology, how can policies be written? asks Chris Berg.
Throwing Australian liberalism a lifeline
Liberalism in Australia stagnated under the Howard government, becoming a defender of the status-quo with a stance indistinguishable from conservatism, says Andrew Carr. Embracing a modern liberal revival could help the Libs reach the ever-elusive Gen-Y demographic.
Kerr: The death of the Democrats and the small-l liberal
The last Australian Democrat MP has jumped ship, rendering the party officially dead, says Christian Kerr. But what about the party’s ideals? Is this also the end of small-l liberalism in Australian politics?
What a liberal Bill of Rights could look like
Let’s call a spade a spade: the debate over Australia’s Bill of Rights is really a debate on how government power should be limited, says Timothy Brown.
Where are all the leftie journos?
Everyone loves to trash the media as being full of left leaning journalists, but it’s the conservative right wing commentators that get more publicity. Small ‘l’ liberal is not the same as left wing, writes Lindsay Foyle.
Video of the Day: Fox News: the new liberals?
Lately Fox News have been complaining about the president, defending protesters and Damning The Man. Are they, gasp, the new liberals?
Abbott no fan of change, just marriage
Tony Abbott’s conservative manifesto Battlelines fails to address a key issue — that institutions need to change with society. Change isn’t always a bad thing, writes David Hetherington.
Atticus Finch: a fictional portrayal of real life racist failings
To Kill a Mockingbird’s Atticus Finch was no civil rights activist. Instead he represents the real life double standard in Southern liberalism, swapping one prejudice for another, writes Malcolm Gladwell.
Janet, conservatism has killed this government
Janet Albrechtsen is young, bright – and provides the perfect demonstration of exactly how John Howard has got himself into his poll pickle. John Howard is in the state he is in because he has favoured conservatism over liberalism.
