I know you all want to talk about Labour’s funding problems but forgive me…
Brendan Nelson is the new leader of Australia’s Liberals (profile here).
It took the British Conservatives from May 2005 to December 2005 to decide upon David Cameron. The Liberals have spent all of four days from Saturday’s defeat to choosing Mr Nelson over Malcolm ‘Spycatcher’ Turnbull by 45 to 42 votes. Mr Nelson’s first recommendation to his party was to change position on green issues and back Kyoto environmentalism. I hope he’s giving up that motorcycle for a pedal bike…
It’s a crazy rush. Peter Costello or someone should have been an interim leader while the party watched Kevin Rudd for a few months, understood why it lost and then chose a new leader for the long haul back to power.
Two men I met in Australia in August offer wisdom on all of this: Andrew Bolt sees trouble ahead from this choice. RightThinker’s Matt Marks believes that all Liberal members should have been able to choose Howard’s successor. Amen to that.
For one of ConservativeHome’s other international interests… McCain shines during YouTube/ CNN GOP debate