Left, Right, Left, Right … Marching to the Wrong Beat
I remember when it felt that the major political parties in Australia were much the same. Both sides seemed to converge on the same policy platforms and operate with a similar style. In 1996 almost 40% of Australian politicians described themselves as “moderate”. By 2016 only 10% described themselves that way. Things have changed. The difference between the political parties has grown and the heat seems to have been turned up in political debate. The Australian Electoral Study found that in 1996 almost 40% of Australian politicians described themselves as “moderate”—that is, centre-left Liberal and centre-right Labor politicians. By 2016...