Brendan Nelson is new leader of Australian Liberals

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

Comments

[Gubbins]

Tim, McCain's finished in the US race...Huckabee's the man to watch

[Sally Roberts]

I like the look of him .... almost worth moving to Australia for... and the bike's quite nice too!!

[Alexander Drake]

I've just watched Nelson on the ABC's "7.30 Report".

He was pretty good - buying time on some issues where the interviewer was trying to force him to make a call on some issues that could land him in difficulty (Work Choices, "Sorry").

Tim I would NEVER want the leadership of the parliamentary party in the hands of the Liberal Party membership, and I've been a rank-and-file member for 15 years. Likewise, it always amazes me that the UK Conservatives accept their organisational party head to be an MP chosen by the Parliamentary Leader!

The need is the same - party members having a sense of involvement in selecting the "brass". It's just that the Australian Liberal way is different to the way the UK Conservatives do it.

[Graeme still theoretically a biker Archer]

I hope he's giving up that motorcycle for a pedal bike...

It's that casual sort of anti-bike remark that loses us the crucial 2wheels-good vote at election after election.

[Chris Horne]

At least it's a Triumph...can't be a such bad bloke.

[Ron Paul 2008]

Gubbins, Huckabee is a religious nutter. There is only one true Conservative in the GOP race and he is powering ahead of your man. The next Ron Paul "money bomb" donation day is tomorrow!

[Votedave]

Reminds me a bit of Alan Clark, though vintage motorcars were his thing.

[David Lindsay]

So itwas very nearly Malcolm Turnbull, erstwhile leader of the campaign to abolish the monarchy in Australia?

Well, of course.

If you believe in "meritocracy" (that those with wealth and paper qualifications should determine merit, on the basis of wealth and paper qualifications), in globalisation (with its erosion of national and local differences), and, within that, in enforced conformity to the culture (in a horribly debased form) and to the geopolitical interests of the United States, then you must believe in the abolition of the monarchy, whether in Australia, in Britain, or anywhere else.

Thankfully, these are exactly the notions that have just been rejected at the ballot box in Australia, and will be again when the next republic referendum comes along. Will the Australian Political Class get the message this time?

[Jerry Hughes]

Open letter to Brendan Nelson:

Dear Brendan

As the leader of a disgraced and demoralised opposition it would be in your interest, and those in your team, to heed this excellent advice my mother gave me many years ago.

Quote: 'If you don't have anything constructive to say don't say anything' Unquote:

The coalition will be in opposition for at least a decade or more, so spare us the threat of a return to a government in 2010. Think in terms of 2020 as a possibility.