Liberal campaign tactics worse than their policies

November 25, 2025

https://johnmenadue.com/post/2025/11/losing-the-democracy-sausage-vibe/

Tim Wilson’s Goldstein win and narrow Liberal losses elsewhere risk that Liberal tactics will be repeated in future. Democracy is endangered if that happens. Marian Sawer’s article captures the flavour of it. Mark Dreyfus’s speech in Parliament is the best summary I’ve read. Personal submissions are gritty and distressing. But nothing matches being there as a volunteer in Kooyong (or worse, Goldstein), or being re-traumatised attending the JSCEM hearing on 12 November. Listen to the audio on the APH YouTube Channel. Voices lift emotion off the flat page of transcript. Listening to only the first speaker might be enough for many people.

Sawer references the “astonishing” amount of redacted submissions. More astonishing still is that members of the JSCEM Committee also only get redacted copies. It’s like “If you don’t name the Liberals, it could be anybody.” I don’t doubt that occasionally a persecuted volunteer snapped and let fly with something inappropriate. But the only inappropriate behaviour that was “systematic” was that of the Liberal Party and its associated entities.

There are no redactions when Liberals are mentioned in the JSCEM hearings audio or transcripts. My submission is #133. On 12 November the JSCEM2025 Chair said submissions will reopen in 2026.