Initial Thoughts On The Cessation Of The Liberal-National Coalition

I cannot be bothered being too insightful about the decision by the National Party to (for now at least) abandon the Coalition for the first time since the Clive Palmer managed debacle which was the ‘Joh for PM’ campaign of early 1987 (a debacle which I fully embraced as a rather naive and silly 18 year old, and which collapsed without me even having a chance to vote for a Joh endorsed candidate).

I might in a few days or weeks write something about it in greater detail, although as someone who is not particularly impressed by the Labor-Lite leadership of the Liberal Party offered by Sussan Ley and her beige sidekick, I am more content just to sit back right now and watch Ms Ley et al squirm.

But I remembered that in Warren Fahey’s compilation The Balls of Bob Menzies – Australian Political Songs 1900-1980 there is a song written by John Quiggin (most recently known as an economics professor) which is particularly apt when anyone thinks that the National Party (in its previous manifestation as the Country Party) has any integrity or reason to appeal to voters:

When I was young and easily led

And all the go was baiting reds

I thought I’d take up kicking heads

And join the Country Party

Chorus:

Toora Loora Loora Loo

Horse and dog and kangaroo

And if I was a thug like you

I’d join the Country Party

In Parliament I took a punt

With Nixon, Sinclair and Ralph Hunt

And soon was known as the biggest berk

In all the Country Party

If you’re young and very bright

Your dad can teach you how to write

Just sign his name and you’ll be right

To join the Country Party

Sing a song of Billy Hughes

A man of ever-changing views

But at least he couldn’t be accused

Of voting Country Party

Up in Queensland we’ve got Joh

And down in Canberra he’s got Flo

And don’t it make you want to go

And join the Country Party.