As a member of John Kerin’s staff, Gordon Gregory was, in effect, an adviser to the ALP.

With this article he demonstrates his broadmindedness and naïveté by offering advice to the Liberal Party and to Barnaby Joyce. Simply put, it is this: “Euthanise the National Party and go it alone.”

Submissions to the review of the Liberal Party’s 2025 federal election campaign were due last week.

Pru Goward and Nick Minchin have their work cut out to try to ensure the party’s trek through the wilderness ends in a happy place.

At the same time, Senator James McGrath is undertaking a root-and-branch review of the party itself to determine how it can increase its relevance and public support.

Leader Sussan Ley has characterised these reviews as existential issues and has insisted that her party needs to consider all possible options in order “to meet Australians where they are”.

Where rural people clearly are not is where they have locked themselves into a blind adherence to a particular party.

Ley’s own electoral situation should not be lost on her. For many years, the seat of Farrer was held by the leader of the Nationals. Ley now has it as a safe Liberal seat. This is a model of how to deal with the party political issue. It demonstrates pragmatism and flexibility.

In the 2025 election, the Liberals were hammered while the Nationals lost just one seat – that to an ex-National Party member running as an independent.

The lesson from these electoral results is clear – what carries individuals to victory is perceived competence and local reputation, not party membership and the labelling of individuals that results.

The challenge is to field the best candidate for conservative voters, not simply one who is a member of one party or another.

If Ley, McGrath, Goward and Minchin were locked away together in a secret........

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