A new beginning !

Saturdays electoral defeat of the Conservative parties is heralding a new approach in politics. The presumed new leader of the Liberals - Peter Costello - and the leader of the Nationals - Mark Vaile - have both announced that they will not be standing for the leadership. It is a time for new blood !

Who can blame them ? Traditionally the Australian voters give any new government at least two - and sometimes three - terms to establish their credentials. Being in opposition is a soul destroying drag. Costello and Vaile are both entitled to hefty superannuation payouts - and both will be welcomed by business in their new capacity as crystal ball readers.

The Conservative parties will need to do a little navel gazing. They ran a successful economy, but their focus did not include " the little people ". Just as Labor moved from being a left wing champion of " the Comrades " to a political party heavily engaged with the business world - so the Conservatives need to move in the opposite direction and embrace the needs and values of the ordinary citizen.

The future direction of the Conservatives will largely depend on who emerges as leader. If the choice is Turnbull, Nelson or Abbot then there is little chance of change in the near future. They are " old ideology " people caught in a time warp far removed from the way Australia thinks today !

This renaissance needs to swiftly trickle down to the state Conservative parties. The Australian voters are prone to " have two bob each way " and rarely allow a single party to hold sway in both the Federal and state arenas. The only reason Labor is in office across the board is the inability of the state Conservative branches to present a credible alternative to government. The recent New South Wales election was a case of a clearly incompetent government being returned because the alternative was worse !

We are in a period of change. The only question is how soon the Conservative side of politics can regroup - adopt new ideas and a fresh approach - and begin the job of convincing the voters that what they offer is the way ahead.