Tony Abbott, the leader of Liberal Party, and therefore both leader of the Liberal/National coalition, and Leader of the Opposition, is a genuine conservative.
Not all of the party is (in particular, Malcolm Turnbull who was the leader before Abbott in 2009, and who some people would still like to see as leader, is very much a centrist), but Abbott is, and so are most of the leadership team.
One of his main agendas if he gets into power is to cancel the current Labor government’s massively expensive spending on a national broadband network (although parts that have already been completed will remain in place to avoid wasting money already spent) and instead encourage private industry to do it, and to block the even more expensive ‘carbon tax’ system. He is also committed to rolling that back, if it is put in place before he takes office.
Parliamentary systems are interesting things to watch and research.
But, from a distance.
Mush less stable than the constitutionally divided representative system we have. More prone to wide swings in either the electorate or the ruling majority party or the personality leading that majority party. No confidence votes. Seemingly arbitrary calls for elections. Governor Generals. All very alien concepts for those not exposed to such things.
Imagine whoever the Speaker of the House is becoming the President after each election every two years and reshuffling a government who then has to go and receive audience from the President (who is a ceremonial figurehead appointed by the Queen of Someotherplacefaracrosstheocean) each and every time a vote doesn’t go in his/her favor.
Strange indeed....
Thanks, that is a good start...although it’s still reactive, rather than pro-active. But the country is probably not yet ready for pro-active conservatives yet (we even aren’t, even here at FR...just mention means testing Social Security and you’ll see what I mean).