The young conservatives hoping to turn the Liberal Party’s fortunes around | 7.30

Key Concepts Youth politics, Liberal Party (Australia), Young Liberals, Conservative Club, election loss, gender representation, quotas for female candidates, climate change, Net Zero, Teal Independents, culture wars, policy platform, broad church (political metaphor).

The Liberal Party's Struggle with Youth and Modern Demographics

The transcript details the significant challenges the Australian Liberal Party faces in attracting and retaining young voters and women, as well as its internal debates following recent electoral losses.

Generational Divide and Declining Youth Support

The video highlights a persistent issue in youth politics: skepticism regarding young politicians' beliefs and life experience. Cooper Ganon, a political staffer and current NSW Young Liberals President, exemplifies this dynamic, having taken a "decidedly different path" from his unionist father by joining the Liberal Party. He and his wife, Sky News commentator Freya Leach, are presented as a "young liberal power couple" who are an "oddity among their generation" for embracing the party.

Key Statistics and Examples:

• Of the 20 federal seats with the highest proportion of voters under 35, the Coalition (Liberal-National alliance) now holds only three, a stark decline from seven a decade ago.
• The Sydney University Conservative Club is struggling to "bounce back after the crushing results," opting not to run a candidate in the Student Representative Council campaign this year. Instead, they are focusing on the "bigger battle" of selling the "essence of the Liberal Party to young people."
• The core values they aim to communicate include "innovation, of embracing technological advancements, starting a business."

Post-Election Assessment and Policy Critiques

A significant portion of the discussion revolves around the Liberal Party's internal review following its May election loss.

• Document: 7:30 obtained a copy of the New South Wales Young Liberals' submission to the Federal Party, described as a "withering assessment of its policies and campaigning style."
• Key Finding: The submission argues that the party's approach "alienated key voting blocks, not just young people, but also women."

Gender Representation and the Quotas Debate

The issue of gender representation is a critical point of contention and reform.

• Georgia Lowden, former NSW Young Liberals President and signatory of the submission, emphasized: "If we're not being seen to take the issue of gender representation seriously, then it doesn't look like we're taking the Australian public seriously and they won't trust us and they won't vote for us."
• Call for Quotas: Lowden's submission calls for a "serious conversation on quotas for female candidates." While she previously opposed quotas, she now views them as a "necessary temporary blunt instrument to really equal equalize the playing field while we address the underlying cultural and structural barriers," citing "constant lip service to the issue, but nothing is changing."
• Alternative Perspectives: Charlotte Mortlock, who runs Hillmer's network to engage women with the Liberal Party, acknowledges a "women's issue" but seeks alternatives to quotas that would send a "strong enough message to the public." She stresses that the public "will not even consider us and consider our policies until we make those changes."

Climate Change and Urban Voter Disconnect

The Liberal Party's inability to win back urban seats, particularly those lost to "teal independents," is linked to its stance on climate change.

• Historical Context: The Liberal Party once considered "much of Sydney Harbour as its heartland."
• Current Reality: It has been "unable to win back these seats it lost to teal independents" (independent candidates often campaigning on climate action and integrity).
• Pragmatic Argument: To win government again, the party "do need to be committed to net zero and we need, you know, clear, credible policies on climate change." This is because "voters in city seats take the issue of climate change very seriously."

Divergent Views within Young Liberals

Internal disagreements exist regarding policy priorities and the party's direction.

• Cooper Ganon's Perspective: As the current NSW Young Liberals President, Ganon is "less interested" in ideas like gender quotas and net zero, arguing that "the average Aussie family isn't talking about them in their family home." He believes these are discussions primarily in "commentary circles" or at a "policy level" within the party.
• Statistical Evidence for Disconnect: In metropolitan areas, if "baby boomers and elder Australians" are excluded, the Liberal Party's primary vote "drops down to 18%," indicating a severe lack of support among younger urban voters.
• Ganon's Vision: Despite acknowledging that the party's "policy platform has not been reflecting our values as of recent," Ganon believes the "heart of the Liberal Party" offers a space for young people who "don't want the government to tell them how to live their lives." He advocates for the Young Liberals to be "more activist, pushing the dial on key policy issues and saying to the senior party, 'Hey, we actually think you've got the settings wrong on this one.'"
• Critique of Past Strategy: Ganon and his peers believe the party was "seen as fighting culture wars and being too aggressive and not actually providing any substantial policy reform." The "lack of policy and bold ambition for the future was what let us down ultimately in the election."

Synthesis and Call for Unity

Charlotte Mortlock remains "determined to keep pushing for a party that can win over women like her and the young people it's lost." The overarching sentiment is a call for the party to return to its "broad church" philosophy, where members "sing from the same hymn sheet," "sit together and break bread and have good conversations." This requires a "proactive decision and deliberate decision" to foster unity and address the underlying issues.