From the desk of ROLAND ROCCHICCIOLI

THE clamour has ceased! To the victor — the spoils; to the vanquished — Vae victis — woe. We have witnessed the rise and fall of careers; the shattering of hopes and aspirations; the consequences of relentless prevarication; and the will of the people implemented. It was a spectacular exemplar of democracy at work.

In Ballarat, Catherine King was, for the eighth-time, gifted the city’s eponymic federal parliamentary seat. It is a victory well-deserved — and with a margin of popularity showing scant sign of abating. Ms. King is a career politician. Her parliamentary portfolios makes her one of the Nation’s most powerful politicians.

Her acknowledged voter approval notwithstanding, she was challenged with minimal, if any, serious political competition. It was, to all intents and purposes, a one-horse race. Ms. King streaked to the finishing-line with deserved and peerless success, leaving her hapless contenders flailing in an invincible wake. She is to be congratulated, emphatically.

The paucity of competition for the Ballarat federal seat was lamentable. The list of challenging nominees made for sombre — sometimes risible, scrutiny. Australia is a robust democracy; consequently, every mad conspiratorialist, political crack-pot, religious zealot, half-baked theorist, and certifiable lunatic, is entitled to emerge from the extremities of society and hurl their political hat into the ring; however, there is an unassailable expectancy the two, long-established, major parties will exercise due diligence, and endorse candidates of tempered opinions and unobjectionable record to the majority of their followers.

In an act of seeming political suicide, the endorsed Ballarat Liberal candidate encouraged voters to direct their second preference to support a far-right candidate in favour of banning abortion; abolishing protections for LGBTQIA+ plus students; and requiring Islamics convert to Christianity before being approved residency. Further, it was preposterously posited the Victorian government is attempting to break-up families by coercing vulnerable children to undergo gender modification; and medical practitioners were killing babies after birth. Reportedly, Liberal headquarters, when confronted with the unsubstantiated notions, argued its recommendations related to “cost of living relief”, indicating a disinterest in Ballarat, and an awareness of a prevailing famine of election success.

Nothing is achieved by demonising politicians. A political affairs career is not for the faint-hearted. Success demands a toughness of spirit, an indomitable resilience, and a committed resolve to achieve — to serve the Nation, and its people. Regrettably, across all states, there are those incumbents enjoying success in spite of themselves. The seat they hold is so politically secure, a sheep would win!

Ballarat was, until the emergence of Ms. King in 2001, a safe Liberal seat which she secured for Labor — and shows no immediate signs of surrendering. With her incumbency, Ballarat is well-served. While political strategists will debate the academic minutia of the 2025 federal election outcome, for the voter it is more pedestrian. If Liberals are committed to achieving future voter-support, they must, perforce, evaluate seriously their modus operandi — and their selected endorsees. It is hubristic to ignore the acuity of constituents. For those not politically corroded to either major party, the candidate is paramount! Society is more fragile. Social media has devastated the landscape. Contaminating conspiracies proliferate. Half-truths flourish. The community is disquieted. There is collective abhorrence of extremist ideology

A strong opposition is the foundation of successful government. The Liberal party has an obligation to the Nation. They fail at their peril. Contact: [email protected]