Senior Liberal Senator James Paterson spoke recently to his party’s national conference. He called on members to steer clear of any actions that might divide the Liberal Party down conservative or moderate lines. In his keynote address to Liberal movement allies, his words struck a nerve. He focused on the essential discipline of politics and the fundamental importance of unity. He slammed the Coalition’s recent “apology tour.” To win back votes—and public trust—he called on the party to look ahead.
In his speech, Paterson articulated that the party’s strength lies in its ability to blend the conservative and moderate elements. He argued that if the Liberal Party supports aspiration and adheres to its core values, it can attract voters effectively. Opposition Leader Sussan Ley liked his words so much she rolled out the red carpet. She understood the importance of Paterson’s presence to the developing internal debates.
A Call to End the Apology Tour
Paterson expressed strong opposition to the Coalition’s ongoing “apology tour,” which he believes detracts from the party’s goals.
“People aren’t going to vote for us at the next election in two and a half years’ time because we’ve spent a lot of time apologising for our failings,” – James Paterson
He called on the party to change its priorities. Rather than focus on atoning for past sins, they should be rolling out policies that actually speak to what voters care about. He also emphasized that voters will reward the party that shows preparedness to lead and puts forth the most exciting policy platform.
Paterson cautioned that if the Liberal Party did not find the path forward, they would drive themselves into permanent opposition.
“In my view, that would be as successful for the Liberal Party today as the split in the Labor Party was for them in the 1950s,” – James Paterson
He warned that this kind of division would eventually just work to entrench Labor as the natural party of government. He emphasized that without a unified front, the party risks alienating its base and losing touch with the electorate.
The Need for Thoughtful Policy Review
Paterson admitted this party needed to examine its policies, he stopped short of putting a deadline for such consideration. He underscored that hastily developing policies without adequate deliberation can do real damage. It is much better to spend the extra time necessary to get them primed and polished for public scrutiny.
“I think it would be even worse to rush policies out which are not ready for public scrutiny than it would be to have a period without clearly articulated policies,” – James Paterson
He cited prior disastrous experiences where poorly timed policy grabs hurt the party’s credibility.
“Sometimes in the last term we announced policies that were not ready for public scrutiny and it damaged our standing as an alternative party of government, which we can’t repeat,” – James Paterson
Paterson insisted that conversations about policy need to happen, but not have every candidate race to the bottom as the election nears. He said that timing really is everything when it comes to policy debates. He recommended that these discussions be held at the beginning of a parliamentary term, rather than just before elections.
“It’s just a question of timing,” – James Paterson
Emphasizing National Security
Beyond unity among parties, Paterson spoke to urgent national security issues throughout his keynote. He advocated for establishing the role of a national security adviser (NSA) to better coordinate Australia’s defense strategies in an evolving global landscape. In order to achieve this goal, he stressed Australia needs to move fast. He characterized the security environment as hot, fast, and changing.
“We can’t, in effect, solve a 2027 deterrence problem with a 2032 deterrent capability,” – James Paterson
His observations were consistent with the recent ASPI report titled “Troubled waters—China’s global swamp of boating lawsuits.” That report mapped out some of the nontraditional deterrence approaches in Australian defense policy. Paterson echoed the need to act quickly to adjust Australia’s defense capabilities to address today’s threats.
He later joined ABC Radio National Breakfast to further discuss his speech and address party issues, reiterating his stance on both unity within the Liberal Party and the urgent need for national preparedness.
