#2 Old Dogs but New Tricks

This week Tony Abbott reshuffled his front bench and a number of Howard era stalwarts found themselves very much back in the game. The post Turnbull coalition front bench now includes Bronwynn Bishop, Eric Abetz and, yes you guessed it, Nick Minchin. Some of the most deeply conservative of our federal politicians and, from the outside, a jarring swing to the right. Talk of a carbon pollution reduction scheme is now, at best, on the bottom of the opposition to do list and Work Choices by another name is back on the agenda.

Are these moves going to drive potential Liberal voters into the arms of Labour? I don't think so. Abbott has made it clear he's going after the "Howard Battlers" having already somewhat immodestly dubbed them "Abbotts Army" (no more left right, left right, left right...it's all right, right, right, right). In making the changes he has to his front bench and articulating the policy swings he's made he has at least defined the turf he wants to fight over.

A very wise former radio colleague of mine once made the observation that in regard to creating a competitive brand "it's good to be better but it's better to be different". The challenge for the Liberal and Labour parties in our thankfully moderate political environment is defining themselves clearly from each other. Way too often the major parties have looked like Liberal or Labour Lite as they've both chased the legendary swinging voters that occupy the middle ground of Australian politics and then been gobsmacked when individuals or organisations at the fringes (Pauline Hanson or the Greens) have popped up and pinched a swag of network airtime and votes.

Don't underestimate Abbott. He's smart, he's tough and he's looking for fight.

Oh, and in the tradition of including at least one song reference in my blog I give you (hi Bronny) the Elton John classic "The Bitch is Back"