My friend Malcolm Colless who writes a political column for the national daily, ‘The Australian’ had some wise words today for Australia’s federal Liberal Party, now performing badly as the new Opposition.  Sadly for that side of politics, most of their state-based party colleagues (in opposition everywhere in Australia) look to be in similar dire straits.

In our largest and most populated state,  NSW, where the Labor government must be thanking Gods everywhere that they have fixed terms and are not facing an election for three years (even some of their most loyal troops are muttering words like 'unelectable'), the Liberal Opposition can’t land a punch.  No, the NSW Labor Government, like the federal Opposition,  is doing it to themselves.   If it wasn't for a loose coalition of media and the Greens, there would be no obvious Opposition in the NSW parliament.

But back to the federal Libs.  In the long tradition of nascent Oppositions still unsure of their role after more than a decade running the country, key members appear to be busy bashing each other while leaving the new Rudd Labor government to bask in the best approval ratings any outfit has received in more than 30 years.

No doubt Prime Minister Rudd is busy calming his excitable troops at the moment.  He has been keen to keep a firm hand on just about every ministry in the shop.  Staffers, even experienced ones poached from the state governments, are feeling a little hamstrung as the PM’s office effectively runs the show. Burn-out is bound to get to a few before long.  It is now legendary – and far from apocryphal – that the PM is Thatcher-like in the number of hours sleep he needs to keep on top of things.  Most of us, including senior public servants are more human.  This pace is taking a toll with grumbles, snaps, and a sense of exhaustion already obvious.

 
A former GP, the Leader of the Opposition, Dr Nelson might be able to prescribe some sort of antidote to match the Government’s pace, but he really needs to calm his own team down.  It’s hard when a number of experienced players are exhibiting real signs of depression and ‘relevance deprivation disorder’ common to a former ministers I have met over the years.  No-one will feel sorry for them, save for a few of us political junkies, but life after being so influential is very tough.  No wonder they appear to be dysfunctional, they really are.