John Stapleton
“The Turnbull government is at war with the people. This is a government which hates their own constituents. The Liberal Party has lost touch with what it stands for and will be decimated unless it changes tack. Across the next electoral cycle the Liberals will lose power federally and in every state with the exception, perhaps, of Tasmania.”
Those are not the words of the opposition, but of one of the Liberal Party’s leading strategists of the past 20 years.
Geoffrey Greene has worked as Liberal Party state director in both South Australia and Queensland and was one of the architects behind John Howard’s successful election campaigns between 1996 and 2007.
Mr Greene spoke to The New Daily in the hope of shocking his party back from the brink.
Known for his ruthless political savvy, Mr Greene was an old-fashioned, behind-the-scenes political operative. His public declaration of despair follows on from the resignations this month of Liberal federal director Tony Nutt and his deputy John Burston.
“They would not have supported the warfare this government has declared on its citizens,” Mr Greene said.
“The Turnbull government has attacked every core constituency, small business, superannuants, pensioners, families with children, all because they have a budget that is out of control.
“They have not done anything about their own backyard. Public servants still fly at the front of the plane.”
He warns that the crashing political fortunes of his party is being accompanied by administrative collapse at federal, state and branch levels, with membership and donations in freefall.
Mr Greene said a major Liberal Party constituency was small business, yet they had been burdened with excessive regulation.
“This is a government which only listens to big business,” Mr Greene said. “Small business has been annihilated.”
Mr Greene sheets home blame for the Liberal Party debacle to a lack of professionalism.
“Generally speaking, the whole malaise of this government is due to inept advice, ministerial and organisational,” he said. “The Liberal Party once possessed a professional caste of political operatives and campaign staff who helped politicians nuance their messages and understand the voters.
“We knew from our polling how every person voted in every street and why. We understood how to ensure policy platforms met the expectations of the citizenry.”
Mr Greene said Malcolm Turnbull did not represent the traditionally socially conservative Liberal voter.
“The rise of Pauline Hanson is a reflection that the Liberal Party has walked away from their values. It permeates the brand across the country. It is offensive.”
Mr Greene said the party’s drift from its base was compounded by the lack of professional political operatives now working in parliamentary offices.
“I have never seen a set of government ministers more captured by their departments,” he said. “Managers sourced from the department are loyal to their departments, professional advisers are loyal to their parties, and to those who voted for them.
“Turnbull is running the country with a group of 25-year-old political brats. He doesn’t listen.”
From Centrelink robo-calls to the botched implementation of the NBN, government incompetence is at the forefront of public concerns.
“It will be a hard road to win them back,” Mr Greene said.
In recent weeks there have been frantic attempts by Mr Turnbull to seize control of the national narrative, including the “dog-whistling” of citizenship tests and attacks on so-called dole bludgers, many of whom, with the destruction of manufacturing, are simply unable to find a job.
All this activity barely lifted Mr Turnbull’s dismal standing in the polls a single point.
“Turnbull has nothing left,” Mr Greene said. “There are no other constituencies his government can attack.”
News Limited picked up the story
Howard-era Liberal slams ‘inept’ Turnbull Government
APRIL 28, 20179:01AM
Staff writerNews Corp Australia Network
A VETERAN Liberal Party strategist has publicly slammed Malcolm Turnbull, saying the government has “walked away from their values” and is at war with the people.
Geoffrey Greene, one of the minds behind John Howard’s campaigns and a former Liberal Party state director for both South Australia and Queensland, says the Turnbull Government has “attacked every core constituency” and has nothing left.
In a scathing interview with The New Daily to shock the party into action, Mr Greene says it will be “a hard road” for the government to win back the public.
Liberal Party veteran Geoffrey Greene, centre, says it will be a hard road for the Turnbull Government to win voters back.Source:News Corp Australia
“The Turnbull government has attacked every core constituency, small business, superannuants, pensioners, families with children, all because they have a budget that is out of control,” Mr Greene said.
“They have not done anything about their own backyard.
“Public servants still fly at the front of the plane.”
Mr Greene said former Liberal federal director Tony Nutt and his deputy John Burston, who resigned this month, would not have supported “the warfare this government has declared on its citizens”.
Geoffrey Greene’s opposition to Malcolm Turnbull’s values dates back two decades when he directed the “No Republic“ campaign.Source:News Limited
He said the rise of Pauline Hanson was a reflection that the Liberal Party had walked away from its values.
One Nation’s influence now permeated the Liberal Party brand across the country.
“Generally speaking, the whole malaise of this government is due to inept advice, ministerial and organisational,” he said.
“The Liberal Party once possessed a professional caste of political operatives and campaign staff who helped politicians nuance their messages and understand the voters.
“We knew from our polling how every person voted in every street and why.
“We understood how to ensure policy platforms met the expectations of the citizenry.”
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull visiting Incitec Pivot factory on Gibson Island in Brisbane. Pictures: Jack TranSource:News Corp Australia
Greene also accused the Turnbull Government of only listening to big business but annihilating small business — a key part of its base — with regulation.
He attributed much of the drift from the party’s base to a lack of old-school party operatives working in Parliamentary offices.
“I have never seen a set of government ministers more captured by their departments,” he said. “Managers sourced from the department are loyal to their departments, professional advisers are loyal to their parties, and to those who voted for them.
“Turnbull is running the country with a group of 25-year-old political brats. He doesn’t listen.”
Greene labelled recent attempts to regain control of political debate, including the recent citizenship test changes “dog-whistling”.
“Turnbull has nothing left,” he said. “There are no other constituencies his government can attack.”
Also run in Murdoch regional press including Toowoomba Chroncile and Rockhampton Bulletin.
Also published in sister paper here: http://indaily.com.au/news/2017/04/28/turnbull-govt-war-people-former-sa-liberal-director/