The party of Howard and Menzies is searching for what comes nextBy political reporter Jake EvansTopic:Federal Government6m ago6 minutes agoSun 4 May 2025 at 12:17amThe John Howard era is a distant memory for the Liberals. (ABC News: Matt Roberts)In short:Liberal MPs who survived last night are dissecting what went wrong, and where their party goes from here.Nationals leader David Littleproud has played down the role of nuclear power in the party's defeat.What's next?The party will review its loss and decide a new leader.abc.net.au/news/liberal-party-future-loss/105249868Link copiedShareShare articleThe Liberal Party is picking through the wreckage of last night in search of where to go next, after a brutal election night that cut off the party's head amid the loss of 13 seats or more.The party of Howard and Menzies is leaderless and its moderate flank cut to the bone.The party will now review its ruinous campaign and existing policies, as well as finding a new leader.The fallout will also have consequences for its signature nuclear policy.Peter Dutton will not return to parliament. (ABC News: Brendan Esposito)Victorian Liberal Keith Wolahan, who admitted it was a "long shot" he would keep his seat, told ABC Insiders it would not be fair to identify specific issues before the party's review.But he said everything would have to be on the table — and it was clear the party had been too backward-looking."We look back to our heroes, whether it's [Robert] Menzies or [John] Howard or [Peter] Costello, and that's great. But I think we need more than the rear-view mirror," Mr Wolahan said."It is clear our party has an issue in urban Australia, which is where most people live. We need to really dig deep and think about who we are and who we fight for."Keith Wolahan says the party must look through the windscreen, as well as the rear-view mirror. (ABC News: Nick Haggarty)The Liberal Party has been all but exiled from the capital cities.Mr Wolahan also had a message for his Liberal and National colleagues still representing regional Australia, asking them to put themselves in the shoes of metropolitan Australia."That's where we can't just go off perception — we have to go off the perspective of someone else. If we do more of that, then again, I think our party has a bright future," he said.But the coming leadership tussle and review will likely reopen a front between the party's moderate and conservative factions.Liberal senator Alex Antic said for two decades conservatives had been too compliant."We simply have waved and smiled and nodded and pushed things through, there hasn’t been enough push back," Senator Antic said.He was also critical of the campaign the party ran."[It was] reminiscent of a mobile phone contract … the first 12 months you get something for free," he said."I don't think the campaign was of any quality at all frankly, it simply didn't have policy that resonated."Nationals leader disputes nuclear is to blame for lossNationals Leader David Littleproud this morning played down how much the plan to build seven nuclear plants was to blame."We're going to work through all those. I don't think nuclear was the reason we lost this. I think this was a schmick campaign by Labor destroying Peter Dutton's character," Mr Littleproud told Sky News.The Nationals leader acknowledged Labor had also successfully tarred Mr Dutton's image by linking him with United States President Donald Trump.The Liberals had a devastating election night. (ABC News: Courtney Withers)Meanwhile, Labor celebrates a win far greater than their best hopes.But Treasurer Jim Chalmers tempered suggestions that the runaway win brought a mandate for major reform."This victory does come, as well, with healthy helpings of humility … we know that this second term has been given to us by the Australian people because they want stability in uncertain times," he told ABC Insiders.Mr Chalmers noted the government would still have to negotiate legislation through the Senate.Labor has been handed an enormous win by voters. (ABC News: Luke Stephenson)For the Coalition, it will have to assess the entire policy offering it took to the election.Former Liberal Victorian branch president Michael Kroger said the party had failed in its major offering of economic management."If you give away the economic management debate, what are you left with? We haven't spoken about [industrial relations] since 2007 and defence was not the biggest [issue] in the middle of a cost-of-living crisis," Mr Kroger told Sky News."If your main argument for voting Liberal is you're getting a bit of cheap petrol, if that's what we've come up with in 80 years … you can't win on that."The Liberal Party has lost its way because no-one wants to talk about deficits."Mr Kroger acknowledged the party's unpopular work-from-home policy and the influence of Mr Trump on the election had also played roles in the defeat.Posted 6m ago6 minutes agoSun 4 May 2025 at 12:17am, updated 3m ago3 minutes agoSun 4 May 2025 at 12:20amShare optionsCopy linkFacebookX (formerly Twitter)Top StoriesLABOR'S LANDSLIDE WINTopic:ElectionsPhoto shows A close up of Peter Dutton on stage. 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