The right of the Coalition needs to be doused

The right wing of the Coalition should be very wary, Australia is not the same as it was in 1996, and the left of their party are more emboldened as the Federal Government announced its multicultural policy and seeks bipartisanship. The Coalition’s right flank may need to concede defeat soon.

The pandering to hard right values is not in concert with the Liberal Party but an advent of a small section of it. The Federal Liberal Party has drifted so far from its 'liberal' moorings, no doubt many real liberals will continue to find it increasingly difficult to vote for the federal party.

Abbott, Morrison and Robb must understand that the reason the Federal Coalition did better in the last federal election had more to do with the backroom assassination of Kevin Rudd and  Julia Gillard’s slogan riddled campaign than an  adherence to Howard's ideological views.

Had Prime Minister Julia Gillard not questioned the validity of a larger Australia - a subtle dog-whistle to Western Sydney and had she been more forthright in supporting a multicultural Australia, perhaps not so many of Labor's constituents would have migrated to the Greens and independents.

Australians are generally a compassionate bunch and as tax payers most of them had no problem in assisting these poor people in expressing their grief last week. Many still long for bipartisanship on issues such as refugees and immigration, particularly as Greeks who were once equally maligned.

The Federal Coalition would do well to seek advice from their Victorian Liberal counterparts - liberals, who have been able to marry liberal values with success in gaining government.

It seems that Tony Abbott and Morrison are so brazen in wedging they had no moral compunction in playing politics with these pained souls grieving for their loved ones. But, as social researchers cautioned recently, the Coalition should "not [be] overplaying its hand on asylum-seekers or race and religion."

In The Australian, Rebecca Huntley from IPSOS Mackay "warned politicians against equating public demands for a tough line against asylum-seekers with wanting tough treatment for asylum-seekers who arrive on Australian territory."

The time has come for the Federal Opposition to end its allure to One Nation policies.

The dog whistling which characterised John Howard in the 1980s and assisted his electoral success in 1996 needs to end. Equally, the time has come for the Labor to stand up for cultural diversity and for human rights and not fear Western Sydney and a slither of marginal votes. Leadership and vision, so painfully lacking in the federal government on issue such as immigration, multiculturalism, ecology and education, must be reignited. They must forget their advisors, focus group analysts and begin to lead with well articulated policy and visionary gusto. Maybe last Tuesday's announcement in support of multiculturalism is the beginning.

Labor and the Coalition must keep reminding themselves that Malcolm Turnbull lost the Coalition leadership only by one vote to Tony Abbott.