Voters put the 'majors' on notice

And the Greens should not rest on their laurels. They have won territory in seats with substantial Labor and Coalition minorities in Queensland where they rely on preferences to survive. This opens up a space for a brand that can sweep-up both Labor and Liberal minorities, and that could just as easily be a rejuvenated Liberal or Labor Party as another minor.

So where should the centre/right go? Well it shouldn't be to the 'centre'. As that is defined at the present moment it is illiberal and disastrous for the country. No government can stand for long against reality. The neo-Lysenkoism that says women can have penises, yesterday's energy solutions are better than today's, has its precursors in Russia (obviously), China, and is currently playing out again in Sri Lanka. Equally unreal is the idea that money is just created out of thin air, or that avoiding offending someone, no matter how deranged they are, is more important than telling the truth…

It is a hard position for politicians to be in, but they have to resist the temptation to go with the current populist unhinged 'vibe'. If they do, when reality reasserts itself they will be on the wrong side of history.

We liberals and conservatives may be represented by a parliamentary minority, but we need to be like John the Baptist, pointing out the real issues and communicating them in ways that keep them alive in corners of public debate so that the ground is prepared for our clay-feet political Messiahs when their hour has come.