Leaking the Liberals' post-election analysis - another act of betrayal

The new Liberal leadership was right to reverse its previous promise to release the party's specially commissioned analysis of its devastating 2025 election defeat. That the report has now been leaked indicates the poor state of the Liberal Party and so Angus Taylor needs to brace for further undermining like his predecessor endured.

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The authors of this latest review, former federal and state Liberal ministers Nick Minchin and Pru Goward respectively, were publicly upset at the decision not to release the report. Ms Goward says party members and supporters deserve "to understand what went wrong" and that "frank and critical assessment of the campaign would provide the new leadership with the impetus to change". Nick Minchin does not "really understand the reason" and is "surprised and disappointed" about this decision.

Well good luck to them! One might have expected a degree of circumspection from such seasoned political players given the current parlous state of conservative politics.

There has also been the expected "tutt-tutting" from the media about the failure to release the report, but Liberals should stop taking their cues from the media who are relishing the latest debacle.

While it has become usual practice these days for parties to release such post-election reviews, it is not mandatory. Parties used to do well enough without them being made public.

Indeed, given the nature of the Liberal Party's election defeat the promise to release this report should never have been made in the first place. It reflected poor judgement.

There were sound reasons for not releasing this report and it should have been commissioned on the basis that it would remain confidential and circulated to limited numbers.

First, such analysis would inevitably, be critical of the party's administration, campaign strategy, policies released, leadership, personal relationships and state branches' ineptness. It prolongs the focus on the Liberal Party rather than the government. That is now proving to be the case.

Second, expected critical comments about different personnel and relationships have been confirmed in the leaked document. It is now all there for us to see and the Labor Party to exploit. No matter how careful the reviewers, or even how justified, the criticisms of different people, reputations have now been trashed and blame allocated. Those mentioned will have no opportunity to defend themselves or to correct such negative assessments. This is not a good start to rebuilding unity in the party. It is of no help to a party short of any reservoir of people let alone those with talent.

Third, after months of bitter, damaging post-election public infighting and Angus Taylor's tortuous campaign to replace Sussan Ley as federal leader, Liberals still seem unable to settle down to focus on their task of rebuilding the party.

Last, telling the world and especially your opponents, not just where you went wrong, but more importantly, what strategies you might adopt in the future seems dumb. It is signalling your next moves to your opponents. One of the challenges facing all oppositions is to stop just reacting to a government's initiatives and its tight control of the political agenda. An opposition must launch its own policies, catch the government off guard and try to reset the agenda in ways more favourable to itself. This cannot be done if you are giving your game away by releasing or leaking such reports.

As for Ms Goward's concerns about releasing the report to let party members and supporters know what went wrong, well you cannot be serious. Sadly, they know that already. They experienced it at first hand during the campaign. They heard the poor policies, cringed at the missed opportunities, and bemoaned the misplaced attacks on the public service. The unprofessional campaigning underwhelmed them, and the leadership debates frustrated them.

No, what supporters want and cry out for now is not more post-election analysis, not more examples of disloyalty like leaking confidential reports, but unity, stability and action from the Liberal leadership to set things right.

They want a clear articulation about what the Liberal Party stands for.

They want policies that form a cohesive whole.

They want the nation's problems squarely confronted.

They want the Albanese Government's failures exposed.

They want the Opposition's solutions presented and explained.

In short, they want the Liberals in coalition with the Nationals to be what any opposition is supposed to be – a "government in waiting" ready and able to take office and to be seen as such by a majority of voters – not an opposition digging in for the long haul.

The Liberals have wasted too much time since the 2025 election in self-flagellation, and personal and factional political point scoring. It sank Ley's leadership. Leaking this report might sink Taylor's leadership unless he really shows who is in charge. This is not a game for amateurs. this is about who is running the country.

Time is running out. The Prime Minister can call an election any time. I hear the election clock ticking.