Bridget Archer has quickly made a name for herself as one of the standout decent people in the Liberal Party. While most of her colleagues in the party have become unelectable naysayers, Archer has consistently stood out for her commitment to values many Australians share.
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The Liberal party room voted on Wednesday to reject the Labor government's proposed model for the Indigenous Voice to Parliament. Peter Dutton and the majority of his Liberal Party favour establishing local and regional Voices, which would be legislated but not embedded in the Constitution.
Ms Archer almost instantly confirmed she would defy the party line and campaign for a "yes" vote. The Bass MP said the Liberals' verdict on the Voice was the latest in a series of decisions that tested her faith in the party.
The Tasmanian backbencher, who appears to have a heart and a conscience, said she thought the Voice was worth fighting for and there was a "moral imperative" to back the Labor government's proposal.
"It appears some people don't want a Voice; they'd rather have a whisper," Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said.
Well, Ms Archer is roaring despite the fact it will cost her career advancement within the party.
I don't think we've learned the lessons from the 2022 election.
- Bridget Archer
Ms Archer said on ABC RN that she does not think the Liberals are a credible alternative government. "There is all evidence to the contrary," she said. "I don't think we've learned the lessons from the 2022 election or the Aston by-election. This decision in relation to the Voice is another example of that."
During her time in government, Archer showed a dedication to the issues that matter to the people of Bass, and they have rewarded her with endorsement at the ballot box. For the Liberal Party, Archer is a symbol of what being good and decent looks like. Yet there is talk of removing her from the party.
At a time when the naysayers, or the 'noalition' as they have been dubbed, have eroded the Liberal Party's standing with the public, Archer has been a breath of fresh air and a living example of what the party can look like at its best. She has demonstrated that if the Liberal Party had reasonable, centre-right-based principles, it could still be a force for good in Australian politics. Unfortunately, Archer gets opposition from within the Liberal Party, battling her every step of the way. If the Liberal Party followed her stance on the federal integrity commission and the Indigenous Voice it could be a force for positive change. Bridget Archer is an example of how the Liberal Party can still be successful in politics. Right now, the Liberals couldn't win a chook-raffle or run a primary school fete.
Archer is bucking the trend within her party. The Bass MP knows what she believes in and will not let the status quo of Liberal intransigence stop her from fighting for what is right. The Liberal Party and most of its members federally are deplorable, and Bridget Archer is showing the way to be NOT deplorable. Peter Dutton and other Liberals should follow.
Craig Thomson
I am a media and communications professional with experience across print, digital, social and radio broadcasts. I am currently the Editor of Australian Community Media's Launceston Examiner.
I am a media and communications professional with experience across print, digital, social and radio broadcasts. I am currently the Editor of Australian Community Media's Launceston Examiner.
