Managing editor Michelle Pini takes a look at the Liberal Party's Far-Right takeover from within, simmering beneath the "civilised broad church" facade.
IT'S FAIR TO SAY that the differences between the two major parties were, not so long ago, essentially to do with whether you believed in more or less government intervention in economic and social policy.
Certainly, the choices were not about one major party that traditionally leans to the Left versus the other traditional major party that once leaned to the Right and has now entered what can only politely be described as batshit crazy.
If you think this an exaggeration, consider the chief proponent for toppling current Liberal Party Leader Sussan Ley, Andrew Hastie.
We are just going to insert here, for your convenience, his recent social media post about the death of U.S. gun-toting Far-Right poster boy, Charlie Kirk, below, which Hastie accompanied with the famous Raphael painting, ‘Paul Preaching at Athens’ (IA emphasis):
I want you to see a painting.
It speaks into the darkness of Charlie Kirk’s murder.
In the painting, 'Paul Preaching at Athens' - Raphael (1515-16), we see the best of Western civilisation on display:
Faith. Reason. Inquiry. Debate. Persuasion.
Charlie Kirk modelled all of these things.
Raphael’s painting was inspired by the New Testament.
It shows the Apostle Paul preaching the gospel and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Not everyone agreed with Paul.
But some believed him and joined him. (Acts 17:22-34)
Faith. Reason. Inquiry. Debate. Persuasion.
That's how Charlie Kirk engaged young hearts and minds.
That’s why his brutal public murder was so evil and shocking.
It was an attack on Charlie.
But it was also an attack on Western civilisation.
Rather than reason with Charlie, his assailant silenced him with a bullet.
This pattern of violence is growing.
How did we get here?
Many of our intellectual class no longer believe in Western values.
Students have been severed from the great Christian tradition depicted in Raphael’s painting.
That’s why we see the pronouns, the grievance, and the violence.
What can we do about it?
First, we need to fight for our Western ideas and values.
The innate dignity and worth of every single human being. Ordered liberty under law. Freedom of speech.
Second, we must adopt Paul’s model of persuasion in Athens.
There is great power in civility, restraint and decency.
That’s Charlie Kirk’s enduring legacy.
Third, the radical left are evil and will use violence to win.
Let’s stop pretending they act in good faith.
In the contest ahead, we must be tough and alert.
Finally, we need to be bold and courageous.
Now is not the time to take cover, even as bullets are fired at our friends.
Our movement needs to grow, and we must speak the truth about the challenges ahead.
We all have a role to play in the fight ahead.
If we don’t get moving, the West will continue to decline.
Let's go.
So, according to Hastie, Kirk’s death was not at the hand of a right-wing, crazed assassin, ironically, armed with a firearm that Kirk himself endlessly spouted all should freely wield, but a war on Western civilisation.
Whether the alleged, aforementioned 22-year-old shooter is aware he was bringing down the entirety of Western civilisation as depicted by an Apostle, no less, is difficult to gauge.
Nonetheless, Far-Right alternative Liberal Leader Hastie, it appears, believes Kirk to be a martyr, comparable to the Apostle Paul, and his killer an "evil" agent of the “radical Left”.
'How did we get here?' Hastie asks, but does not mention that “we” got here because bullets were fired from a gun and hanging around while brandishing guns is a "democratic right" in America.
No, according to Hastie, Kirk’s death is due to:
'Students [having] been severed from the great Christian tradition depicted in Raphael’s painting.
That’s why we see the pronouns, the grievance, and the violence.'
A perfectly plausible explanation!
For those who may not be aware of Maga-supporting Charlie Kirk’s brand of preaching, his “enduring legacy” included stuff like:
"Prowling blacks go around for fun to go target white people. That's a fact."
And
"If I see a black pilot, I'm going to be like, boy, I hope he's qualified."
Well, that sounds like the “model” of "truth" and “innate dignity”. Any wonder Kirk 'engaged young hearts and minds'.
Apart from attempting to turn his racist, bigoted idols into martyrs, Hastie’s other interests include fighting against immigrants, same-sex marriage and the use of pronouns, and as IA founder Dave Donovan wrote:‘definitely not cutting the hands off dead Taliban fighters or blowing up innocent young Afghani sheep herders’.
Hastie, who was an SAS Captain in Afghanistan, gave evidence at a Federal Police war crimes inquiry, during which it was revealed that some members of his troop allegedly severed the hands of Taliban prisoners.
Hastie said at the time:
“My gut instinct was okay, that’s a strange practice.”
This is the person the Liberal Party are seriously considering for the leadership of what remains of their once undeniably powerful party.
And if you think Hastie has no chance at the leadership, then in the wake of his resignation from the Opposition front bench – which he insists is not about contesting Ley – consider that Scott Morrison, whose religious beliefs included “not trusting governments…[or] the United Nations”, not only slithered to the leadership but inexplicably, even the prime ministership.
Then there was Peter Dutton, of course. Though not apparently an evangelist, Dutton was a mega (or is that MAGA) Trump fan — one of the many serious fascist Trump lovers that now lurk beneath the Liberal Party’s (Western) “civilised broad church” façade to worship at the mad MAGA altar.
Apparently, their royal annihilation at the last election did not deter the remaining far-right Liberal faction from continuing down the same path and attempting to effect the Trumpian domination of Australia’s politics.
And one doesn’t need to dig too far below the Liberal Party culture wars being staged within their own party room to find more cookers.
May we present South Australia’s 'top factional warlord’, Senator Alex Antic.
Antic is also Pentecostal, an antivaxxer and a climate-denier, as well as anti-immigration, anti-abortion, and vehemently opposed to “woke” views on gender and sexuality. He is currently actively recruiting ‘god-fearing conservatives’ to join him in politics in what is referred to as “Alex’s army”.
Oh, did we mention that Mr Antic has intimated Thomas Sewell’s National Socialist Network neo-Nazis are paid actors, planted by Labor to make anti-immigration activists look bad?
Before we write him off as inconsequential, however, it may be pertinent to point out that Antic was successful in toppling former South Australian Liberal frontbencher Anne Ruston to win the number one spot on the party’s Senate ticket.
And the plot thickens. Antic’s ex-staffer, George-Alexander Mamalis, is heading up a South Australian branch of Charlie Kirk’s Turning Point USA.
How positively Apostle-like.
According to some of Antic's colleagues, “He’s a very dangerous man,” who may be trying to dismantle the party and rebuild it in Trump’s image.
So, 'let’s stop pretending they act in good faith'.
Maybe there’s nothing wrong with dismantling today’s Liberal Party, we hear you thinking. Perhaps. But in a democracy, we deserve a Federal Opposition that poses a reasonable and credible alternative, and contributes to a true contest of ideas.
Potential Liberal leader Andrew Hastie has warned of an attack on Western civilisation in a new Instagram post on Charlie Kirk pic.twitter.com/RggzJPzqJp
— Quokka (@Q2Quokka) September 12, 2025
This editorial was originally published as part of the Independent Australia weekly newsletter – usually only available to subscribers – and may be read online in the IA members-only area.
Follow managing editor Michelle Pini on Bluesky @michellepini.bsky.social and Independent Australia on Bluesky @independentaus.bsky.social, X/Twitter @independentaus and Facebook HERE.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Australia License
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