Full Story Back to Back Barries: does the Coalition have the will to win?
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Sep 12, 2025 Tensions within the Coalition escalate as the dismissal of a shadow minister sparks internal conflict. The Barries discuss Victoria's landmark treaty with First Peoples and the significance of leadership perception amidst a fractured media landscape. Political promises and their ramifications are dissected, revealing the struggles both major parties face with voter sentiment. Leaks expose deeper divides, while upcoming challenges loom, complicating the opposition's strategy as they navigate a tumultuous political climate.
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Price's Defiance Sparks Leadership Test
- Jacinta Price refused to apologise and then declined to back Sussan Ley's leadership, prompting her sacking from the shadow cabinet.
- Tony Barry and Barrie Cassidy compare the episode to past leadership tests and factional brinkmanship in the Liberal Party.
Opposition's Structural Weakness
- Opposition life requires constant internal management and compromise, making leadership fragile without government patronage.
- Tony Barry argues opposition leaders lack authority and must manage factions while living by the polls.
Hawke's Promise That Wouldn't Die
- Barrie recalls Bob Hawke's 1987 pledge that no child would live in poverty by 1990 and how it haunted him for years.
- He describes advising Hawke to do a mea culpa and the PM instead dug in and campaigned on it.
