His party, the Liberals, are a loose coalition of the right of politics in Australia, equivalent to the Republicans.
The Liberals elected Morrison as their leader because he stands for a centrist position within the spectrum of Liberal views. It was hoped that he'd be able to unite the party which is deeply divided against itself - roughly 50-50- hence the constant and disabling stalemates. The Liberals from city electorates all want action on climate change. This lot tends to be slightly closer to the right of Democrats in their views. Liberals from rural and mining electorates tend to be pro-coal, oil, gas and fracking - mainly on the grounds of need for jobs and export trade. These guys are very similar to the Republicans. There is less of an overlap between the Christian conservatives and the political right here - but it does exist, and it's strong enough to have a significant influence.
Morrison is piggy-in-the-middle, trying to please both sides, but unable to please either. He quite likes Trump and agrees with many, though not all, of his views.
It is usual for young aspiring Liberals to travel to the US to study at conservative Ivy League universities. There, they become deeply imbued with American values and policies and bring them back to Australia with the hope of introducing them here.
Needless to say, our Labour (our equivalent of the Democrats) does not agree with the free-for-all and trickle-down-effect view of economics. Our Greens, who are further to the left, are deeply alarmed because Liberal policies are profoundly damaging to the environment - directly to our own and indirectly to the worlds.
Thanks my2cents. :) I really appreciate your answer. It helps me get some idea of what Americans may or may not know about Australia.
The two countries have been friends for at least 70 years via the ANZUS alliance, military cooperation, satellite and radio-telescopic communications and research, trade, diplomacy, culture and sport. Before that, America did much of its whaling in Australian waters.
This post was edited by inky at December 7, 2019 12:39 AM MST
I am guilty of not knowing much about your Country. Australia is not often in the news. I know some of geology and fauna there as that is one of my hobbies. My first ship had a port call for a week in Sydney, but that was so long ago you were still a hippie. I guess I know little of him other than he visited a small town with trump about 50 miles from my city.
Yep, it seems Morrison got on well with Trump. I'm not sure how sincere it was on either side. Both of them are good at putting on an act if it serves their political interests.
Trump's first conversation with one of our prime ministers, Malcolm Turnbull, was embarrassing for both sides. Trump didn't know Turnbull's name, or that Australia had been a friend of the US for 70 years, or that a third of the US's intelligence depends on the Parkes Satellite Dish. He was the first and only president so far to make such mistakes, but our diplomats decided to cut him some slack because he was new to the job. He's made up for it in some ways. He is now very aware that we exist and even knows a few relevant things about us. Just in time for building a new American naval base near Darwin.
Thank you. "conservative Ivy League universities"---many would disagree with that characterization of our univeristies
But only mention energy sector to determine AU Liberal vs Labor/Green. There are more to it than that here.
Generally Rep favor free market l, low taxes, strong military, strong border (recent), anti abortion, pro 2nd amendment.
Dems gov solutions, less miltary spending, higher taxes ("rich only"), open borders (recent), pro legal abortion, anti 2nd amendment.
This post was edited by my2cents at November 25, 2019 6:58 PM MST
Yep - generally Libs the same - favour free market, low taxes, strong military, strong border (recent), and anti-abortion. We don't have a 2nd-amendment but we do have similar free-speech provisions in our Westminster-style constitution. In Australia, everyone favours free speech, but both sides disagree on what it means and how its limits should be defined.
Our Labour also favours a free market, but it wants higher taxes on the rich and more indirect taxes in order to reduce taxes to the poor and increase the funding for education, medicine, and social support for the disabled and elderly. It is in favour of legal abortion. It also likes strong borders and was responsible for the introduction of concentration camps off-shore for asylum seekers who tried to enter the country via boat and without passports. Six people died in detention due to lack of medical care. Many others are currently ill and very likely to die. It doesn't reduce military spending, but it doesn't increase it either.
Australia has few options when it comes to military matters. We have neither the money nor the population to effectively defend ourselves. And since most of the land is desert, we can't support a large population.
This post was edited by inky at November 25, 2019 6:58 PM MST
NO. It comes from the original meaning of Liberalism. They are the part of Liberalism. We use the term way differently here. You're actually what true Liberalism is. The conservative stance in the USA is a policy of Liberalism. What many now call Classical Liberalism.
Also, Libertarianism means something different. The word and concept was actually a commie thing. It wasn't redefined into what you think it is until the 1950's by an American right wing conservative.
If they are close to Republican, I can understand it if they are close to what passed for Republican in decades past. If they are like the GOP here in America? They should all be in jail. The whole lot of them.
my2cents 