A majority of poll voters believe Alistair Coe is too right-wing for the electorate. Photo: File.
While the extent of internal dissension among the ACT Liberals remains unclear, a majority of RiotACT poll participants believe that current leader Alistair Coe is too right-wing to be electable in the ACT.
The territory goes to the polls late in 2020, and media reports have swirled around supposed tensions in the party room, although MLAs have refused to comment publicly.
Our question was: Internal leadership strife is being reported in the Opposition. Is Alistair Coe the right person to lead the Libs to the next election?
The question prompted some discussion as readers wondered whether the Liberals’ failure to win an election starts in the party room rather than with the voters.
John wrote: “Until the Liberals can get a leader who is more middle of the road and mainstream and able to reach out to a largely left-wing electorate like Kate Carnell was able to do they’ll never be able to win government in the ACT.”
Rob said: “In all seriousness, I don’t see the Liberals winning with Coe at the helm. Make a change, make it soon.”
But other readers objected to the question of Mr Coe’s leadership being raised for discussion at all as a poll question. Mike of Canberra wrote: “You Genevieve and Canberrans more generally need to get over yourselves and accept that, whether it be with Coe or someone else, we badly need change next year and should be prepared to embrace that change.”
Overall, a healthy 1,127 readers cast their votes. Your choices were: Yes, he deserves a fair run and there’s nobody else. That options received 438 votes or 39 per cent of the total.
But the winning option by a clear margin was: No, he is way too right-wing for this electorate, with 689 votes or 61 per cent.
This week, in the wake of the Icon Water Care for Water campaign launch, we’re asking whether Canberra should have permanent water restrictions. While conservation measures have been permanent for some time, current inflows are the lowest on record and long-range weather forecasts offer little hope for the foreseeable future.
The ACT government and Queanebayn Palereang Regional Council, whose Bungendore and Braidwood residents are already on restrictions, are both strongly urging Canberrans to conserve water as dam levels hover around the 50 per cent mark despite the massive Cotter enlargement.
In Perth, there is a permanent winter sprinkler ban for all scheme and bore water users between June and August and a watering roster is in force year-round.
Our question for you this week is:
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