We may never know the entire truth about the Liberal Party’s illegal pamphleting in the seat of Lindsay, but it is hard to believe that this incident is the misguided result of a few too many beers.

Too many major Liberal players are involved for us to swallow the line that it was a prank gone wrong, perpetrated by some husbands bored of letterboxing legitimate material. Instead, we contend that this action is representative of everything that is wrong with what the Federal Liberal Party has become, as the far-Right faction, which has previously been mostly confined to the State divisions (most notably in W.A. and N.S.W.) has expanded its power base.

Former Prime Minister Paul Keating argues in the Sydney Morning Herald today that the Howard Government needs to be killed off to restore a moral basis to our public life.

Perhaps some time in the political wilderness will allow the Liberal Party to restore its own moral basis, to cut out the dark cancer which has seized control of its heart.