Brendan Nelson’s blog

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Federal Opposition Leader Brendan Nelson started a national 'listening tour' this week in an effort to rebuild his party after last year's comprehensive defeat at the polls.

Many people have questioned the Opposition Leader's effectiveness since he took over in November, especially in light of an opinion poll taken in March that gave him a score as 'preferred prime minister' of an abysmal 7%.

Taking over the leadership of a party so long under the leadership of John Howard and unused to being in opposition was never going to be an easy job, and it is virtually certain that Brendan Nelson will never become Prime Minister.

However, in the four months since he took over, Nelson's leadership has seen the Liberal Party repeal their support of WorkChoices laws, take a positive stance on climate change policy, support a merger between the Liberal and National parties and advocate the removal of social inequalities affecting the gay community. These are all positions that differ starkly from the Howard years, and demonstrate at least an acknowledgement that the Liberal Party has to modernise to remain relevant to the electorate.

The 'Listening Tour' is not a new concept in politics, and ultimately it is more of an exercise in publicity than a program of any real substance. But it is welcome nontheless, and the reason I draw attention to this is that I have to point out how impressed I am that Brendan Nelson is posting a daily account of his tour on his blog. Take this excerpt for example:

Well, the first day of the Listening Tour was absolutely fantastic. I had the opportunity to meet Tony, a surf life saver on the lookout at the Southport beach, a magnificent view of the people, the swimmers and the importance of the job that is the story of Australia - looking after the coastline and looking after other Australians.

I met Nicky, 30 weeks pregnant, had a listen to her baby's heartbeat and we had a talk about not only education but children.

I ask myself why it is that a man has to wait four months to get his cancerous kidney removed in a Queensland public hospital.

I went to Bumbles and met Catherine - a classic Australian small business working really hard, a small number of staff, really concerned about making sure we get exemptions for unfair dismissal laws for small business - and saw the hard work of making coffees and sandwiches and light meals for people seven days a week.

Among the many classic sights I've seen is a lady driving a taxi on the Gold Coast with a passenger in the passenger seat and a jack russell terrier snuggled between the both of them with its eyes up looking out the front windscreen.

Today I'm looking forward to meeting with the people of Brisbane and visiting Clarendon State School with my good friend and colleague Senator George Brandis.

Sure, it's not Pulitzer Prize-winning stuff, but can you imagine John Howard doing this? Howard was eventually forced into posting videos on YouTube late in last year's election campaign, looking very stiff and uncomfortable, not to mention desperately dull.

Times do change, and I look forward to seeing what other changes the Liberal Party will go through over the coming months. If there's one thing the situation in the nation's state governments has proved, it's that Government needs an effective opposition to maintain its competitiveness and accountability.