Keith Wolahan (Menzies, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

Democracy is not a gift from above but the proper design of a society that is driven by people who have the courage to turn up. My party is not perfect, but I am a proud Liberal. I want to thank the candidates, staff and members who turned up, bled blue and offered Victorians a choice last Saturday. We were not successful, but I want to put on the record how grateful I am to them. From community forums to phone calls, from doorknocking to doorstops, you handed out, stood up and stood proud for our party's values and Victorian democracy.

There are many lessons to learn from last Saturday, and we will learn them. But I want to make a plea to Victorians who are interested in the future of our state and our nation to consider joining my party—or, indeed, any party. You won't find them mentioned in the Commonwealth Constitution, but political parties are essential institutions of our democracy. They pick our candidates, run our campaigns and are the engines of policy. If they are weak, our democracy is weak. If you choose my party, you will find a movement that welcomes you with open arms—one that can be proud of its history and learn from its mistakes, and one that I hope has a true north of principle over power and hope over anguish.

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