Australia’s conservatives bicker in the political wilderness

THE COALITION, a partnership of the right-wing Liberal and National parties, is so established in Australia that it has acquired a capital “C” and has ruled the country for around two-thirds of the past century. Earlier this year opinion polls suggested it would win the election held on May 3rd quite comfortably. Instead, the incumbent social-democratic Labor Party won by a landslide; the Liberals lost most of their seats in Australian cities; and the Coalition broke up on May 21st. They reunited a week later. But the conservatives’ path back to power looks long and narrow.