The 2016 election sparked the ‘demise’ of the Liberals

​The Australian columnist Tom Switzer says the demise of the Liberal Party started at the 2016 federal election.

​“The Liberal Party of that election bled a lot more votes to its right than it did to the left; this is very significant,” Mr Switzer told Sky News host Chris Kenny.

​“The fragmentation of the vote that has since transformed Australian politics, that was evident in that July 2 election.

​“About 33 per cent of Australians voted for minor parties or independents.

​“In that election, Pauline Hanson returned to the political theatre.

​“Her One Nation party, while seen as dead and buried, won four Senate seats.”