After Aston, Liberal moderates can hear the bell toll. But is Peter Dutton listening?

‘Rather than casting the Coalition as a broad church that encompasses moderates and conservatives …Dutton continued to narrow his messaging and in turn the party’s appeal.’ Photograph: Mick Tsikas/AAP

While their opposition to the Indigenous voice to parliament captured the headlines this week, the Liberal party’s meetings in Canberra were also focused on how to respond to the Aston loss.

The party’s first reaction was to not panic. To stand by Peter Dutton as leader and maybe start to think about the need for new policies on issues such as home ownership and the climate.