vexnews

The darling of the Liberal Right, Sophie Mirabella, has surprised party insiders, who have spoken to VEXNEWS on condition of anonymity with her loud and proud protectionist pronouncements since becoming the federal shadow Industry minister.

Normally her grouping is seen as advocates of smaller government and less government intervention in the economy.

However, since her elevation to the crucial Industry portfolio, where she shadows Victorian Socialist Left Senator Kim Carr, a known defender of industry planning and government intervention, she has surprised observers by criticising his administration for doing too little for manufacturers rather than getting out of the way and letting the market do what it does.

One insider said it confirmed his suspicions that "her principles are like bumper stickers to her, peeled off easily when inconvenient."

Others said it pointed to a worrying trend in the Abbott Liberals where some in the Liberal leadership are intent on delivering a "form of government BA Santamaria would be proud of."

"More hand-outs for sympathetic stakeholders, no workplace reforms, no economic reform and a head-long rush back to the 1950s is what you're going to see," one Victorian Liberal, critical of the policy direction, told VEXNEWS.