--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In the process of building an inspiring…" description: "\"“In the process of building an inspiring and attractive alternative government, Liberals will not follow in Lord Derby's oft-quoted advice, given in 18..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/07a/brendan-nelson-224401_edited-by-peter-van_in-the-process-of-building-an-inspiring_2623866.jpg" --- # In the process of building an inspiring and attractive… ![“In the process of building an inspiring and attractive alternative government, Liberals will not follow in Lord Derby's oft-quoted advice, given in 1841, that 'the duty of an Opposition is to oppose everything, and propose nothing'. The British Tories did not win a parliamentary majority for the…” quote by Brendan Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/07a/brendan-nelson-224401_edited-by-peter-van_in-the-process-of-building-an-inspiring_2623866.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/07a/brendan-nelson-224401_edited-by-peter-van_in-the-process-of-building-an-inspiring_2623866.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/07a/brendan-nelson-224401_edited-by-peter-van_in-the-process-of-building-an-inspiring_2623866.jpg) > ““In the process of building an inspiring and attractive alternative government, Liberals will not follow in Lord Derby's oft-quoted advice, given in 1841, that 'the duty of an Opposition is to oppose everything, and propose nothing'. The British Tories did not win a parliamentary majority for the next thirty-three years, and if the Liberals adopted such a strategy, we too could be in the political wilderness for a long time. As Menzies once put it: 'The duty of an Opposition, if it has no ambition to be permanently on the left-hand side of the Speaker, is not to Oppose for Opposition's sake, but to oppose selectively. No Government is always wrong on everything, whatever the critics may say. The Opposition must choose the grounds on which to attack. To attack indiscriminately is to risk public opinion, which has a reserve of fairness not always understood'. Indeed, simply opposing the government may create headlines, but to win an election you need to present an alternative.”” Brendan Nelson ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Opposition should offer constructive alternatives rather than merely opposing; selective critique builds credibility. **In simple terms:** Oppose wisely, propose alternatives. Key Takeaway Focus on constructive criticism. Themes politics strategy leadership Mood strategic analytical Type Edited-by-peter-van-onselen:0 Long time:0 Politics:1 Public opinion:1 Opposition Oppose:0 Opposition Ambition:0 Oppose Opposition:0 Opposing Government:1 Opposition Choose:0 When to use this quote - campaign planning - debate preparation - policy drafting Key Concepts opposition theory policy development public discourse Questions to Reflect On - How can you balance critique with solutions? - What makes an alternative compelling? A Different Perspective Pure opposition can alienate voters. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Public opinion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/public-opinion/) ## Related quotes > [“At one level, the Opposition's most urgent job, between now and the next election, is to publicise the government's mistakes. 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Randolph Churchill once declared…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-abbott-mp/at-one-level-the-opposition-s-most-urgent-job-between-now-and-the/) Tony Abbott MP Browse all 2 Edited-by-peter-van-onselen quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“In the process of building an inspiring and attractive alternative government, Liberals will not follow in Lord Derby's oft-quoted advice, given in 1841, that 'the duty of an Opposition is to oppose everything, and propose nothing'. The British Tories did not win a parliamentary majority for the next thirty-three years, and if the Liberals adopted such a strategy, we too could be in the political wilderness for a long time. As Menzies once put it: 'The duty of an Opposition, if it has no ambition to be permanently on the left-hand side of the Speaker, is not to Oppose for Opposition's sake, but to oppose selectively. No Government is always wrong on everything, whatever the critics may say. 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