Suddenly, Family First’s policy agenda is being debated by Liberals and Nationals.

With both Coalition parties facing leadership contests next week, the fight for what they stand for is on in earnest.

That what they stand for has been so woolly for so long is why their primary vote has crashed and parties like Family First exist.

In an article in the Weekend Australian, Queensland Senator Matt Canavan outlined an agenda that is pure Family First.

He advocated:

• Scrapping net zero so electricity generation becomes about lower power prices, not emissions
• Income splitting for families
• Re-establish the Australian dream of a home with a backyard you can play cricket in
• Incentivising an increase in our birthrate which has plunged to an extinction-threatening 1.5 babies per woman
• Restoring national pride

A Liberal, Freya Leach, also argued for family income splitting for tax purposes in an article in today’s Australian Financial Review.

Since Family First was resurrected three years ago, it has been fighting for these things and more.

In fairness to Matt, so has he for the duration of his time in the Senate. But the Nationals and Liberals have not.

If the Nationals got behind Matt and these and other family-friendly values, that would be a good thing for the nation.

If the Nationals became truly serious about fighting for family, Family First would have to consider its place in the political landscape.

That’s a dilemma we would welcome.

But the opponents of Matt and Freya in the Nationals and Liberals don’t want a bar of this agenda.

They are fighting to keep economy-wounding net zero polices, don’t know what a woman is let alone a family, and think identity politics like quotas is the way forward.

The Liberal Party leadership contest this week between Angus Taylor and Sussan Ley and the Nationals’ contest between David Littleproud and Matt Canavan will shape the future of conservative politics in Australia.

Diametrically opposed visions for family, energy and social policy are on the table.

While ever the Coalition cannot define a woman, refuses to jettison net zero, won't put families first and protect the most vulnerable (our unborn and their mothers), Family First will keep fighting.