The Liberal party at a federal level is an absolute shambles, while Labor is revelling in populous support. At a state level it’s Labor who are seen as the running joke - a completely opposite scenario to 10 years ago.

Only the Liberal party in NSW has been consistent - they haven’t had their act together since the early 1990s.

There also seems to have been a shift in the way people perceive politics.

In the past politics was seen as a taboo topic of discussion at social gatherings, whereas nowadays - and perhaps due to the internet revolution - people seem more knowledgable and more confident in tackling political commentary.

Unfortunately, most of the talk is centred around party dramas and not their policies, but that probably says more about back-stabbing politicians and a competitive media market than it does about a social desire for scandals.

So, what will Australians make of this week’s Liberal party archery competition, where three heavyweights took aim at the top job?

As one person put it to me succinctly: “Different sewer system, same smell.”

With Tony Abbott now in charge, it looks like a desperate throwback to the Howard glory years - which seems to be a strange course of action considering what voters thought of “Honest John” at the last chopping block, ie, the 2007 election.

But, then again, it’s a notion that could play right into Joe Hockey’s hands... stay tuned for the next instalment of the Liberal soap opera.