On the long list of broken promises in Australian politics, none compete with the pledge to voters three years ago when the Liberal Party promised stable government and then delivered civil war. One of the biggest questions at the coming election is whether Labor can be any better. It was not that long ago that Labor MPs were just as divided as the Liberals and almost as brutal with their leaders. (Yes, almost. The removal of Turnbull set a new benchmark for mayhem.)

In happier times ... Liberal colleagues, from left, Joe Hockey, Peter Dutton, Tony Abbott and Malcolm Turnbull in 2013. Credit:Andrew Meares

The incredible thing about the government’s leadership spill last August was that the Liberals did not learn the lessons of the Labor experience.

So why should voters expect the next crop of political leaders to be any different? Why will they learn the lessons when the last crop did not?

If the recent past has told Australians anything about their politicians, it is that the flaws in their leaders pale next to the collective failures of the feckless and fractious party rooms whose primary tasks are to form and hold government.