My only problem with Turnbull is related to his experience. He is, as with the other contenders, gifted. However, he too often has appeared to not know how to appropriately address questions put to him to hose down issues.
Case in point was his appearance on Sunrise on 26th November. He was asked about his experience, and he limited it to parliamentary experience when his impressive resume includes much more .. but which also might show the public he has opinions. Mr Rudd’s success in opposition has been to do with the fact he never had an opinion on anything. However, Mr Turnbull isn’t trying to appeal to ALP voters, but to conservatives. Conservatives like scruples. So long as those scruples are benign, and allow heart and feeling, the ALP/liberal supporters will follow. Howard did not get to be PM by allowing his strong opinions to override other considerations, but he kept his job for so long because his strong opinions informed his debate.
Turnbull is the Libs’ new baby
ReplyDeletePiers Akerman
REMNANTS of the parliamentary Liberal Party are firming in their support for Eastern Suburbs MP and former environment minister Malcolm Turnbull to take the reins as federal Liberal leader and Opposition leader.
There are only two other announced contenders: former health minister Tony Abbott, who entered the race yesterday morning, and former defence minister Brendan Nelson, who tossed his hat into the ring in the afternoon.
Former workplace relations minister Joe Hockey has taken himself out of the race and former foreign minister Alexander Downer is not interested.
The mechanics of the leadership handover are relatively simple, but nothing can happen before the formal declaration of the poll in Bennelong.
Once that is accomplished, John Howard would be able to concede his old seat to ABC-turned-ALP star Maxine McKew and formally pass the top Liberal job to his former deputy, Peter Costello.
As Costello announced on Sunday he would be leaving politics for the commercial world, he would then become a very short-term interim leader.
In fact, Costello’s principle, if not only, role in the changeover would be to call a party meeting at which he will declare the leadership vacant. This may take place later in the week.
The final count in Bennelong was expected to be declared last night or early today.
It is known that a number of senior Liberals have counselled Abbott to withdraw his Liberal leadership nomination in an effort to smooth the transition to generational-change favourite Turnbull.
While Abbott is seen as a highly-principled individual, some within Liberal ranks say he slipped several times during the election campaign.
As well, Abbott’s strong personal sense of morality, which he is not afraid to invoke, is unpopular with the broader community.
In short, Abbott’s handicap appears to be he too honest for his own good. He was always going to challenge for the leadership at the end of the Howard era. If Abbott had only his own vote in the party room, he would still give the leadership contest a go.
“I think the conservatives in the party have to have someone to vote for, those who loved and revered John Howard should have someone to vote for, and that’s why I am putting myself forward,” he said.
The fight for the leadership and deputy leadership of the Liberal Party, combined with the National Party’s own search for a new leader in the wake of former leader Mark Vaile’s resignation yesterday, are indicative of the depth of the makeover the conservative forces in Australia are undergoing following Saturday’s rout.
Though only former Liberal Party director and junior minister Andrew Robb had officially nominated, the Western Australian former education minister Julie Bishop has been receiving a lot of pressure to stand - and South Australian Christopher Pyne is considering his options.
West Australia was the only state not to succumb to the blandishments of the Kevin ‘07 campaign. Western Australian MPs could make up between a quarter and a third of the conservatives in the new Parliament.
A number of West Australians have expressed concern about power within the Liberal Party being concentrated in the hands of a few in the eastern states.
They believe Bishop could be a possible counter-balance, were she to be elected deputy leader.
While they have no doubts about Turnbull’s intellect and energy, they question whether he’s been an effective parliamentary performer in his single-term career and cite his inability to land decent blows on shadow environment minister Peter Garrett.
They see Abbott as possessing the ability to convince the electorate of the party’s moral convictions and, while Nelson is very popular across the backbench, he is still haunted by the ghost of his past ALP membership.
Another critical issue being discussed is the ability of the Liberal Party to raise funds without strong representation from Western Australia.
With the Liberals in opposition everywhere, the party is still receiving major financial assistance from the West Australian division - from both private individuals and corporates.
Almost 90 per cent of the wealthiest contributors live in Bishop’s wealthy electorate of Curtin, which covers much of Perth’s high-priced western suburbs real estate.
But even though Bishop is viewed as a very strong contender, Robb is very well regarded and seen as a steady safe pair of hands whose political experience would be a great support to any leader.
Interestingly, women in the party seem to be less enthusiastic about Bishop than many of the males, and Abbott’s strong sense of traditional values wins him admiration, if not strong political support.
The conversations have not yet reached the circular stage, but they do seem to be crystalising around two scenarios: a Turnbull-Robb team and a Turnbull-Bishop team, with Abbott and Nelson being sincerely thanked for their assistance.
The eventual winners may be known by the weekend, but the only sure thing is that the overall victors in Australian politics will always be the telephone companies.