Miranda Devine calls it the ‘perfect political synchronicity of a Premier Malcolm Turnbull’. Her article in SMH brings to the fore the notion that Malcolm Turnbull, having quit Federal politics, could quite happily slot into the top spot in NSW Liberal and therefore, without question relieve our beleaguered Premier of a task that is obviously beyond her experience. Barry O’Farrell has gone so far as to offer the seat of Vaucluse to the once federal leader.
While NSW would be happy with such a dovetailed solution to the State’s woes, it remains to be seen whether the business meister himself is as overjoyed with the idea. NSW clearly needs a leader who can govern effectively; a leader who understands finance, business, and hopefully has concerns about the environment; a man for all seasons, a 21st Century man. Turnbull ticks all of the boxes.
That he was inexperienced in the machinations of Federal politics should have been a plus for the voting public. Yet now we find ourselves, once again, the unwitting onlookers in a partisan squabble between two career politicians. That these aspirants have the nation’s best interests at heart isn’t in question. It’s their lack of runs on the board outside of Parliament that is the reason for our current malaise. A successful businessman prior to his entry into politics, Turnbull offered a different perspective in the Federal arena. It was resolutely rejected.
For the moment that is history. Miranda Divine’s proposition, supported by commenters across the board in newspaper forums, is a breath of fresh for the voters of NSW. Whether or not the renaissance man wants to play ball is another thing. One can only hope that NSW isn’t too small a playground for him.
Malcolm Turnbull was never made to be number two. Whereas Howard was happy to be, as he put it, ‘Lazarus with a triple bypass’, Turnball is an all or nothing man. In business there is no room for biding one’s time; strike while the iron is hot. Unfortunately for Malcolm, politics doesn’t work that way. Unlike his business forays, he hadn’t paid his dues in the political arena. Playing the underdog, being tossed aside for no reason, (he lost the leadership vote by three votes), are all part and parcel of the not always profitable game of politics.
Abbott is a seasoned prize fighter in the Liberal arena, Rudd has emerged through the ranks of diplomacy and senior bureaucracy to become PM. Neither of these men have the acumen that Turnbull has, yet unfortunately for the nation, they exhibit the tenacity and perseverance required in the cut and thrust of partisan politics.
Howard’s way was to be equally persistent; it took him three goes to get it right, but when he got it right, he was in the big house for eleven years, longer than anyone other than Menzies. In 2010, perhaps millionaire businessman Turnbull isn’t prepared to endure his time in the political wilderness. Tony Abbott will no doubt lead the Libs to the next election. It is doubtful that he’ll win. Turnbull recognises this. Six years in the wilderness is too long for a man of his decisive nature. If we are to see Malcolm in politics, he’ll either be asked to come back, or dragged back screaming.
Either way the Libs and Australia will benefit. In the meantime we are once again subjected to the miasma of a partisan scuffle between two career politicians, neither of whom have the experience to run a chook raffle.
Tony Abbott must have been turning cartwheels this morning when he heard the news that Malcolm Turnbull was quitting politics. He should have been crying in his weet-bix. By denying Turnbull a place on the front bench, requested by the former leader, he has effectively forced the brightest star in the Liberal firmament to pack his bags and head back to corporate country.
As political pundit Paul Kelly states in this video, the Libs have lost too many frontline soldiers in recent days. While some, such as Downer and Costello, were approaching the end of their tenure, they nevertheless added experience and gravitas to a party that is increasingly seen as becoming lightweight and redneck at every step. It’s not good enough for Abbott to be the sharpest pencil in the box at this point. Rather than wage the one-man bully boy fight against Labor, Abbott needs to garner capable troops behind his thrust at the Prime Ministership.
Off-siding Turnbull, rather than being a self-protecting tactic, may ensure that the bully boy will be down for the count at the next election.
I first met Tony Abbott back in 1994. He was being introduced to the Liberal Party as the new boy on the block. Alexander Downer, sans stockings, was there to welcome him to the fold. It wasn’t a big event, more of a surreptitious meeting of the Liberal hierarchy. This was back in the early 90s, when the Dark Prince ruled Oz.
After years of the flamboyant Hawke leading the country, celebrating the Australia’s Cup win, gloating over everything except the fact that he had to give up the drink to get it, we suddenly were stultified by the Spectre from Bankstown. This usurper presided over interest rate rises unheard of before or since. We were subject to his claims that ‘this was the recession we had to have’ and that Australia was headed towards being a ‘banana republic’ unless we signed over our sovereignty to Asia.
It was indeed a dark time, and the Liberals felt it keenly. Such that this gathering was almost a clandestine affair. Held in a small North Shore venue that doubled as a restaurant on weekends, the Libs decided against splashing out on anything but Crown Lager and taxis. They barely had enough left over for the music, so myself and the piano player were grateful for the gig.
Keeping with the spirit, we played such tunes as ‘High Hopes’, ‘The Grass is Greener on the Other Side’, and ‘If I Ruled The World’. Thanks to such repertoire, our musical talents were requested often during those dark days.
I don’t remember seeing John Howard at any of these functions. He had recently been passed over for the leadership in favour of Downer. Yet a year later he held the baton again, and a year after that was PM.
As he said prior to winning, ‘it would be like Lazarus with a triple by-pass’.
Whether Tony can effect such a miracle is doubtfull, whereas the new boy on the block, Turnbull, has plenty of time to prove his mettle. Mark my words.
