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.
While Miranda Devine is drawing an extremely long bow with her 
Kevin Rudd is perpetuating this with his belief in, as Devine quotes,’ meetings, summits, talkfests, reviews, studies, probes, resolutions and facilitations.’
Her article began by reminding us of that tawdry incident at the Iguanas Nightclub last year. The one where Ms Neal, according to witnesses, and police, abused and intimidated the staff. Ms Devine adroitly used the word ‘allegedly’ twice in one paragraph. Whereas the police, the court, even the PM, could not absolve Ms Neal from censure in the Iguanas’ Nightclub debacle, it seems Miranda is able to whitewash Neal’s behaviour in the incident, preferring to question Della Bosca’s suitability for State government. Any suggestion by Kevin Rudd that Neal seek counselling is turned back on itself, with Devine blaming the subsequent public humiliation for any ‘anger management issues’ that Neal may have experienced. Doublepeak in any language.
resigning, this wasn’t good enough for Ms Devine. Della Bosca had to die a painful death, if only in her article. She began by skewering him with personal attacks about his appearance, ‘his cystic acne scars’ and his general physical appearance, and his ‘unworldliness’ for desiring a younger woman. Crossing the divide for a moment, Miranda even denigrated Neill for being ‘attractive in a giggly, baby doll way’. Miranda, is your feminist slip showing a tad too much?
Rather than this being the tale of three people caught up in a tawdry affair, Devine brazenly attempts to paint this as a picture of one wanton male leading two damsels into distress. In doing so she has hung up her journalist’s hat, and revealed her feminist slip flapping embarrassingly around her knees.
