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Day to Day Politics: 2018 looks like a repeat of 2017 for Turnbull.

Tuesday, November 7, 2017

If you are one of those folk who think that having put aside all the contentious issues of 2017: marriage equality, immigration, Manus and citizenship … that Malcolm Turnbull will triumphantly burst into 2018 without a worry in the world, then you are wrong.

He and his government are now perceived as having done enough damage and carry the residue of Abbott’s lying and negativity through to Turnbull’s incompetence and lack of achievement.

The residue of mediocrity will meander its way through the remainder of the year and take up residence in 2018. Not even a reshuffle will change its direction. Whilst I have written that Turnbull is finished, I concede that it may be a death by a thousand cuts. However, if his replacement is to have enough time to strike a chord with the electorate then action sooner rather than later is required.

But such is Turnbull’s public demeanour at the moment you would think he hasn’t a worry in the world. He has. The citizenship issue will linger on for some time yet, as will Energy Policy, but Marriage Equality will be resolved. However, if it is a close vote then the conservative backbench may not accept the decision of the people.

His leadership, by virtue of bad judgement and National Party dominance has further weakened an already damaged reputation. The fact that the President of the Senate, Stephen Parry told other ministers – but the information didn’t get to Turnbull – that his citizenship was in doubt is highly questionable. Late yesterday he was forced to concede that a form of individual proof was needed and he chose an honesty system overseen by the same people who oversea politician’s expenses. Good luck with that. But in doing so he might have inadvertently committed political suiscide. And now John Alexander, the Member for Bennelong has doubts about his citizenship, which may bring on a by-election.

Turnbull’s judgement throughout this crisis has been wrong all the way through. Some suggest that he is part of a cover-up or that a challenge is being organised behind his back.

There is no doubt that under Turnbull the relationship between conservatives and moderates has worsened to the point where a split in the Liberals is possible.

So the Government spin that with a clean deck after Christmas the Prime Minister would start to mend the party is simply not plausible. Residue means something that remains after a part is disposed of. This is my point. Even if the Prime Minister were able to dispose of all his problems, the stench of poor governance would remain in the form of a lasting residue of ineptitude.

Ask yourself; “What is it you think will be different in 2018?” All the afore-mentioned issues are but reminders of Turnbull’s inability to cut through on issues he once owned. Yet another sign of his weak leadership is his inability to slap down Andrews, Abbott, Abetz and others. Unless he can comprehensively change the way he runs his government … the end is nigh.

My thought for the day

“Leadership is a combination of traits that etch the outlines of a life and grow over time. They govern moral choices and demonstrate empathy toward others. It is far better for those with these qualities to lead rather than follow. In fact it is incumbent on them.”

22 comments

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  1. Peter F

    ” but Marriage Equality will be resolved” I don’t think so, John. I expect that if the vote is not above 50% of those ELIGIBLE we will hear the RWNJ’s saying it was not conclusive.

  2. Terry2

    Trumble cut a very lonely figure as he and his ipad hustled into a press conference to announce an avoidance procedure to keep the section 41 fiasco kicking along ; not one adviser not one minister to support him – the question is, have they deserted him ?

    We know that Abbott, Dutton, Andrews, Abetz and others are counting the heads and preparing for a coupe.

    And when they return to parliament guess what their absolute priority legislation is going to be – what is their vision for the nation : tax cuts to major corporations.

    As we are seeing from the sickening Paradise Papers, big business have had enough of paying tax, it’s inconvenient, it hits the bottom line and impacts on executive bonuses. Big business is not interested in schools and hopsitals and roads. They say let the PAYG taxpayer fund those if they want them.

    Capitalism is failing,folks !

  3. helvityni

    When Mal speaks to an audience,to MSM, he’s cockily confident, the smiles are mile wide; watching him to leave the podium , he looks somewhat shrunken…

    Oz was ready for legalizing SSM, here was no need to wake up the every redneck, for whom anything progressive is a no no…

    Dual citizenship issue needs an audit; most political aspirants have known their family background and have deliberately ignored it; why would it be any different in the future…????

  4. Harquebus

    This citizenship saga to me has been the one bright spot in a dismal political year. My schadenfreude, on this matter at least, is feeling good.
    Malcolm and The Coalition are toast. Even a change of leadership will not help them. For those wanting a change of government, all that’s left to do now is wait. For myself, it doesn’t matter. The next Labor government will be just as bad.

    I have never known a better government, they have all been progressively worse.

    ‘n’ it ain’t gonna get any better.

  5. Möbius Ecko

    How many times have we heard, “starting with a clean slate” from this government, and indeed from Turnbull himself?

    Too many.

  6. Jan

    Glad to see you have jumped out of bed in such a positive spirit Harquebus ? ?

  7. helvityni

    Möbius Ecko, his favourite expression seems to be ‘ensuring’…

    Add to that ‘ME and MY Government’. He is also eager to tell us how happy he is and how much fun he is having…

  8. Ricardo29

    4 corners: ATO boss, there are 1300 major companies in Australia, currently we are investigating 19 and one of them is an eight year case. Unless the government restores funding and staff, it’s going to be a long time before we see much of the tax that’s being avoided. Of course this being a govt. for business and the 1% I don’t expect to see much success.in the meantime Turnbull and Morrison still want to give them tax cuts and trying to revive the dud TPP with its iniquitous ISDS provisions. Really time for them to go. Hopefully the ongoing s44 debacle will hasten the election and give us the chance to be rid of these ( insert your own epithet here)

  9. passum2013

    The problem with anew election is with Liberal believers that believe in muck blamed on Labor that has been disproved in courts
    They are saying the judges got it wrong
    Also Labor left the country with massive debt keeping Australia working with the aid of exports to China

  10. wam

    Funny that alexander didn’t know his dad was a pom?

    Sad that the pollies could pass a simple law that states born in Aust negates gene-claims by foreign goverments but that would mean children of refugee/asylum seekers and illegal immigrants would be aussies. QED

    ps
    Once again your thinking is beyond me there are thousands of the young leaders in the world of now and in history without such qualities or experience.
    In my lifetime, the prevailing trait is for leaders to remove potential rivals? Either like old joe and kim jong un or gillard and trumball.

    pps Helvityni, did you like qanda last night??

    ppps Good luck today.
    barrier 18 has been my betenoir and I have backed it since wodalla won.
    Sadly, no chance today but my $1 the win and $2 the place will still be donated.

  11. helvityni

    wam, I usually watch Four Corners and Q&A, but a long day in Sydney, raining, and sitting in the car for two hours, I was ready to hit the sack, I’m no fan of Paul Barry, his way speaking irritates me, I miss David Matt and Monica Attard…

    When hubby saw the row of school uniforms on Q&A he too lost interest…

  12. Kronomex

    Wam, it’s rather easy to pick the winner of the Melbourne Cup: a horse and jockey.

  13. wam

    Yes, I dozed on and off from 8-11.
    We had driven nearly a 1000 a day since friday and got home monday 3pm.
    The kids were good but predictably ‘schooled’ and yet still way ahead of birmingham and jones on honesty, empathy and intelligence.(my bias thought tanya was pretty good)

  14. helvityni

    I checked on the Guardian what the students had said on Q&A, they sounded more grown up than our “grown-ups” in charge…

  15. townsvilleblog

    2018, what a bloody shambles, we need an election, and we need it now!

  16. win jeavons

    So we now have a triple A government? Andrews, Abbott and Abetz? This government has a stench about it, that no leadership change will sweeten. Its policies are worthless, and its veracity shot to pieces, by so many lies and fairy stories.

  17. stephen jones

    the current constitution is law no law passed by parliament can change thqat only a referebdum i for one am not disposed to change it for the lnp, the only real way we can change it is to proclaim a republic then update it as poart of the process, thank john howard for killing that off, so suck it up conservatives

  18. etnorb

    Sorry passum 213, even if Labor left us with a huge debt, it is even “hugher” now under this incompetent, lying lot of obscenely over-paid so-called Liberal politicians! The Libs continually insist that they are better money-managers, but I am afraid that real life shows they are worse then even the Labor mob, & are basically just an inept bloody rabble! I totally agree with all you have written Mr Lord! Great stuff, as always!

  19. Kronomex

    As I was scrolling down the list of articles a few minutes ago I suddenly realised what was going on with the photo at the top of this piece. Our PM was singing his new personal anthem (with apologies to Helen Reddy) –

    I am Malcolm, hear me bore.
    My ego is too big to ignore.
    And my Abbott is on my back…

  20. Kronomex

    Hm, I think that I’ll change the third line and add a new one –

    There’s an Abbott on my back.
    I can’t pop ’cause I’m so slack.

  21. passum2013

    What I was saying is I had a discussion with a devout liberal that totally believes the lie Abbott and crew blamed Labor for everything while they increased the countries debt daily Rudd kept Australia working there fore taxes coming back in off set the expenditure
    It was not necessary to cut back anything by the LibNats had they not gave back tax paid and cut taxes on the megher rich at the same time sacked tax inspectors and investigators thus making finding avoiders funds
    You cannot convince devout Liberals
    That mud put on labor is just that and not real

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