After observing Malcolm Turnbull for the past five months, nothing could be clearer to the shrewd onlooker. If his accession to the leadership was to signal something different, a new direction, a policy reversal of any kind, it would have happened by now.
He is a puppet leader controlled by the extreme right of the party, the real faceless men of Australian politics.
The Liberal parliamentary party installed a puppet leader to be the prime minister of Australia for one reason and one reason only. They feared losing the election to be held this year and knew winning it could not be achieved without a popular figure at the helm.
They know they were elected by default. A Labor government tearing itself apart internally was easy meat for a pro-Liberal media that had successively concealed Abbott’s and the party’s flaws and helped project an utterly false image of the conservative Opposition to the electorate.
But after two years of mis-management, Abbott’s failure to validate the perceived economic devastation he and the hapless Joe Hockey invented, as well as Abbott’s all too obvious idiocy, the hard right wing of the party decided to act.
That hard right faction are neo-liberals on steroids mixed in with a small group of Christian fundamentalists. They want to resurrect the Australian cultural identity we suffered in the 1950s, the conservative image dominant in the days of Robert Menzies; bland, subservient and Christian up to its eyeballs, intolerant of cultural, ethnic, social or moral diversity.
Nothing could be more obvious to the astute observer. Malcolm Turnbull was installed to ensure the continuation of the aims and objectives of a small but immensely powerful faction who realised their preferred leader, Abbott, did not have the charisma that would ensure their dreams were realised.
About Abbott, they were right. A little thing called “unelectable” got in the way. Something had to be done and so they turned their eyes to a man they detested but who did have the charisma, was seen by the average voter as popular, progressive and articulate, and who possessed all the attributes Abbott lacked.
The despised Turnbull, who stood out like a festering sore inside this conservative stronghold, who was not at all one of them, was now seen as a necessary conduit to carry them over the line, a thinly veiled veneer to conceal the incompetence of the rest of them. He was their only choice.
How Turnbull became a Liberal party member in the first place is a paradox on its own, but there he was and when it became obvious that Abbott could not win, these faceless men made their move. The opportunity to be installed as the Prime Minister of Australia was too much for Turnbull to ignore. He took the bait.
And so, these ultra conservatives succeeded in executing a transition that they believed would ensure their continued hold on power and guarantee them another three years in which to reverse what they viewed as an unacceptable direction for the country; one that embraced compassion, ethnicity and above all, egalitarian equality.
If anyone doubts the veracity of this let them read the list of objectives sought of this government by their masters, those other faceless men of the Institute of Public Affairs (IPA), a list which Abbott was well on his way to delivering.
They would have been much further down their chosen path by now but for an obstructionist senate. Eliminating that problem is now well underway. A reformed voting system followed by a double dissolution will rid them of the cross benchers, all but guaranteeing a conservative senate majority.
In March last year, Laura Tingle from the Australian Financial Review wrote an article, “Being governed by fools is not funny.” She was right then, and nothing has changed since. She wrote then, “But the government’s utter failure to prosecute either the policy arguments or political strategies to get voters to countenance its signature policies, is a responsibility that rests squarely with the government of the day.” In other words, they have stuffed up.
If you think that sounds like an appropriate description for today, you’d be right. The utter incompetence shown on the issue of tax reform, the confusion, the dissent from the backbench and Scott Morrison’s inability to recognise that there is a revenue problem is a continuation of what was going on then and a microcosm of a much deeper problem.
They don’t know how to govern. They have no raison d’entre other than to govern. No policy standard, no vision, no inclusive mission, no direction, nothing other than to be in government.
In a few months this giant hoax, this second rate vaudeville act, with fourteen of their stars already fallen off the stage, will ask that we give them another go. If we do, then expect more of the same, only more comical than ever, more conservative than ever and far less tolerant of all they despise.
“They have no raison d’entre other than to govern. No policy standard, no vision, no inclusive mission, no direction, nothing other than to be in government.” This is a little silly. Obviously they have a vision and a raison d’entre: to deliver neo-liberalism in full and complete the dismantling of Australia for the IPA’s donors. They just can’t sell that to voters.
Yes Shaitan. My point is that they have no vision of value, other than whatever value they place on perpetuating their own interests.
The Turnbull honeymoon period has ended, and the electoral tide is beginning to turn.
John Hermann offers a very interesting observation. If the most recent polls can be believed, and given that Turnbull’s extended honeymoon is indeed all but over, these Senate voting reforms coupled with a DD election are a decent sort of risk for the Coalition. Seems to me those factors could well be characterised as potentially very good for Labor also. I do wonder if the Coalition is seeing that risk for what it is.
Thank you John Kelly for your well written observations. The Conservative ( no policies) Strategy is plain as day.
In the proverbial nutshell, clear out the Senate ‘obstructionism’, ( in spite of the Senates original charter! ), wage the Election Campaign to dwarf all previous ( courtesy of ‘manipulated’ Media – in train) ….. along with $$ MONEY$$, and any form of bastardry conceivable.
With POWER they can align Australia with the U S in the coming fanoogling being set up for our region, and we’re off to the Gallows in a Basket!! … seriously!
What the Conservatives fail to notice is that Australia would be a TOOL … a PAWN … ! …. Much of the time they so remind me of the ‘barbers cat’ !! …
On the wider world scene I’m ‘boiling’ about the US (indirect) WTO intervention in India’s plan to go large on Solar panels by insisting they be manufactured ‘elsewhere’ at a greatly increased price.! Please I dare not go further on Trade TREATIES for fear of a coronary! …
Some very good observations on this appalling excuse for a Government.
“Scott Morrison’s inability to recognise that there is a revenue problem…” – Somebody correct me if I’m wrong, but Australia, as a sovereign currency issuing nation, does not and cannot have a revenue problem, so any criticism of Scott Morrison on these grounds is misdirected.
True, Silkworm. But I am using the Neo-liberal language. Morrison does not “get” the sovereign currency issuing thing. Better I use his language when speaking about him.
Perhaps the msm can go back when Gillard and Rudd were in power and just change the front page headlines with the word Liberal and re print the headings day after day after day. Would be interesting.
The criticism of Scott Morrison is according to his own neo-liberal macro-economic paradigm, and to counter his claim that they have a “spending problem”, In his view they are spending too much, while in any sensible view they are not spending enough, especially on health, education and infrastructure. Besides, increasing taxation revenue for the future, if done right, will help to reduce wealth inequality and increase the fiscal space for govt. spending. Wealth inequality is seriously eroding our social fabric as well as our democracy.
Malcolm Turnbull has achieved something Bill Shorten can’t….
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I will vote for Labor in the House of representatives 2016 election.
Of course, nothing will stop me from voting under the line for the senate.
Well done Malcolm!
The extremists in the LNP seem determined to turn Australia into a fiefdom for people who make their filthy lucre from trashing the joint and where environmentalists, welfare recipients, unionists and the otherwise marginalised are squeezed to the point of surrender. Will the electorate wake up to it? God, I hope so.
If the IPA Puppets are reelected with “Mad Mal” at the wheel of their doomsday agenda, then it will be another tragic case of the Australian electorate getting the gormless, greed-worshipping government we deserve.
Turnbull and Morrison are appearing everywhere spruiking the necessity of investment while insisting that the government must not invest. Why is it good for us to invest when they won’t? There is enormous evidence about the return for investment in education, health, lifting people out of poverty, building infrastructure etc etc. From their own rhetoric, they are missing out on crucial investments that would increase productivity, growth, AND well-being.
Stagnant wages due to the undermining of unions and their ability to collective bargain, and the loss of industries due to the free trade agreements, combined with the rise in part time work and 457 visa workers, and the significant loss of tariff revenue, has led to revenue write-downs that present an added burden on top of falling commodity prices.
They keep saying “jobs and growth” while actively working against achieving either. Saying innovation and investment over and over and over means nothing. No-one invests unless there is a market. A market requires demand. Demand requires disposable income.
Keeping wages low, failing to address housing affordability, and spending money on protecting investors and start-ups is a back to front way to go about things. Give the people money to spend and watch the people who are happy to invest in ways for them to spend it. Taxation has never made a profitable business unprofitable.
It is increasingly clear that Turnbull and the LNP want to have this election focused on the personality of the leaders, and nothing else. Indeed Malky even started this yesterday with his “who do you trust to run the country” schtick. Its because they have nothing else.
They’ve done their very best to try to make Shorten look unelectable with the Royal Commission, and this underlines it. If they get the senate reform changes through, you can guarantee there will be a DD election. Otherwise, why do it in such a rush?
The clock is ticking. The campaign has started.
Fresh poll puts Labor and the Coalition neck and neck – politics live:
http://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/live/2016/mar/01/labor-steps-up-its-campaign-against-senate-voting-reform-politics-live?CMP=share_btn_tw
ByB
I wuz right – Malcolm is doing more for Labor than Shorten.
How do you solve a problem like our Cory…..
You give him a three month gig with the UN, a group who he has previously described as a “fiscal black hole of bureaucracy” and “unaccountable foreign organisation”.
As of September, assuming he is re-elected, Cory will be off for the taxpayer funded gig. Funnily enough, Steve Ciobo scored the same gig in 2011 and refused to pay his hotel bill of $8,000, nearly causing a diplomatic incident.
How many incompetent people are going to be rewarded by this government? How come you can call an organisation a waste of money and then expect us to pay for you to go visit for three months?
http://www.businessinsider.com.au/cory-bernardi-is-going-on-secondment-to-the-un-2016-3
Kaye Lee
I call spending money for a positive result an investment.
… and sometimes you just have to cut your losses…
I wouldn’t worry too much. Malware is proving he and his government might well be ‘unelectable’
Actually my first ever philosophy debate forum was email based and run through Ozemail, back in the mid 90s, so, thanks for that at least, Mal. I think.
A lot has been written about how characterless Shorten is, and a lot of people have been put off voting for him because of that, but to be honest, he’s not done a bad job of holding what was a pretty fractured party together for the last few years – stopping the infighting, and presenting a very, dare I say ‘adult’ united front, whilst the opposite happened to the LNP (and it still grates with me how lightly the LNP have been let off by the MSM for changing leaders, after the savaging they gave Labor for doing the very same thing).
Perhaps after Rudd, a bland slightly boring leader was exactly what the ALP needed – someone who might put policy front and centre, rather than personality. Yes, the ALP have been pretty disappointing as far as the refugee situation goes, but personally, I’m coming round to the idea of giving them a chance – they certainly can’t do worse than the current lot. Also the people he has behind him – Albo, Plibersek, Butler for example – all seem to be much more sensible, down to earth people than the front bench at the moment – despite all the changes.
Mungo MacCallum, good value as always:
“Turnbull or Abbott? I can hardly spot the difference these days.”
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-02-29/maccallum-turnbull-morphs-into-abbott/7207866
In the past 20 years the political climate in Australia has changed dramatically. Labor has moved substantially to the right, and truly progressive policies are out of fashion. The Coalition now finds itself wedged solidly at the torie end of the spectrum, under the control of rigid, egoistic, right-wing ideologues.
Turnbullsh*t is so GUTLESS and made himself a lame duck PM. A total waste of space as PM.What a wimp.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GCs7iZGvK4s
Great post again watching the 7.30 report now 01/03/16.re, Pell he is a subscriber to the IPA and has attended their meetings the ”I can’t remember” I bet he can’t remember the youth suicides his co-hots the pedophiles caused Hell no, he wouldn’t would he?, next on 7.30 surprise surprise Liberal know all little Johnny Howard click change channels, ,.https://www.newscientist.com/article/dn2817-right-wing-governments-increase-suicide-rates/
I wish Howard would f off – I voted him out of his own seat for a reason. (Yes,I lived in the seat of Bennelong then.)
Kaye Lee: Yes, they are spruiking investment and growth, but they think govt. should not do it! How strange! No explanation whatsoever, when private sector debt is way higher as a percentage of GDP (around 150%) than govt. debt (around 25%) . And govt cannot default on its debt while the private sector (esp households) can. So it is all mumbo-jumbo to fool the punters. I think there are enough people who will see through this empty rhetoric.
Even their so-called encouragement for start-ups is a complete crock. I know someone who has been slogging on a start-up for the last two years, and does not see any advantage from this “initiative” at all. It’s all smoke and mirrors for cronies, I’m sure.
Your article is very timely and very accurate. What intrigues me and many people I know is the electorate’s astounding ignorance regarding the real aims of the conservatives and their supporters. One point is that this myth that the conservatives are better at economics and money management seems to be still accepted as gospel truth without any close examination of the facts. The media and especially Murdoch’s minions and the radio dingbats are partly to blame, but people seem to have jettisoned their native intelligence for separating the facts from fiction. If that does not change, I fear we’ll be paying a heavier price in the future.
As stated many times Turnball is there only for his bucket list.Tick Prime Minister next walk the Appalachian Trail?
Turnbull a puppet of the ‘right’? Wow where did you learn to write? If he is their man then who was Tony? Amazing but typical ‘left’ commentary.
I think it’s fairly obvious his hands are tied by the right? Why else would he do a backflip on all the issues he used to stand for? Everybody knows that he had to sell out on a few issues in order to get the numbers to roll Abbott.
What can Turnbull do, he cant restore his standing because that would be having policies the right wont accept. He cant push too many more right wing policies because his polling will fall.
The biggest problem Turnbull faces is there is not enough liberals in the Liberal Party.
Some “patriot activist” scribed:
Where did the speaker learn to “write”? At school one imagines, where most people learn such skills. I think you probably mean “where did you learn to argue” or something similar as there’s nothing at all wrong with the “writing”. To be candid, your post was barely coherent, so one might ask, where did you learn to think?
Cairns News, huh? ’nuff said.
is he any more a puppet than gillard to wilkie over pokies(dropped instantly when she got slipper) or to the loonies over carbon(which cost her, labor and us).
Yes, this man is better at dishonesty than abbott. He is better at words than abbott
But to paraphrase Lloyd Bentsen
I have heard julia gillard, I have seen her effort’s for Australians Malcolm you are no julia gillard.
Turnbull is simply a U.N. puppet ,he runs our country to their specifications . He was selected to do their bidding and ignore honest voters. He has no leadership qualities and has already sold Australia out many times with his poor decisions and total lack of common sense.He has no idea what makes the average Australian tick. He is a boofhead .