We’ll soon see just how much of a hypocrite Malcolm Turnbull really is
There is overflowing evidence that Malcolm Turnbull is an out and out hypocrite. Since smooching his way to the prime ministership we have watched him backflip on every issue he once stood for and we can only take wild guesses at what he might stand for tomorrow. One has the uneasy feeling that he stands for, unremarkably, whatever the extreme right-wing of his party fancy.
Over the next couple of weeks I expect he will take hypocrisy to a profoundly higher level.
Appalled at Labor’s indication they would block his plebiscite, earlier this week he accused them of ‘not wanting to consult Australians on same-sex marriage’:
“So if Labor is seriously saying that, they are saying, ‘Don’t consult the Australian people because they won’t give you the answer you want.’”
The PM said he was confident same-sex marriage would be introduced, reiterating that he and his wife Lucy would vote in favour of the legislation.
“The fastest way, the way to guarantee that there is a vote in the Parliament on gay marriage in this Parliament, is to support the plebiscite,” he said.
(I didn’t know his wife could vote in favour of the legislation, but that’s another story).
Given that 57% of Australians support same-sex marriage it appears, on the surface, that Malcolm Turnbull is siding here with the electorate and signals his intention that he will stand and deliver.
There was Malcolm, a self-declared champion for the people.
And now that “the Federal Opposition has announced it is preparing to move a motion to bring on a bill to legalise same-sex marriage in two weeks” he has his chance to prove it.
And given that it was also announced that . . .
Adam Bandt, Andrew Wilkie and Cathy McGowan . . . too are introducing a “marriage equality bill”.
Mr Bandt says they will introduce a crossparty bill on the issue and are seeking support from Labor.
Ms McGowan says “it’s a wonderful thing” that Labor plans to table a bill, but they need the support of the Coalition.
. . . he really has no better opportunity. The people come first. He has been busy condemning Labor for not honouring that.
But if Malcolm Turnbull has truly listened to the electorate he too will support the bill. If he is ‘owned’ by the extreme right of the party, he will not. In which case he has lied.
Yes, it’s all hypothetical at this point, but my guess is he’ll take hypocrisy to an even higher level. The wishes of the party will remain supreme.
I’ll be watching.
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Return to home pageIF he was pushing for a binding referendum I could more easily believe him. IF the country is to be forced to spend 160 to 200 million dollars on the process, it should at the least be binding. Since it isn’t, a normal opinion poll would do just as well ….
He’s a lying gutless hypocrite – Totally pointless as PM,and says alot wrong with the majority of the public,that they would re-elect these lying hopeless turds again.
From a moronic turd in Abbott to a gutless turd in Turdbull.
Of course the LNP willing vote against any and all of the private members bill’s for SSM.Cause Turdbull is a gutless wimp.
If the LNP want a non-biding public vote on SSM,then the LNP should pay for it.
A leader would lead.
Turnbull and, “So if Labor is seriously saying that, they are saying, ‘Don’t consult the Australian people because they won’t give you the answer you want.’”. Fraudian (misspelling intended) slip perhaps, that if Turnbull doesn’t get his plebiscite then he may not get the answer that he wants. If Turnbull is so absolutely positively certain that the plebiscite will succeed, why not then take it to parliament and save the country $160 – $250 million?
Not once in recent times, and well before Turnbull became PM have I heard him come out in strong support of marriage equality. The only thing he seems to have to say is Shorten, Shorten, Shorten….
Smooched his way to the Prime Ministership. That’s a classic. I like it.
Again allow me to say that the electorate was well aware of Malcolm position before the election.
Quote for Q&A :
SAME-SEX MARRIAGE
Turnbull raised a few nods from the audience as he answered a question from the mother of a gay son, who wants him to be able to get married, just like his straight siblings.
She challenged him to forgo the cost of a plebiscite and just amend the law within the Marriage Act. “We elect representatives into Parliament. Just show me some leadership by doing your job,” the mother challenged.
Turnbull said while her point was compelling – and he personally was a supporter of gay marriage – the agreement for a plebiscite was a government decision before he became PM.
She cut in “But you’re the Prime Minister”
He replied: “I am the PM, but I’m not a dictator.”
“Some people like the idea of prime ministers that ignore their colleagues. I don’t agree with that,” he said.
“And that means … respecting the views of those in your Cabinet and in your party room that you may not agree with.”
End of Quote
So fellow bloggers, sadly this it is what people want, what have voted for an individual that even after the election is preferred as a ” Leader” before Bill Shorten.
We have to put up with this mob and it is up to the opposition to get their act together, read the wishes of the electorate and act accordingly to win the next election.
Yes, John, he certainly ‘charmed’ the electorate. They only instilled him as PM because the electorate allegedly loved the guy.
He was going to abandon what he clearly said were the Abbott Rights flawed approach and policies and immediately embraced them, possibly at gunpoint, after winning his leadership. Since then, there has only been a plethora of lies from Turnbull and his confrateres.
Paulwalter, Turnbull has form in this regard – refusing to cross the floor 2012 on same sex marriage, returning to the front bench charged by Abbott with the task of ‘destroying’ the NBN (in spite of throwing a good portion of his personal wealth at France’s FTTH)..and what he good job he did too, continuing with the destruction of the ABC in spite of previously stated that he would protect it’s independence… Having thrown away those principles, it would be nothing for him to toss out a few more. As the popular meme states: Who needs principles when you’re absolutely fabulous? (thank you Truth Seeker).
Granny Herald lA let’s share musing: et the cat out of the bag on 04.02.15 -Another of Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull’s investments is under scrutiny, with revelations he has a financial stake in the global parent company of the scandal-plagued 7-Eleven empire. Fairfax Media can reveal Mr Turnbull has shares in two international investment funds that invest in Japanese conglomerate Seven & I Holdings. Seven & I’s major subsidiary is Seven-Eleven Japan, which is the parent company of 7-Eleven in the United States. The US company in turn licences the billionaire Withers and Barlow family, who own Australia’s scandal-plagued stores. As a Senate committee prepares to probe the wages exploitation scandal on Friday, Labor has claimed the investment raises concerns Mr Turnbull must address…this issue has all gone under the carpet.
He is a shrinking , shrivelling man, I don’t want waste my words on him.
My three year old grandson used to say :’I don’t want to talk that about’ . A chip of the old block, even when it comes to incorrect use of the English grammar. 🙂
I’m sure both Mal and Tony are busy trying to ‘charm’ Pauline, for totally opposite reasons of course…
Excellent article exposing the hypocrisy of this empty, egotistical, failed leader and Prime Minister.
When I start thinking fondly of Tony Abbott. Something is very wrong! But, as Paul Keating said, you can have a true conservative position. I think that is the problem with Turnbull. He has no position on anything.
Helvityni if you grandson starts saying “Don’t you worry about that” be afraid. Be very afraid! (Joh Bjelke Petersen’s regular saying).
I liked Jim’s emphasising of the substance of Carol’s comments with that example.
Helvi, Hinch is also courting it seems..springtime in Canberra..ahhh!
If it is already known 57% of the electorate support it, why do we need a plebiscite? Personally I’ve never had the problem of thinking fondly of Tony Abbott. Under Abbott this issue would not even get a look-in.
Turnbull has sold his soul to the devil.
His bringing in of 23 of 25 bills being failed Abbott proposals shows his lack of vision.
His tough talk on war regulations for Oz fighters against ISIS is strange given that Oz military has been fighting in foreign countries for decades and these new regulations have not been necessary. Are they just a distraction from the broader lack of vision in Turnbull’s policies? How much is it not just a military matter but a need to satisfy Murdoch’s demand for a tougher approach to militant Islam?
He refuses to consider a decision by the Parliament about Same Sex Marriage, even though a positive result in a $250m plebiscite on SSM.would not be binding in the view of Coalition right-wingers. What is he afraid of?
The European union has revealed Apple has avoided $19bn of tax over a number of decades through deals made with Ireland. There are many other international companies which have done the same kind of deal. Such is the way of international capitalism. Such accumulation of wealth in all kinds of devious ways is of concern to the ordinary people who are fleeced by those bleeding the economies of money that might have benefited more than just the CEOs.
The hoo-ha over a Chinese company paying the debt of a politician is a strange one. Why did it occur? But to suggest that the Chinese communist government would gain leverage over a “Peking duck” with $1600 is rather bizarre. Oz does billions of dollars worth of business with communist China, yet quivers with fear of a Chinese take-over. Is this what is called politicking?
Turnbull, the wonder-man business negotiator, law-man, destroyer of the NBN (as lackey to the failed ex-PM Abbott),Utegate victim, is proving himself to be a squib with no vision.
“The PM said he was confident same-sex marriage would be introduced, reiterating that he and his wife Lucy would vote in favour of the legislation.”
The irony of referencing his LEGAL partner in this conversation. They were both at Mardi Gras this year, smiling and waving, rubbing it in our faces. Seriously, I wish he would just pull rank, force the issue. What does a rich white dude like him have to lose? The PMship? Big deal, that was only ever a temporary arrangement anyway.
It is hard to see why a man such as Turnbull, who has devoted his life, via qualities of intellect, charm, guile and ruthlessness, to accumulating and growing his mega-wealth, might somehow be able to turn those self-focused values on their head and become a national leader working for the common good in the wider society.
As is similar with the case of Abbott, for Turnbull, holding the office of Prime Ministership is the end game of his aspirations, a aspiration on his ‘ bucket list’ if you like , but that does not include advancing the wider interests of the Australian people. He has no plan beyond maintaining his own status, and the economic interests of economically wealthy fellow-travellers and their hangers-on.
The Australian people have been fooled by a political charlatan.
Malcolm Turnbull might have wiped the shit from his lips but, I bet he can still taste it.
A wealthy out of touch twat playing at politics and right royally screwing it up,
Michael
Nice post, Turnbull’s lips are moving hence we know he is a lying hypocrite. He reminds me of the politcal satire movie “The rise and rise of Michael Rimmer” staring Peter Cook leave all the decisions to the voters via almost daily referendums etc. Unfortunately the barbarians alias the monkeypod are inside the gate should not be long, three motions lost on the HOR floor onThursday should hasten his demise, bring on the election asap.
Hi Bilko, as disastrous as it was for the government, I sadly don’t think that most of the electorate will care. Most people will have forgotten it by next week, hopefully thanks to another new scandal or disaster. Let’s hope that this episode is the first cog in a very wobbly wheel.
But I agree with you that we might see an early election, and if not, at least a new prime minister. Turnbull could gain some credibility if he sacks a few people early. Don’t think the party will see it that way though. It’ll be hard for him – over time – to satisfy both the electorate and the right wing factions of the coalition.
Michael,
We may see an early election anyway regardless of this mobs incompetence and it is all in regard to keeping the HOR and Senate aligned ,
“As the Senate elected at the next half-Senate election must take its place on 1 July 2019, the next half-Senate election would have to be held by mid-May 2019 to allow time for votes to be counted.
This means that if the next election is to be for the House and half the Senate, it must be held between August 2018 and May 2019. It should be noted that the NSW election is currently set for the end of March 2019 and the Victorian election for the end of November 2018. The dates for both state’s elections can be altered if they clash with a Federal election.
The timing of a May budget makes it more likely that the election would be held at the end of 2018” Antony Green
Just a little over 2 years to go, if Antony Green is correct.
Open discussion between progressive parties and progressive parts of parties should be happening right now and be seen by the public to be happening.