THERE was only one game in town this past week – the ascension of Malcolm Turnbull to The Lodge with his promise of a return to “the sensible centre”.
In an extraordinary 24 hours, he restored the Coalition to equality in the polls; ushered the reactionary rump of his party – and the shock jocks – to the margins; and wiped the self-satisfied grin off Opposition Leader Bill Shorten.
Robert Macklin.
THE first Turnbull ministry returned the government to the mainstream despite the warning from our own Senator Zed Seselja that the Libs were “a predominantly conservative party”. Turnbull’s response – the elevation of three more women into Cabinet and a broadly centrist outer ministry – put Zed firmly in his place.
TONY Abbott had offered to “throw Joe Hockey under a bus” according to new Treasurer Scott Morrison. Then he partied when all expected him to make a gracious farewell. His valedictory after a rough night inspired no one to recall the Shakespearean exemplar that: “Nothing in his (political) life became him like the leaving of it”. Blaming the media was the easy way out. “The Saturday Paper” hit back with a blistering editorial, ending: “He will not be missed. He should not be praised. He was a failure selfishly wishing that the world would fail with him. We can only hope his like will not be seen again.”
THE media were stumped about Abbott’s future with breathless revelations that he would “stay in Parliament”. He’s written his book – “Battlelines” – and no one wants another political memoir; he’s no businessman; and he can forget journalism. Our suggestion last week of a return to his native land as High Commissioner is probably the best option available. And Malcolm would love to have him on the other side of the world.
UNDER its new Rudd rules, Labor will stick with Shorten, so talk of his departure is wildly premature. However, when he loses the next election, Albo and Tanya will fight it out, with Tanya the current favourite.
ANOTHER big loser will be the Japanese as Turnbull drops the “understanding” Abbott had with PM Shinzo Abe to build the next generation of Australian submarines. Suddenly the French and the Germans who will do most of the work in SA are top of the list. And there will be no more talk of Japan as “our best friend in Asia” while the China Free Trade Agreement passes through Parliament.
ON the winning side is the ABC, which will no longer be under the Abbott gun. And we must acknowledge a mighty job during the coup from reporters Greg Jennett, Chris Uhlmann, Sabra Lane and Leigh Sales.
THERE was one non-political event we attended that cannot go unremarked – Friday’s Order of Australia investiture of 50 recipients (including “CityNews” arts editor Helen Musa) by Governor-General Sir Peter Cosgrove. Astonishingly, the G-G recalled the background of every single recipient as he presented the award! Sir, we tips our lid.
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