Rob(b) cops the Costello kiss of death
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“Libs look to replace Turnbull with Rob” reported a News Ltd site this morning. I got all excited. Rob who, I wondered. Was Mal Brough’s little brother Rob going to make his political debut, uniting the feuding families of the Liberal Party? “Survey says?!” Was Rob Lowe going to move from West Wing to the real thing, albeit in Canberra? Were Scottish heroes Rob Roy or Robert the Bruce going to be invoked to keep the morale of the party up? Was Robbie Deans going to be asked to try to translate his rugby genius into political coaching? Of course, I was even more excited when I learnt by “Rob” they meant “Robb”, as in Andrew, a chap whose virtues of solidity, policy smarts and level-headedness some of us have been spruiking for a long time. One hopes the News Ltd kiss of death doesn’t strike, though. It was Peter Costello last year, trumpeted enthusiastically by the Murdoch press. After an extended tease, he chucked it in and is now slowly restoring his credibility, as a sort of political sideline commentator (“down to Sideline Eye Peter Costello — Pete, mate, you’re up close to the action, did you feel that HUUUUGE hit Ruddy just put on Malcolm?”) Then, just a few short weeks ago, it was Tony Abbott, getting acres of coverage from News Ltd, until he disgraced himself by suggesting it might be a good idea for the party to just lie back and vote for the CPRS. Now it’s Andrew Robb’s turn, and in the event that Robb – who is a conservative but whose primary quality is common sense — somehow blots his copybook with News Ltd, presumably Bronwyn Bishop, the Liberal Party’s very own Davros, will start fancying her chances. Joe Hockey, displaying a sudden attack of intelligence, apparently doesn’t want the job. Then again Joe has been off climbing Mt Kilimanjaro with the Prime Minister’s wife and, with all due respect to Joe, to whom I’ve warmed somewhat of late, Helen Coonan managed to act in his job with no-nonsense competence. Maybe the Liberals’ other Eastern Suburbs member might start polishing her resume too. It’s all a bit like the ‘80s isn’t it? The first Howard leadership, when Andrew Peacock, John Elliott, Joh Bjelke-Petersen and pretty much anyone else with a passing interest in politics was mooted as a possible leader. Or like Labor earlier this decade, when Bob Carr, Peter Beattie and any Labor premier who could trounce a hopelessly inept Liberal Opposition were considered a goer to “move to Canberra”. Good luck to any Liberal MPs — and party sources say there’s only a tiny number and they’re not taken seriously – who think they can knock off Turnbull and install Robb, Abbott, Mal (or Rob) Brough, or anyone else. Turnbull never gave up anything without a fight and in fact appears to prefer fighting to pretty much anything else. And he knows his party has a bad record of removing leaders who don’t want to go. Turnbull might have other flaws, but lack of ticker ain’t one of them. But after Monday night’s Australian Story, there could be a solution for everyone. One of the most interesting aspects of that program — apart from Tony Barry having to check the meaning of “concocted”, and the ever-so-faintly creepy moment of Turnbull touching the cairn where his father is buried – is the clear impression it’s Lucy Turnbull, not Chris Kenny, who is Turnbull’s chief of staff. Lucy, having achieved the top political job in her chosen realm of Sydney council politics, has more political experience, and a longer Liberal Party lineage, than her husband. She also appears to be at a loose end. One assumes Thérèse Rein doesn’t hang around her husband’s office asking him to run speech drafts by her, given she has a business to run. Lucy, having been inordinately successful in business, would appear to be available to help out in a more formal way. The solution is simple. Lucy replaces Malcolm in Wentworth and she seizes the leadership of the party. As with most political spouses with the exception of Janette Howard, the instinctive reaction of most Australians will be that they far prefer her to her husband. On current form it might be the closest Malcolm gets to the Prime Ministership. |
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25 Comments
Seems to me Robb is the Simon Crean of the Liberal party. Intelligent, smart on policy, good thinker but zero chance of connecting with the voters. Both would be good leaders if it wasn’t such a damn popularity contest!
We saw three Turnbulls in the oz story
The brains of the operation has to be the missing
broomstick rider ….yeeha
No one with any sense in the coalition would want to contest the next election. The one after might be of interest.
BRUNO BOUCHET: You are correct of course. The nearest description to what the electorate perceive as a goer I can arrive at, is the lovely 1920’s word ‘IT’. Some people have got ‘it’ and some don’t. Kym Beazley didn’t have it, nor does Crean, Andrew Robb or Bob Brown. Hawke had it in spades.
Precisely what that ‘it’ word means is uncertain, potential star quality perhaps? Julia Gillard has got it so has Senator Faulkner. Tony Abbott has got it-in a very slimy way-IMHO Malcolm the mad hasn’t got it, he’s not well formed. Anyway you get my drift.
Lucy Turnbull’s creds are sus to begin with. She married Malcolm didn’t she?
How much contact has Godwin Grech had with Peter Costello? Does GG know how the Karl Rove reverse smear works? Did he know Costello aka HMV was bailing out of leadership contention ahead of time?
Just wondering.
Tom, time to apply Occam’s Razor.
Venise, “it” may be the opposite to Rundle’s “not a good bloke” concept from his article the other day. They are certainly mutally exclusive anyway…
I had put Robb in the Minchin-Tuckey-Reith camp of “Liberals I love to hate” until I was persuaded he actually isn’t evil enough to fit in that category by…..(now occasional) Crikey comment-writer JamesK. I think it’s one of few occasions I’ve changed an opionion based on JamesK’s view. Robb probably is the Simon Crean of the Liberal Party - Bruno has hit the proverbial nail.
Venise, Beazley didn’t have quite enough of IT but he did have some. Keating seemed not to have IT until he retired from politics, at which point it became clear that he did in fact have nearly as much of IT as Hawkey had.
Tom may have a point. If GG really has been “assisting” the libs for some time including the previous government then it is hard to believe Costello did not at least know of him and his activities. Peter may have also concluded that he was a fruit loop.
I think the problem with this theory, is that PC would not have been in the loop when the latest machinations were going on. Again it gets back to MT’s responsiblity in that he wanted to run this himself. Having done that when it blew up he could not distance himself from the blast zone. He is consequently mortally wounded.
I just love these metaphors.
So Sen Feilding has announced he will now support an enquiry into Turnbull and Abetz deeds.. About time the man saw daylight. But what on earth was he doing trying to contact GG in his room at the phsyciatric wing in Canberra Hospital. Not once but 3 times according to the ABC this afternoon. Perhaps he wants to grill the informer to take ammunition to the Committee and announce breaking news to waiting throng. Gasp is there no end to this mans talent. Perhaps he holds a secret desire to attain greatness and wanted to ask GG how to go about it. But one should be grateful the Govt now doesnt need the Coalitions support for the Senate Priveledges Committeeto to ask those questions of Malcolm the Mad and Betz the Brainless, they have refused to answer thus far. Go get em Feildo.
If Robb is the answer then they are seriously asking the wrong question.
BK -? Lucy Bullturd = Hyacinth Howard?
Venise - ? Faulkner? Clark Kent without the charisma?
The tories know, like the undead thatcerhites of the 90s, that they’re in for the long, hard slog of at least two or more terms in Opposition, why waste (what passes for) talent in the remnants of an etiolated & inbred gene pool?
Of course, sensible people, with principles, would use the wilderness years to formulate ideas & ‘that there vison thang..’ but we ARE talking about Born to Rulers, who disdain such hand sullying nonsense as meeting hoi polloi half way.
RAYMOND CHURCH: Fielding couldn’t find a mushroom in a pile of cowsh-t.
Robb is a competant, calm, methodical and boring nerd. There’s no way the Australian voters would put someone like that in the Lodge. Oh, hang on…..
DAVID LIBERTS: The sound you hear is my fist hitting my forehead in disgust. Of course Paul Keating had ‘it’. More than any other politician I can think of. He had the lot, brains good body good looks and repartee like a golden bullet. I stand rebuked David. Well done!
Robb is a dud. He’s dumb, boring and has as much personality as my washing machine - at least it’s functional! Gee, they’re really desperate aren’t they?Still, I suppose if you go as low as to keep Howard on because you don’t have the guts to challenge him - you deserve what comes after? I’m enjoying it immensely! I suppose one thing to be thankful for - we won’t have to put up with Minchin as Opposition Leader - unless he changes Houses!Whew! That’s a relief! I can’t stand him almost as much as I can’t stand Abbott! They both make me cringe!
LIZ45: Don’t laugh too soon. Way back when the late John Gorton became PM He was a Senator before he got drafted. Cheers
I totally agree with the Crean analogy and see no point in changing the leadership. Its all swings and roundabouts and Rudd cannot sustain the record level of popularity, Turnbull just needs to tread water for a little bit.
I just finished watching Q&A and to me it was clear that Turnbull has IT and is the man to lead the Coalition to the next election. I must say that Julia Gillard appeared to be quite intimidated by Turnbull towards the end of the show… she actually looked quite awkward.
As for Hawke having IT, I think you are right - he did have it in bucket loads. Not totally sure about Keating, he was one of the worst leaders we have had and was duly voted out - we must be the only developed country in the world to have a dud PM who never even finished high school!!!
Beau Simmons”we must be the only developed country in the world to have a dud PM who never even finished high school!!!” My mate finished his formal schooling at aged 12. His general knowledge is limitless; he can do a crossword quicker than anyone I know; represented his Union overseas at Labor Conferences; made a life member of his Union too. My late father, who’d be a ‘young bloke’ of 105 finished his formal schooling at 12; studied and worked his way to a top job - so formal education is only part of a person’s abilities.
I wonder what would’ve transpired with a Keating Government after his famous speech at Redfern? I’d like to think that things would be different now, but?
VENISE - Don’t say that? Yuk! I may have to switch the TV off if Minchin was Opposition Leader! He with Abbott as his deputy? Oh no! Cheers!
I see Robb as a great alternative to Turnbull as long as Maureen doesn’t develop the matriarchal traits of Janette and Lucy. It all fell into place during Australian Story as Lucy domineered her husband’s workplace and clearly the home. Malcolm’s one of those guys who needs a Godwin or Lucy by his side to manufacture the bullets he fires. And when he shoots himself in the foot it’s someone elses fault.
I think you hit the nail on the head Christine Johnson - Lucy has far too much power and the Malcolm Turnbull everyone thinks they are voting for is actually standing in the background.
Labor would be hoping that Turnbull remains in the leadership role until the next election as Labor will win, easily! The Greens will be the biggest winners in the senate along with independents.
Liberal only have one chance - convince Costello to lead the party - even on bended knee and begging if that would help - I doubt it, but that is their only chance
Bring back Malcolm… Not Turnbull, but Fraser!
;^)
LIZ45: Shudder, shudder.
CHRIS: A sagacious comment, if I may say so.
Cheers
Venise
PS: Hope they don’t get too stressed, or they could even bring back John Howard.
whilst we are at it… lets bring back Gough!
I bet he is the only other PM that could spend a budget surplus quicker than Rudd!