Nelson shouldn’t leave alone
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Brendan Nelson did the right thing by his party last year when he called a partyroom spill in an effort to end the constant speculation about his leadership. He was effective in that regard, since after that there was no Nelson leadership about which to speculate. But that’s politics, and at least he went down fighting. Quitting early and calling a by-election is a parting gift to Malcolm Turnbull, who never accepted Nelson as leader and never hid that fact. But there are plenty of other Liberals who should follow Nelson’s example and determine that, if they’re not going to make a contribution any more, they should give up their seat for someone who will. In fact there are a couple not too far away from Bradfield on Sydney’s North Shore. Bronwyn Bishop, an embarrassing relic of the early nineties, is one. Phillip Ruddock, whose entire contribution to public life since the 2007 election has been to suggest Rebiya Kadeer should not have been allowed in the country (she’s lucky he didn’t want her sent to Nauru) is another. Go further afield and there’s plenty more. Wilson Tuckey will be challenged at the next election by a National who will carry the hopes of all three major parties. Joanna Gash remains unknown after 13 years in Parliament. Julian McGauran offers nothing except the occasional injection of pastoralist cash. Pat Farmer is an almost certain loser. If the next election goes the way current polls suggests, safe seats will be crucial to preserving a base of talent within the Liberal Party that can prosper as the Rudd Government ages. Wasting them on duds like Bishop, Tuckey and Ruddock is criminal. As for Nelson, he was over-emotional and out of his depth as Opposition Leader, but he was decent and gutsy and understood that his important task was to start moving the party on from the Howard years. He served the Liberals well. |
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8 Comments
“… but he was decent and gutsy and understood that his important task was to start moving the party on from the Howard years. He served the Liberals well.”
Very true. But most importantly he gave us lots of laughs while doing it. Farewell, Dr Brendan (did you know he was a doctor?) Nelson.
Any chance of him having a crack at Labor pre-selection? He has before!
Yes, there is a lot of dead wood in coalition ranks that should be cleaned out. However, the polls indicate that should they all leave before the next election, thus forcing by-elections, the swing will be against them, thereby further weakening Turnbull.
Which doesn’t really concern me, to be honest.
It appears as if Malcolm the Mad is going to hang on to the bitter end. This being the case, there could be even more of them leaving their well-feathered nest.
If nothing else, Dr Nelson is retiring with some dignity intact. A remarkable rarity in the Coalition parties.
The day the Liberal Party take political advice from Crikey is the day I eat my hat - nonetheless keep proferring your left wing opinions and preaching to the converted
I won’t share in the general commendation of Brendan Nelson. He was elected to serve the people of Bradfield for a full parliamentary term. But now he’s, what, bored? Bored with the drudgery of serving his constituents? Bitter at losing the extra salary due to an opposition front bencher?
Having stated that he wouldn’t be re-contesting his seat, how can retiring now, and forcing the expense of a by-election on his party and taxpayers, be any more dignified than bowing out when Parliament is prorogued?
I agree, Gianni. It shows the most appalling selfishness and arrogance to act in this manner.
Brendan Nelson stood for election as the Liberal Party candidate for Bradfield. Effectively, he was saying to his electorate, this is who I am, this is what I stand for: Vote for me, and I’ll represent your interests in the National Parliament, for one parliamentary term.
By - elections are expensive and detract from more important political issues. As far as I’m concerned the only justification for a by - election is where the elected representative becomes unable to serve due to death, ill health or compassionate grounds, or in the (rare) event that their moral conscience makes them unable to remain a member of the same political party. In the latter event, by the way, unlike the churlish Vince Catania, the only decent route is to resign from parliament and stand again in a by election as a representative for one’s new party. It is a total betrayal of one’s electorate, even greater than Dr. Nelson’s, to either change parties or switch to independant status, in the middle of a term. If the electors wanted a representative of a different party, they would have voted for one!
Dr. Nelsons comments that he is leaving “for the good of the Liberal Party” so that someone can take his place who has the energy and committment to fulfill the role of elected representative, can take his place, is pathetic and rude. The good of the Liberal Party should come a very distant second to the interests of the voters of his electorate. He is betraying his electorate. He asked for their vote. They placed their trust in him by conferring on him the responsibility to represent them for 4 years. Now he couldn’t be bothered any more, and stuff the electors, he wants to make sure the Liberal Party is looked after.
The icing on the cake is that Brendan Nelson appears to have bided his time until the perfect private sector job landed in his lap. So he has been willing to do stuff all to represent his electorate for the last year, while taking a fat taxpayer funded salary, with no enthusiasm and nothing to offer, by his own admission, until a better offer came along. The dignified thing to do would have been to continue to dutifully and attentively work in the interests of his electorate, until the next Federal Election. A very poor performance (but still better than this contemptible departure) would have been to leave as soon as he realised he didn’t care anymore. Instead we have a breathtaking display of self centred, opportunistic immaturity. What is all this talk of a dignified departure? I see only a sly, self serving disrespect for the electors he purported to represent.
Well, by all that’s logical, Turnbull should be next cab off the rank into political oblivion.
He has a life, which is much more than many of his colleagues possess.
He has money, more than nyone could ever need, so he trot off into the sunset and enjoy himself.
He owes the Liberals nothing. Since he’s been leader (and before that) a significant section of the Party has been white-anting him mercilessly. Most of them wish they had someone else as leader. Some still hanker after Costello, for God’s sake!
If I was Malcolm I’d bid a cheery goodbye, tell them “Sucks to you, boys and girls,” and drift off to Tuscany or Paris with Lucy.
Turnbull has a reputation for dogged determination in the face of overwhelming odds etc. etc., never saying “Die” and so on, but there are limits. He’s going to lose the next election anyway, no hope of winning at all, and then he’ll be a goner, so why delay the inevitable? He should let someone else, some other patsy, take the fall.
Half his luck. If I was him, with his money, I’d be outa there like a shot. It’s not like there’s any particular shame to it: Downer, Costello, Vaile and now Nelson have upped stakes. Only Howard believes (mistakenly) that he’s still relevant. Why should Malcolm hang about like a spare prick at a wedding, when they don’t want him anyway? Ungrateful sods! Let the Party look after its own internal divisions, hatred, jealousies and Howard hankerings. It’d serve them right.
Better than beating your head against a brick wall. And good when it stops, too.