Turnbull is failing his party on every front
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There’s something cruelly apposite about a teenager’s round-the-world solo yacht attempt coming to grief, and the side of another boat, hours in — and Malcolm Turnbull’s furious reaction to Kevin 27’s somewhat partisan take on history at the launch of Paul Kelly’s new book The Parade of Obviousness (or something). Of course Krudd was taking the piss. Book launches are a chance to get up peoples’ noses, a licence to annoy. Turnbull should have turned it into a joke about the PM’s lack of an off-switch, his inability to think in any way other than the partisan. Instead, the remarks about a “communist party general secretary” are pure epic fail/own goal/shipping accident. No-one under 45 has much memory of senescent communism — Andropov and Chernenko were gone by ‘85, and Gorbachev resembled a smooth western politician — and the only one still around, Kim Jong-Il, was skewered by Team America: World Police (“ronely, I am so ronely …”) years ago. And anyone who actually does remember the comrades knows that the comparison has no real heft. Either way it doesn’t work. It is so obviously a wrong note that you’d think Turnbull was, well, an American conservative. Is this the worst Australian Opposition Leader evuh? He is certainly in the running. He is failing his party on every front. He lacks the skills and appetites to lead an intellectual renovation of Australian liberalism/conservatism, his strategic leadership has been obscure, and his tactical moves have been blunderful to watch. He gets nothing right, and everything wrong. He has the least aptitude for frontline politics of anyone in recent memory. He is the proverbial leader of Winston Churchill’s mantra on Tory supremos (“if he is a drunk he must be propped up, a philanderer covered up for, etc etc … if he is no good he must be poleaxed”). Politically, he is a teenager adrift, finding that what looked easy, what he was desperate to get out of the harbour to do, has hidden difficulties related to the presence of other, more considerable vessels It should be obvious to anyone with a skerrick of political nous that the culture/history/whatever wars, whatever usefulness they once had — and it was once very considerable — are, well, dead in the water. John Howard used them to give him a narrative after Dolly Downer — the man Turnbull is eclipsing with anti-talent — had gone to his epic fail, and they helped construct Keating as an elitist who fiddled with history while Roma burned. For years after that, they assisted with a certain type of branding. Indeed for a few years we couldn’t really tell how much they mattered — was Howard’s refusal to apologise to aborigines and other such stuff really shifting conservative suburban votes — votes that would other otherwise go to Labor? We’ll never know. What we know is that none of it mattered once Howard tampered with the IR system. Labor could have proposed compulsory ecstasy in schools and a war crimes trial for Keith Windschuttle and no one would have given a rats’. If Turnbull really can’t see that there is no front to be opened here — that he has to facilitate the reinvention of a positive Liberal message in the years before the economy starts to grind the gears, and a neoliberal narrative starts to find appeal again — then he’s just gotta go. It’s great fun to watch, but ultimately it’s just messing about in boats — or sinking ships. |
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25 Comments
Was good, very good
Like Keating’s comment on Hewson:
Hewson: I ask the Prime Minister: if you are so confident about your view of Fightback, why will you not call an early election?
Keating: The answer is, mate, because I want to do you slowly.
Excellent article Guy, I have no idea what it meant, but enjoyed it very much.
You are so on the money with the IR argument Guy. I know several blue collar workers who hated Keating and voted for Howard non-stop especially when they felt he was stopping refugees. But their not in Unions and they had come to expect that the government would protect their working conditions. They got a real wake up call when Howard brought in Workchoices.
Rudd could start advertising for refugees. He could send the Navy to pick up asylum seekers waiting in Thailand and Indonesia and drop them off at Circular Quay with Centrelink Officers to sign them up for welfare straight away, and these guys still wouldn’t risk putting the coalition back into government. Howard and friends put a hole in their battler vote that the coalition may never recover from.
Can’t edit and didn’t proof read before posting, but that should obviously have been “they’re not in Unions” not “their”.
“No-one under 45 has much memory of senescent communism”? I’m under 40 and still remember Brezhnev quite well.
Of course there is the possibility I am somewhat unusual, in which case, fair point.
JOS CULL - Good! I personally know of at least one bloke who was treated appallingly by his boss - unfair dismissal (wanted more casuals - so first permanent on got the sack)and he had to fight to get monies he was entitled to. What made it worse, was that his wife had cancer(since died, sadly)and this bastard knew it! I’ve heard of horrific stories of financial and work ‘rules’ abuses. Men told not to come back to work if they were taking their partner to hospital to give birth, or a threatened miscarriage etc. Just revolting practices that in another time would just not happen. Young people forced to make up the ‘float’ in their ‘waitress’ jobs, and not being paid until they had a certain number of customers, even though it could be 40 minutes or more after their starting time. Just appalling! And this is just a sample of situations!
The Coalition deserved to be thrown out, and if they continue with this line of attitude on this issue and asylum seekers etc, they deserve to lose more members at the next election too! Bunch of bastards, shoring up extra benefits/ dollars etc for themselves, while screwing wage and salary workers. I think we need to get past the 2 major parties when discussing future govts, and start thinking of minor parties and Independents. I hope there is a double dissolution, then we can get rid of more of the conservatives in the Senate too! If Turnbull won the next election, the actions required re global warming wouldn’t happen either - he can’t stand up to the far right now, so he’d have no hope then. I don’t want the repercussions of that for my grand kids, or any one else’s either!
Liz don’t think you need to worry about the Libs getting back into Govt in the forseeable future. Turnbull is politically road kill and he surrounded by decaying corpes and court jesters. Every time the likes of Pyne, Abbott, Tuckey, etc open their mouths its fodder for the Govt. Once the Senate is sorted, policy will roll.
How many s-es are there in stupid, it’s a simple word….
Or for those not used to the code, I’m referring to Turnbull’s impertinent response to Fran Kelly last week on radio national pre 8am federal politics. MT answered a question with a question about the word “narcissus” (however you spell it), which was very stupid for failing to realise the gravity of the forum.
Elsewhere he was alot more relaxed over the Nelson jibe and could afford to be, losers are so ex.
That spot was rerun in painful detail on Meet the Press the following Sunday, indicating the painful misjudgement and an echo with … Steve Fielding: A man buckling under serious (ALP inspired) pressure.
One gets the impression that Godwin has done more than just damage the polls. He’s seriously damaged Big Mal’s confidence. It’s a precarious perch after such a soaring career to date.
“his tactical moves have been blunderful to watch. “
**Gold** Guy……… Sheer gold.
Both you and the dog are in glorious form today.
Meski, I used to think I hated Paul Keating. Now I almost like him in comparison with the smug, sanctimonious Kevin Rudd. It was a disgrace that John Hewson was not elected Prime Minister. Despite articles like the one here, I still hope to see Malcolm Turnbull go on to better times and avenge what was done to John Hewson. (I don’t see John Howard as having done that because his social agenda was very different.)
Getting back to the article, I am sure that Malcolm can see that he has to facilitate the reinvention of a positive Liberal message - regardless of the economy. The problem is that some people seem to expect this process to occur virtually overnight. Major transformations do not happen that quickly. If at some stage Malcolm is no longer leader of the Liberal Party, it will be determined by the Liberal Party and the voting public, not by journalists who are determined to bring him down.
You can’t blame everything on Malcolm. Politics is a team sport, and Howard hasn’t left him with much of a team.
I fully agree Ben.
Jillian, journalists are not necessarily determined to bring him down, as you say. Contemplate for a moment whether Malcolm is seriously putting a supportable and progressive set of policies before us or whether his actions are more akin to blunderings and reactions.
He has failed to achieve any longevity in any debate and does indeed seem to be adrift in a commercial shipping lane in a small boat.
I am sure that journalists aplenty will support the conservative side of politics and their leader if/when they present a coherent policy and build on it. Until then, there is little more that a poor journo can do but to point out the inconsistencies, the failings and the utter pettiness and emptiness of the conservative side of the house’s current games.
Again, Guy - Well done!
John,
The Liberal Party has only been in opposition for less than 2 years. It takes time to develop a ‘supportable and progressive set of policies’. After all, how detailed were Rudd’s policies before the last election?
Guy Rundle seems to have a particularly intense dislike of Malcolm. I’m not sure whether it is motivated by left-wing ideology or what it is.
No offense Guy. Nothing personal. I was trying to be more diplomatic previously - so much so that John thought I was speaking of journalists in general.
Jillian,
Your lack of factual basis for your comments leaves little room for credibility. Like Malcolm.
John
How much of a factual basis is there in any of this discussion? It began with a one-off comment by Malcolm comparing Kevin Rudd to a “communist party general secretary”. Malcolm is not running a campaign on this basis. Unlike Kevin Rudd, Malcolm usually does not speak in repetitive slogans and his comments are more spontaneous.
This comment by Malcolm was taken to be a continuation of the culture/history/whatever wars. I believe that there is a very distinct difference between the way John Howard pursued ‘culture war’ issues and the way Malcolm tends not to pursue these issues.
The idea of Malcolm pursuing ‘culture war’ issues led on to a suggestion that Malcolm might have to go. This is what annoyed me - I thought there was no justification for saying it.
Jillian all this Malcolm, Malcolm, Malcolm, perchance you dream? I suspect you unwittingly blew your own arguement with your comment… “Malcolm usually does not speak in repetitive slogans and his comments are more spontaneous”. Thats part of dear Malcolm’s problem(s)he doesnt think before opening the yapper. It may have been ok along with his hell, fire and brimstome courtroom approach in an earlier life, but in politics there are players in the opposing team just as clever and smart, if not smarter than ‘Malcolm’. While he personally may not persue cultural wars, many of his so called team do!!!! A leader decides the tactics and as the leader ‘Malcolm’ fails miserably, his foot soldiers are running round like headless chooks. One point you might well remember, it was ‘Malcolm’ who demanded the PM and Treasurer resign. This will haunt him for all his political days, it was a major stuff up. His opponents will ride him forever over it. Your loyalty is admirable,if misplaced, but I’m sure ‘Malcolm’ is grateful, he doesn’t get much from his Liberal collegues. Here’s my tip, he will never be PM. The electorate do not want him and for sure many in his own party certainly don’t.
Raymond, I always say Malcolm as the name for the federal Member here in the same way as I say Clover for state and local government (Clover Moore). The local paper, the Wentworth Courier, does it. I’m not sure how it started. The only difference is I like Malcolm and I don’t like Clover.
I like the genuineness of someone who might occasionally say something silly.
I agree some people in the Liberal parliamentary party are still thinking in terms of the Howard era and pursuing culture war issues. Malcolm has not made them stop yet but I hope things will change in due course.
I still see him as the best hope for the non-Labor side of politics, even though he has had some dramas.
Jillian,
A little ways back you had a slash at me, however I must agree with your last post. Malcolm is, indeed, the best of the current bunch on that side of the House. Unfortunately for the country and his party, he is surrounded by has-beens, wanna-bes, and misfits.
I see no chance of a winning team emerging from the mist till after a cleansing election, by which time it may well be too late for Malcolm.
It would be reassuring if he could display an ability to rein Lord Downer in - he has developed into a loose cannon of the first magnitude. If he was tamed, perhaps the rest would sit up and listen.
Just hoping…
Now, what were we discussing? Yes, Senator Fielding. Different party, altogether a different problem.
John,
I genuinely apologise for seeming to have a go at you. I was concerned that you thought I was referring to journalists in general.
Jillian, please don’t apologise to me. I deserved what I got. This is what happens during conversations, as distinct from sermons and lectures. Crikey has provided a forum on which extremely diverse opinions and skill levels are displayed and I very much like the openness.
Be nice to Malcolm. He did once live in a two bedroom flat, after all.
And ‘e counted ‘imself lucky…