The Sportingbet odds between Malcolm Turnbull and Joe Hockey leading the Libs to the next Federal Election have narrowed today, with Turnbull moving up to $2.25 from $2.00, while Hockey sits on $2.35. Paying out at $4.25, Tony Abbott might just be worth a tipple.
Tony Abbott 
Coalition at war
The Coalition has descended into new levels of chaos over emissions trading, with a pack of 17 rebels getting behind Senator Nick Minchin as he slammed the scheme in Parliament yesterday, and even Tony Abbott now reneging his support.
Crikey Says: A late scratching for Abbott
Eleven people are missing, perhaps lost at sea, off the Cocos Islands. One is confirmed dead. Who does Tony Abbott choose to blame?
Abbott: Rudd is crueler than Howard
Tony Abbott labelled Kevin Rudd a “hypocrite” on the ABC’s Lateline last night for criticising the Howard government’s Pacific Solution policies on asylum seekers, while subjecting the latest wave of boat people to even tougher conditions in Indonesian prisons.
Rundle: Libs try to put on a humane, human face; fail
The Liberal Party has now cottoned on to the fact that Australians don’t like seeing asylum seekers brutsalised on their watch, and has tried to make it a campaigning point. But it’s like Martians trying to work out how the humans think, says Guy Rundle.
The real Battlelines: putting the small ‘l’ back in Liberals
Liberal Senator George Brandis has let fly at his party, saying that for John Howard, the Libs were more conservative than liberal. Glenn Milne reports on the battle of ideas plaguing the Liberal Party.
Abbott: Rudd must choose between Mr Nice Guy and Mr Tough Guy
Kevin Rudd can’t be both “hardline and humane” on asylum seekers, says Tony Abbott. If he really wants to deter a flood of boat people, he must back his tought words up with tough actions — or prepare for a peaceful invasion.
Two-faced Tony Abbott
MP Tony Abbott says the Coalition need to negotiate with Labor on the ETS. But, he also is happy to criticise climate change evidence. Why is he playing John Howard’s old games?
Shanahan: Turnbull isn’t the problem, says Abbott
Joe Hockey won’t challenge for the Liberal leadership until after the election, but he’ll take it on if Malcolm Turnbull steps aside. But Tony Abbott points out that Turnbull’s just become a scapegoat, writes Dennis Shanahan.
Mungo MacCallum: Turnbull caught between a brainsnap and the cavemen
Finding himself surrounded once again by drongos and knuckle-draggers, Malcolm Turnbull decided to crash through or crash. But the messy Libs climate change situation is not totally without hope.
The next leader of the Liberal Party will be…
Who will be the next Liberal Prime Minister? Malcolm Turnbull is almost certain to lose the next election, yet Joe Hockey is too bumbling and Tony Abbott too Catholic, says Rob Chalmbers.
Crabb: Is the Coalition a bunch of union bigwigs?
The Opposition is like a “crumbly old trade union”, writes Annabel Crabb. The evidence? Tony Abbott declared an industrial dispute on Question Time and threatened to strike.
Putting the pop into population: Swan’s on the job
Australia keeps getting the sort of problems that other countries would pay good money to enjoy. Like, a far more rapidly growing population than previous Treasury estimates!
Crikey Says: Abbott’s Question Time antics
Yesterday Tony Abbott was booted from Question Time. Today he’s threatened that the Opposition might boycott it. His dummy-spit is particularly egregious as a senior member and, better yet, Leader of the House.
VIDEO: Keating the reason we’ve avoided recession, says Abbott
The fight to take responsibility for Australia’s good economic fortune continues. In today’s Australian, John Howard tells off Kevin Rudd for his bipartisanship on the issue. Here, Tony Abbott credits Paul Keating … and Howard’s support role.
Political snippets: A NSW premier’s first anniversary
It’s nearly Nathan Rees’ one year anniversary as NSW Premier, and the sniping continues. Plus, will Malcolm Turnbull continue to allow Tony Abbott to be an oracle about everything and everyone?
The Nelson diagnosis: does Turnbull suffer from narcissistic personality disorder?
Brendan Nelson has diagnosed the leader of his Liberal Party, Malcolm Turnbull with narcissistic personality disorder. Crikey asked personality disorder expert Professor Henry Jackson if the diagnosis is accurate.
Pollies: please just answer the question
Politicians are experts at ignoring questions and spinning answers to their own agenda. It irritates journalists, and more importantly, frustrates voters, writes Leigh Sales.
Abbott no fan of change, just marriage
Tony Abbott’s conservative manifesto Battlelines fails to address a key issue — that institutions need to change with society. Change isn’t always a bad thing, writes David Hetherington.
Bob Ellis: Tony Abbott and me
Bob Ellis muses on Tony Abbott — the man who might be leader — and his new autobiography, Battlelines. He writes very well, but is ultimately just “one more woolly Howardite denialist.”
