Malcolm Turnbull is certainly going to great lengths to hype his unfunded, undetailed Snowy Hydro feasibility study, conducting a round of media interviews to spruik it. We note, by way of comparison, that the high-speed rail proposal — of which Crikey‘s own Bernard Keane is such a huge fan — is now into its ninth year of feasibility studies, scoping studies and corridor selection (that’s the current iteration — there have been previous iterations since the 1990s). But while we may be sceptical that a single watt will ever be generated from Turnbull’s media release, what we’re sure about is the timing: there’ll be a Newspoll out early next week as Parliament resumes, and another poll like the last one will immediately set leadership hares running. So the Turnbull brains trust is clearly hoping a bit of green vision will boost the government’s numbers and Turnbull’s personal ratings. Still, who knows — maybe Tony Abbott will repeat his Newspoll-wrecking performance of two weeks ago with another helpful intervention. Time enough if good enough …
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Nah, what it will be is the excuse Rear Admiral Morrison and Dutton Muttonhead have been waiting for to finally put The Turngobble to the sword. It will be justified on account of The Turngobble’s unconscionable embrace of a communist/socialist/nationalised thingummy wot were the brainchild of a communist/socialist/Labor prime minister, all the worse for the plot having been hatched 70 years ago and thereby proof of the existence of communist/socialist/Russian bad folk deep-cover sleepers disguised as yaks in the NSW Parks and Wildlife Service.
Key words:
“hype”
“unfunded”
“undetailed”