I think the best statement I heard yesterday was

"haven't they being reading the papers? Electing a merchant banker as leader!"

Turnball wants/ed to privatise water.

Totally agree. I also was very dissappointed in the short term response to what really was no more than a media beat-up of Brendan Nelson. So what if the polls are low, what does that matter at this stage of the election cycle, but for some reason it was an open licence to hound Brendan. It would have been so much better for the government to have been allowed to waste their energy on Brendan and then bring in the new model right before the election.

I noticed the first interview with Kerry O'Brien, was very civil in contrast to the nigh on hysterical and relentless attacks on Brendan, the cutting off of his responses and derogatroy accusations. O'Brien didn't even appear to listen to Brendan, just wait long enough to get his breath and fire off the next round.

He must think himself, as do a lot of the media, kingmakers - who can form public opinion, rather than objectively report on it - in this case, I think the media is poorer for it and loses credibility.

Clearly from everything I've read and seen - the media are now content, you'd think they ran the country - now that you're all happy again, can you get back to quesitoning the GOVERNMENT on what they are doing on pensions, the economy, stroganoff (imagine if Brendan had asked for more, what a fury that would have caused!) health, education, industrial relations etc etc. What a weak job is being done of holding the incumbents to account.

Local councils are rubbish, says JBpwyer.
It's not the councils that are rubbish but the system under which they work.
Instead of abolishing the local governments, abolish the States and their governments.
Establlish local government in the Constitution, with all the powers they need to carry out their duties.
As far as sacking them and removing the local people's democratic rights for up to 3 years, sack individual councillers if they do the wrong thing. If a whole council is in the pockets of the developers, then sack them, but hold new elections as soon as possible.
What we REALLY need is a completly new constitution, written by us (the people) for us, and setting out really strict rules as to how politicians at all levels can behave.
consRmad

'Tuesday's Liberal party room vote has very likely dealt a mortal blow to Turnbull's prime ministerial ambitions.'

I dearly dearly hope so!

Yes get rid of councils, and state govt's, and make more states. The states could be run with CEO's and caretakers.
Major decisions comeing from canberra.

You failed to take account of the very strong possibility that Mr Rudd may be forced into a double dissolution long before the normal life of this parliament should end, so that Malcolm Turnbull may not be waiting too long to show his undoubted mettle.

David