G'day there POIROT...

Well finally you've got your wish, Tony ABBOTT is gone. The question now remains, is Malcolm TURNBULL the one to turn around the LNP'S fortunes or is he just there to assuage his own ego, and satisfy his desire to get the top job ? An ideal he's savoured (apparently) since his University days ?

I've just heard Mr ABBOTT'S last delivery as PM where he acknowledged his defeat and undertook not to become a political 'wrecking ball', whatever that may entail ? I reckon he spoke well, lets see what others think.

I liked Tony ABBOTT, while I believe he was not a particularly good Prime Minister, nonetheless he'll probably be best remembered as a superb Opposition Leader, again that's for others to judge. I liked his character, even though many questioned his integrity. I admired his personal morality, his ethics, and his undoubted toughness.

I've no illusions that most of what I've opined herein will be utterly contradicted ? Still I've never made a claim to having any specific mastery of politics, and after all it's merely my opinion ?

My thoughts on Mr Malcolm TURNBELL, I don't trust nor like him, it's as simple as that. I'm now in a quandary, as a conservative, I've no one left to vote for, another informal vote to be cast aside. I could never vote for Mr TURNBELL, and a vote for Mr SHORTIN, unthinkable !

Dear Loudmouth,

You wrote;

“I WAS hoping for a Turnbull-Plibersek election”

Will have to admit harbouring the same wish. Oh for a contest of well articulated ideas rather than the three word slogans Abbott had perfected and Shorten had mimicked.

I think the liberal Party had finally wised up to just how much Abbott had alienated even the conservatives in the electorate. Broken promises are still broken promises whatever side of politics you were on, unfairness is easily identified and generally frowned upon whether it be budgetary or in the actions of the parliamentary speaker, and multiple bad judgement calls become an embarrassment.

The last point is probably the essence. No body wants a person they consider an embarrassment to be their leader and Tony Abbott and the far right clique who unfortunately had the reins for the last two years were an embarrassment. My wife's family are firm religious conservatives but this particular incarnation of the Coalition had lost them.

Hopefully Turnbull is able to drag the party back from the brink, to loosen the claws the far right had on the party, to indeed be a 'broad church'. What I am also be interested in is how much it will change the culture of Online Opinion forum posts. We have certainly needed the 'claws the far right' loosened here as well. It hasn't been a pleasant time for either the country nor this site but spring is in the air, the dogs are getting herded back into their kennels, and progressive and inclusive politics may be in the offing.

Hello estelles,

I don't know about your Labor hopeful, but you're about the only one here who's picked up the true mover and shaker in this game - Juliar Bishop.

Bishop could never have defeated Abbott alone, but with him moved out of the frame, it's not going to be difficult for her to roll Turnbull over the course of the next year, before the next scheduled election, assuming there isn't a double dissolution called sooner.

It's exactly the same play as Gillard used when she and Rudd rolled Mark Latham, then she later rolled Rudd. You could see it coming from day one.

Bishop just has to wait until Turnbull's lustre turns to smell within the party and hey-presto! She's the natural choice for the majority of the party and as you point out she already has the numbers.

At least Gillard's plot was original. Bishop is just playing copy-cat. It's too bad that it seems it's the only way women can get into the top job.

Anyway estelles, good call.

Hi Estelles,

You never know, that might come about :) There would be many obstacles for both of them, especially for Plibersek in the way the leader of the Labor Party is chosen, but live in hope :)

Yes, that would be something: two strong women, neither of whom has to stoop to play the victim. Hell, I might even vote again.

Joe

I guess the only thing the creators of Yes Prime Minister missed in forecasting the future of politics was to put Jim Hacker in a skirt then.

Runner "Replacing a man of character with a man of spin delights the regressives. "
By a man of character, I assume you mean a God-fearing man? How do you know what Turnbull believes in?

You must be inconsolable today Runner, with the holy Abbott shuffling off into the political wilderness like your fave pollie Gillard did? If only the Libs would also see off those other dreadfully old-fashioned good 'ol boys Kevin Andrews and Cory Bernardi.
I will really pop the champagne bottle if that happens.

I see all the other good 'ol boys from conservative lib-land on this forum preparing to chuck their dummies out of their prams today too. Not very loyal are you?

I voted for the Coalition in the last election because I have always been a Nationals supporter, with living in the rural areas of WA, but it nearly killed me doing so with Abbott ranting at it's helm. I remember thinking that he just can't stay there, because surely they will all come to their senses...and I was right.