A load of waffle. Turnbull is too far to the left, and he was punished for it. That's all there is to it. If the Coalition doesn't get rid of him quick smart, they will disappear along with him.

Alan B. I agree there's been opportunism on both sides this election. Just look to the inadequate policies on superannuation concessions - which Richard Denniss anticipated would soon cost $50 billion a year. People want to believe they can have both tax cuts and universal health care without any need for compromise. Or they think Govt should lay the boot into welfare-dependent - that is, until something happens to a loved one or to themselves. (eg: accident, mental illness, retrenchment) We have very small government by OECD standards. But aiming to increase social expenditure and investment by 5% of GDP a year - arrived at over 10 years - would make an enormous difference. While still leaving us well short of a welfare state of Nordic proportions. Unfortunately what we're left with is 'convergence politics'. Yes Shorten broke out when it came to negative gearing, capital gains tax concessions, company tax cuts - and he defended Medicare. But express it in terms of what the policies add up to as a proportion of GDP - and there's still a lot of 'convergence'. This election was a step forward for Labor - but Labor needs to 'build momentum' and start campaigning for real change sooner and not later. Labor doesn't want to be caught out and have to make 'root and branch compromises' net election like occurred during this election.

And now the Rightwinger nasties (Dutton, Andrews, Bernardi) will rise after the discreditable Turnbull result . That lot will unashameably service the interests of the Big End of town. Abbott's hateful mischief on the edges.

Ironicly Harbourside Turnbull is squarely Big End of Town himself, but with a centrist facade.

Austerity cuts for the poor

Tax loophole "financial prudence" and middle class welfare for the rich.

The rise of the Coalition rightwingers will ruin the LNP brand over the next three years, making many suffer.

Silver lining is that it will be easier for Labor (probably under Shorten) to clean sweep in the 2019 Election.

plantagenet,

Agreed, you're probably correct. Many voters won't get the message until their McMansions are worth half their mortgages and they're bankrupted by medical bills.
The worst outcome for any Coalition government is to gain control of the Senate, then the gloves are off and the neoliberal ideologues will intensify the class war, they just can't resist even though it's counterproductive to to the chances of reelection. Howard and the toxic Work Choices legislation is a good example.

Big problems for the new parliament trying to position the various
parties and the reality of our financial difficulties.
I think a change is presently taking place in the mantra of pay the debt off.
A realisation, as in the US, that we cannot and will never pay off the debt.

So there will be little real talk of cutting spending, the voters
will not accept cutbacks anyway.
That being the case the government might as well just borrow whatever
money it needs.
The government can adopt the US technique of just issuing pixel money.

I suspect a "wink & a nod, say no more", between Labour & Liberal that
we are in for a big financial crash not too far away so we might as
well go out with a bang and S & P's opinions of Australia will not
matter anyway as no one will be paying off debt or interest.

The truth is Tristan that socialist are proven in this country to be economic vandals. They hide behind the compassionate banner while promising what they know is impossioble to deliver. You obviousy ignore what the welfare state has done to the Indigeneous of the land. You guys are quick to use the genocide word and yet nothing has contributed more the death of Indigeneous than the welfare state. You know that education, health and disability services will never ever have enough cash especially in the eyes of greedy unionist and Government employees who never get enough. One day you will wake up to the fact that making false promises is straight out lying. Pretending you are more compassionate than greedy Christians on the right is a bare face lie.