RobP
This possibility was humourously put to Turnbull on one epsisode of Q&A recently but he refuted the possibility - although not too vigorously if I remember correctly. Certainly his political leanings appear to suit either side of politics given the ALP's rush to the Centre and the Coalitions rush towards the Right, particularly on economic policy.

One sometimes wonders if some members of the ALP should swap camps - Craig Emerson and Chris Bowen spring to mind.

In these days where the differene is negligible loyalty except for a few diehards is probably not as relevant - one amorphous jellylike mass really.

Rudd will welcome Turnbull to the Labor party after the next election win by Labor, and by the election after that Turnbull will be leader of the Labour party opposing Peter Costello as coalition leader.

Well, if only politics would be that interesting.

For this election all I can hope for is another Tampa type issue, with the Rudd government showering itself in as much glory as the Howard government did.

Hockey looks too much like the Aussie Home Loans guy, and everyone knows from bitter experience that fat jovial nice guys don't get elected.

At the end of it all, Foxy will still not realise that Rudd is every bit the same cynical politician as Howard.

Pelican

I agree with much of your analysis; Labor to be returned with reduced majority. Abbott to resign after losing the election (I live in a state of eternal hope). The Greens to more fully replace the Democrats in keeping the bastards honest and gain seats.

Turnbull? Interesting, intelligent man who lost a great deal of favour with the Gordon Grech affair, however if he can learn from his mistakes which I believe he has. His commitment to sustainable technology is commendable, then he is not to be discounted.

Gillard has started to disappoint - too much rhetoric not enough content.

Tanner, whip-lash smart, engaging speaker - a possible contender for PM.

Rudd is working himself into early retirement, he is shrewd and cunning but pales in comparison to Howard. Did Howard EVER apologise for anything?

Australians have continued to benefit from the Howard/Costello economic management. Despite more incompetence and waste than even Gough could manage the pain won't hit for a while. I suspect the gullible Aussie public will give Mr Rudd another term. Rudd is smart enough to back off now from the exposed gw fantasy. By the end of his second term the ambitious Gillard will take over (just a prediction). The pain of the incompetence and wasteful Government will be more evident then so the electoral mood will have changed. Unlike Obama, Rudd with the help of his fans in the media(and especially the national broadcasters) will scape home. The media will continue to demonize Abbott by asking him devious questions and then mock him for his answers. These left wing nuts are to devious to ask the same of the Government. Unfortunately my children and grandchildren will be paying heaps for this Governments lack of accountability and responsibility. The Americans certainly seem to have caught on to Obama's spin much quicker than our apathetic public.

Ah, but Severin, compared to Ruddy, did Howard ever have anything to apologise about?

My prediction is, that which ever party weasels into the treasury benches, nothing much will change. Business will still have unwarranted, disproportionate, perversion powers over government and thereby, democracy .

Leadership choices? someone that can lead in the countries interests and is competent to do so, not for party power, personal aggrandisement or for minority interests.

Sadly, that precludes almost all the current parliamentary damaged crop.
If, I wasn't a humanist and concerned about the environment, I'd take a leaf from Shakespeare with a slight change.
"first, execute all the party politicians."

So there! :-)