Suse,

They all thought the same thing?

By "all", I presume you're referring to Gerard Henderson...(surprise, surprise!)

Here's an interesting "what if" article:

"Now consider this: what if Turnbull had pulled the election trigger late last year? Because after yet another ragged week, he's probably wishing he could hop in a time machine and do just that.

What if he had gone to the Australian people shortly after he replaced Abbott and said: "I don't want to govern without a mandate. I want your approval to take this government in a new direction."

He surely saw Gillard's experience as a cautionary tale – a woeful campaign that resulted in a hung Parliament that drove the nation nuts.

But it wouldn't have panned out like that for Turnbull.

After the past three months – marked mainly by scandal, policy paralysis, the tax debate mess and the ghost of Abbott past – the PM's honeymoon feels like a distant memory. But in 2015, his approval ratings were stratospheric and it increasingly looks as if he should have capitalised and gone to the polls then.

There would have been some practical hurdles, sure; most notably, coming up with an election platform that differentiated him from Abbott without sending the right-wing attack dogs completely crazy.

But think of the advantages. He could have gone to the people before his numbers – both personal and party – started to slide; before voters realised their expectations were unrealistic; before the attacks on his weak-kneed approach to same-sex marriage and climate change and republicanism started to bite; before the Mal Brough, Jamie Briggs, Stuart Robert and Arthur Sinodinos affairs; before the conservative cabal started feeling emboldened; and before Abbott started making real trouble.

He could have avoided the tax debate, which seems to have done little but hand his opponents ammunition. He could also have avoided the Herculean task of crafting an election-year budget with no money."

etc...

http://www.theage.com.au/comment/if-malcolm-turnbull-could-turn-back-time-20160401-gnw4sz.html#ixzz44jQLoQt

Yes Poirot, Malcolm had all the loony left on side. All hoping Turnbull would run a good nice efficient lefty government, as Labor has proved it can not. Granted that is what he wants, but he now knows that the real people, in increasing numbers will not stand for any increase in waste.

All sensible people know we must cut back on many things, particularly on the very things loved by the bleeding heart left. We can no longer support millions of useless mouths, local or imported, who have proven they will not do anything for themselves if they can possibly avoid it.

Turnbull will try, is every deceitful sneaky way he can, but the party will stop him. He will succeed of course, if elected, in preventing anything useful actually being achieved.

Could he win, possibly, but we had better pray he does not.

Foxy, I read that article you suggested on Turnbull's tax suggestions. I can certainly see merit in what he is suggesting, but I understand why the State governments don't want to do it! They wouldn't be able to blame the Federal Government anymore if they ran out of money.

Poirot, there is no point looking back at what-ifs as far as Turnbull's Government goes, we must look to the future. As long as it is a future without Abbott and his apostles, I will be fairly happy.
I remain certain the Coalition will win the election, so you had better prepare for that. Labor will need a new leader to try out their luck at the election after next.

Hasbeen, I can't see why you keep going on about 'loony-left", lefties" and "leftists" when you are also ranting about the current Coalition PM. We all know Malcolm will have to toe the conservative line most of the time, to appease his more "rabid right" colleagues who are still sobbing about the holy Abbott's demise.

Exactly who are you going to vote for in the coming election then, if not for your originally beloved Liberals? Or will you be among the intellectually challenged voters who do a 'donkey' vote or, worse still, go for one of the many Australian moron parties - like the 'Rise Up Australia Party', 'Katter's Australia Party, or the 'Christian Democrats Party'?

What a surreal thread!

I've got Foxy telling me that Mal needs to be given more time to show his moderate side, which will somehow magically appear at a date to be announced - presumably once he romps home in an election won on the back of his former reputation as a moderate..

Suse has a foot in both camps, saying something similar while simultaneously backing Mal's brain snaps.

Shadow Minister is still using the script he had in 2010.

And Hasbeen hates Turnbull so much, he's ignoring all of Mal's far right-wing appeasement so far - and plumping for him to be defeated.

It's kinda entertaining!

It is always interesting to read the different opinions
on this forum. We can learn so much from them, especially
if we keep an open mind.

I think its unrealistic for Mr Turnbull to make any
big announcements on policy shifts. The dead wood has
to be removed first. We should have a clearer idea of
his "leadership style" further this year. At the moment
he's still in a "consultative" phase which he said he
would be. And he's kept his word. The states refused his
tax reform suggestion. He accepted their decision and it's
off the table. He was simply doing his job. As he said,
"It's my job to lead reform, to push the envelop."

http://www.abc.net.au/insiders/content/2015/54436264.htm

cont'd ...

Sorry for my typo.

Here's the correct link:

http://www.abc.net.au/insiders/content/2015/s4436264.htm