My husband has pointed out the fact that Mr Turnbull
has always tried to maintain a balance within his
party. That's what he said he would do when he was
first elected leader of the party. He's got the ultra
conservatives on the one hand and the moderates on the
other, and he's had to try to appease both sides - and
as we know that is actually the job (or it should be)
of a democratically elected party leader.

What Mr Turnbull needs to do now is to study public opinion
and to cater to what the majority of voters expect of the
government and put in policies that will deliver the
desired agenda. Sound simple right? But as we know - not
an easy task for anyone, especially a party that needs to
re-unite and stop the infighting if it wants to win the
next election. As history has shown - disunity is a major
turn-off for voters. Labor learned that the hard way.

30 newspolls
times almost up caymal

It'll be Shorten.

Although there is a chance that, as we get closer to the election and the Libs realise they're headed for a massacre, they'll panic and install someone like Bishop in the hopes of saving the furniture. Think Rudd the second time around.

But they'll still lose.

As to voting, a vote for a minor party or independent isn't wasted. It sends messages about where your heart truly lies. But in terms of hard politics, the only real issue is which of Lib/Lab you preference higher. (this applies to all electorates except those where a independent stands a fighting chance).

So even if there's 12 candidates, the only really important decision is who you preference first out of Lib/Lab because all the others will be eliminated as preferences are distributed.

Voting for minors tells the big two where your heart really lays. Last time around I voted for one of the right of centre minor parties and then preferenced Lab over Lib. To me that sends the message that I'm a right of centre voter but am prepared to punish the Libs for abandoning that demographic. Voting, for example, Australian Conservative and then preferencing Libs means nothing and simply confirms, in their mind, what Pyne once said...that you have no other choice.

Installing Bishop would be as bad as keeping Turnbull; she was Turnbull's main ally in the backstabbing of Abbott. She is a truly nasty little piece of work.

To have a chance at re-election, the Liberals have to get rid of Turnbull, Pyne and Bishop; and in the Senate, Birmingham.

There seems to be every chance that the worst leader that Labor has ever had,with his class war and union corruption from the bad old days, will be able to form another socialist government worse than we have ever known. And you will not stop that with your sending messages about what your heart feels, mhaze. The non-Liberal/Labor 'protest' vote is getting smaller as people realise that minor parties and independents are as useful to us as tits on a bull. Do, it; waste your vote, but you will get either a Coalition government or a Labor government. There is nothing else. These nuisance candidates are easily bought, the most recent example being the bribing of Hanson to OK the big business tax reduction for a few apprentice places, which might or might not eventuate.

You would be much better off voting informally, and politely writing why your are doing so. Ah, hang on: no reason to be polite.

It will be interesting to see whether the PM can get
the company tax cuts through the Senate this week.
And how that will or will not affect his standing
with the voters.

Good luck with the voting season. I've lost my resolve for voting for awhile due to some ongoing pre-voting ugliness, and then actual post voting protests and vandalism that occured in the US. The last vote I say through these forums with regard to SSM showed that you guys might be in a simular spot as us that voting might bring out the worst in your country. I hope not, and wish ya all good luck in backing a good leader.