New Malcolm puts Bill on notice

/in /by

ROADHOUSE EDITORIAL: Keep your friends close, but keep your enemies closer is an adage attributed to many people throughout history, the first being Chinese general and military strategist Sun-tzu.

Our favourite soothsayer is Michael Corleone, who uttered the phrase in The Godfather Part II, but it was no doubt spoken in hushed tones by then Prime Minister John Howard in 1999 after he had led the monarchists to victory in the Republic Referendum.

Realising the staunch republican Malcolm Turnbull was a potential political force to be reckoned with, Howard welcomed his young adversary into the family fold, to become a ‘made’ Liberal and to ensure he would not be lured into joining the Labor Party, which then, as now, was in search of a credible, charismatic figurehead.

History tells us that not too many of his new chums felt as familial towards Turnbull, but as Howard’s ‘captain’s pick’ he quickly rose up the party ranks.

When his political Godfather received his marching orders from the voting public, Turnbull didn’t waste too much time moving in behind the big desk. 

However, despite a four vote margin ascending him to the Party’s leadership over Brendan Nelson’s earing in 2008, Turnbull famously lost the position by the smallest of margins to Tony Abbott in 2009.

PM KRudd wanted an Emissions Trading Scheme, the people wanted an ETS, and Turnbull was prepared to negotiate.

The party said, ‘No’.

With his tail between his legs, Turnbull threatened to walk away, but worried he may just stray into enemy ranks, Howard once again convinced him to stay.

As Liberal as he claimed to be then, and claims to be now, Turnbull struggled to convince the ‘Dad’s Army’ element of his party that he is the real deal.

But, as it has transpired he eventually became the only show in town and as the crowds began to wane at the Tony Abbott revivalist tent, the line for tickets at Turnbull’s, ‘Advocacy, Not Slogans’ tent began snaking around the corner.

So it is that the leader of Australia’s conservative party is not as conservative as most conservatives would like, and although this time he has increased his winning margin into double figures he still needs to watch his back.

As far as opposition goes, Labor leader Bill Shorten, who was having a dream run against Abbott, now has to really stand up and prove he has what it takes.

Abbott may have relied on three-word slogans, but Shortens ‘zingers’, which only gained notoriety through their own mediocrity, will now have to bear some substance if the Labor Party is to hold any of the ground it has made since the last election.

All of a sudden the Canning By-Election, which was to be a litmus test of Abbott’s leadership really doesn’t mean much for the Liberals.

The same can’t be said for the opposition.

What was shaping up to be an even, almost winnable, race for Labor, will now be a fait-accompli for the Libs, leaving Shorten with literally nothing to zing about.