The Election Is Over, The Battle Begins

The election is over big sigh of relief. But the stress and worry begins. This election was never going to be easy. That said, the result is much worse than I expected but very close to what the pollsters were saying. 

We now have the recriminations, finger pointing and blame game following tight outcomes. The anti Turnbull voices are loud in their proclamations Tony Abbott would’ve romped in. Well, they don’t know that.

“The sign of intelligence is that you are constantly wondering. Idiots are always so dead sure.” 

I like to think I possess more than one grey cell. So as I sit and ponder on the wreckage that is before us, I do wonder. I wonder how different it possibly would be if Tony Abbott hadn’t been so pigheaded and made Malcolm Turnbull Treasurer. I wonder how different it might have been if the voters in 2013 hadn’t been so stupid in backing people like Palmer. If they had given Tony Abbott, a workable senate and stopped playing this game of political senate Russian roulette. I wonder what the outcome would look like if  Malcolm Turnbull had brought Tony Abbott into the fold. But, that's the past we can’t change it. All we can do is focus on now and try to influence the future outcomes. 

I am very disappointed in the Liberals campaign. Whilst some of the blame for our poor result rests on Malcolm Turnbull’s shoulders, he isn’t responsible for everything. It's obvious our inexperienced campaign team in comparison to Labor’s well seasoned and experienced attack squad were totally out-played. Wrong strategy, wrong tactics and not nimble enough. Despite what the likes of Bolt say the Medicare scare campaign resonated with the electorate. It should have been stopped dead. It wasn’t. On polling day Medicare signs were everywhere along with GetUp spreading the fear message. As one journalist said, people were already scared about health. So you can see it wouldn’t take much to scare them even more.  

I will say again, I’m not a huge fan of Malcolm Turnbull. But the personal stuff being levelled at him is nasty. I suspect a lot is tinged with a level of envy but that's the attacker’s problem not mine.  I’ve spent a lot of time trying to learn more about the man. From where I sit he's a decent bloke who has made a success of his life. He's got a lovely family who he adores and who love him. He’s been accused of disloyalty. That's debatable. Politicians first loyalty is to the voters. We’ve got to stop the personal attacks. They serve no purpose other than feeding the attackers revenge and hurting people. 

The only questions we should ask now are. (Assuming we do manage to retain government)

Is he a good Prime Minister? On current form that's questionable and, it depends on what measures we use. Using the election as the measure you’d have to say no. We may scrape in and whilst a win would be a win Turnbull’s authority is weakened.

Is he capable of leading a marginal Government and becoming a good PM. He should be. Others have in the past and I’m a believer that “when the chips are down” a person’s true skills and abilities comes to the fore. 

Calls for his sacking are ludicrous. People whinged ad nauseam over Rudd/Gillard/Rudd and then Abbott/Turnbull. Then before the ink is dry, they're screaming for another head. The party room appoints the leader. Not social media or bloggers, journo’s or radio hacks. The party room needs to do the right thing and give Turnbull the opportunity to turn this mess around. The chopping and changing has to stop. 

As for Mr Turnbull. It's OK to blame Labor's disgraceful campaign but, it's been said. Move on. You need to stand before the Australian voters and admit ‘we’ did a poor job and as leader you accept responsibility for that. Then tell us how it will be different. What are you going to do and if it means amending some policies fine. If it means doing a few deals to get key policies through do it. But explain the what why and the impact. That's the only way to bring people on side and for them to understand the cost of their decisions in voting for minorities. Last, bring Tony Abbott into the fold. He passed the test during the campaign. As they say, the enemy of my enemy is my friend. Labor is the enemy. 

It will be an interesting if somewhat tense few days and potentially a very rocky road ahead. But voters planted the seeds and we all better pray really hard that the crop we all reap sustains us. 

Election 2016: Is It Time To Call A Truce?

We are a little less than two weeks away from the election. Many people are still making up their minds who they will vote for. For those who have, the polls are close. A hung parliament is looking like a real possibility. Fantastic I say, another three years of chaos. 

From the liberal/conservative side of politics the lead up to this election has been like no other I’ve experienced. Conservatives attacking conservatives. The far right beating the c##p out middle to left conservatives. Abbott supporters attacking Turnbull and party supporters. Labor supporters haven’t had to do anything. They must be in hysterics over the land mining that has gone on within the conservative supporters groups. 

I will ask the liberals and conservatives who support the conservative side of politics to call a truce. These are my reasons. I believe we have stuffed up the last three elections. Wait! Yes we did vote the LNP into Govt but it wasn’t a parliament that enabled the Govt to do their job properly. So let's drop the, it was an overwhelming victory for the Abbott Govt. It wasn’t. It was the worst senate result for the LNP for many years. That is fact.

So what are those choices? 

We return the LNP to Govt. This allows them to continue on their path of economic reform, and debt repair. To make sure our borders are protected and to deal with climate in a responsible way. Plus, deliver on the rest of the initiatives in the policy plan. But to do that they must be given a parliament that works. Not one based on ‘hedging bets’ which will deliver an unworkable senate controlled by Labor/Greens, single issue parties and untested and untried new comers. 

The electorate DID NOT give Tony Abbott a workable parliament in both houses. Instead, they delivered a senate controlled by Green's and cross-benchers. I use the word “they” because I voted for the Liberals in the upper house. I marked one above the line because I did not want to preference any party. I will be doing the same thing again this election.

People can continue with their ‘strop’ over Malcolm Turnbull and vote informal. Or vote for new parties like Xenophon, ALA etc. Palmer is back running candidates in the senate. We have dozens of opportunists running. There are choices but I urge people to think about that and the likely outcomes of voting for these people. It's important to check policies. I know for a fact many people don’t. They protest vote. Not smart people. There are nasties hidden in many of the policies dependent on your views. I've discovered a few. Policies that true LNP supporters would not support. Check who they are giving their preferences to and who they will favour out of the major parties. I’ve been surprised by a couple when I’ve checked. Although with Xenophon who would know. He won’t give us that information. But from Xenophon’s own policies we find this.

I read an interesting comment to a column by Paul Kelley in the Australian. It was from one of the ALA supporters. His sole argument for recommending the ALA was the candidates had real jobs. Any job is a real job? It's a stupid term. Anyway, how does a ‘real’ job translate into a good politician. There was no mention of policies. There was no mention of who the ALA will preference. It's a worry. There are some concerning policies within the ALA suite. Their senate preferences in NSW are enlightening to say the least.

Another example I recently read. “I want to protect what is left of the Liberals, so I’m voting for Bill Shorten.” It's not the only comment I’ve read along those lines. Beggars belief and graphically highlights the lack of intelligent thought applied by this voter. He isn’t a lone wolf. 

Ex Libs you can vote for Labor or the Greens. But let's get serious. We are talking politics so let’s dispense with the I couldn’t live with myself if I voted for Turnbull BS. It’s a choice between communism/socialism or capitalism. It's that simple. The electorate has already tested six years of Labor. Let's not forget how painful that was. Apart from new leaders, it's the same bunch you are voting back in. You are placing a lot of trust in their ability to have ‘gone to Jesus’ in three short years. I belief we've had a glimpse of what the next Labor Govt will look like thanks to Daniel Andrews and Victoria. The unions control the puppet Shorten and the left are poised for a take-over. 

I have read many comments urging people to destroy the Libs in a vain hope Labor will be defeated in three years. Well, they weren’t last time. Labor carried on with another three years of destruction and chaos. Regardless, they can do a lot more damage in three years. As for a new conservative party rising from the ashes that could take years and years. I don't hold out much hope for that.

Whilst many cannot stand Malcolm Turnbull he is but one man. If conservatives do the right thing, we will have a good mix of liberals and conservatives in a new Govt. I’ve said before I am not a big fan of Malcolm Turnbull. I wasn’t a big fan of Tony Abbott either. I vote for the party. It’s very important that Barnaby Joyce retains his seat. He brings balance. I would much prefer a Turnbull led Govt over the possible alternatives any day. We can deal with Turnbull. It will take three years perhaps more to remove what replaces the LNP if it comes to that.

Malcolm Turnbull has shown a lot of courage. He could have called an election earlier when his stocks were significantly higher than they are now. He didn’t. Anyone who believed Turnbull’s approval rating would stay in the 60’s plus for any length of time has rocks in their head. Malcolm Turnbull knew that and his advisors encouraged him to go earlier. He ignored that advice. Gutsy decision. 

Kitchen Cabinet this week with Senator Cash was interesting. Her comment to the question about Malcolm Turnbull just implementing Tony Abbott’s policies was spot on. Michaelia Cash pointed out, they are the policies of the party. It was a fair point. They are the policies of the party.

So to summarise the choice is:

A Liberal National Government.

A Labor / Greens Government. 

A hung parliament controlled by who knows who. It could be the Greens or Xenophon or a combo. It's the walking the plank solution.

I’ve said before when I asked the question, can we afford to gamble in this current climate with so much uncertainties. I believe the answer is a resounding no. I want no part in delivering chaos.

What the rest of you do is your decision and your business. But, I sincerely hope we can unite and call a truce until after the election when the LNP is hopefully returned? 

History teaches us that unity is strength, and cautions us to submerge and overcome our differences in the quest for common goals, to strive, with all our combined strength to make our nation stronger. That’s what is really important. What is in the best interests of the country and therefore our future.

Revenge v's Justice & Grace

Jennifer Oriel’s column in the Australian today titled, Federal Election 2016, electing Labor would have dire consequences. I thought it was an insightful and sensible piece. Her last paragraph had meaning. It reads; 

“In the wake of his ousting, Abbott has demonstrated the qualities of character that earned him the office of prime minister: humility and generosity of community spirit. The political power he lost has been replaced by ­something greater: the Christian gift of grace. Instead of seeking vengeance against Turnbull or his team, Abbott took the higher ground. Conservatives too must choose between vengeance and grace in the upcoming election. Don’t leave two graves behind you at the ballot box.”

From reading the comments it appears there is a groundswell of people who are seeking revenge. Their decision of course, but I wish they would reconsider. That reminds me of a recent piece I read, written by Leon F Seltzer Ph.D. He refers to the confusion between revenge and justice. This piece is particularly relevant

. 

"Revenge is about retaliation; justice about restoring balance. The motive of revenge has mostly to do with expressing rage, hatred, or spite. It’s a protest, or payback, and its foremost intent is to harm. In and of itself, it’s not primarily about justice but about victims’ affirming their inborn (but non-legal) right to retaliate against some wrong they perceive has been done to them."

Some of those commenting in response to Jennifer Oriel’s column are disillusioned with politics. I get that. It’s those who profess to be avenging Tony Abbott’s ousting as PM, or who consider the action a betrayal of their values that intrigues me. 

The only person who has a legitimate claim to being wronged is Tony Abbott. He is openly supporting the party and campaigning to help deliver the return of an LNP government.  He has continued to fight for the values LNP supporters say they hold dear. He is about restoring balance with a workable parliament; both houses. Something his government and the Turnbull government didn't have. Let's not forget it was voters who delivered that outcome. Many are a advocating a repeat of that. I find that hard to believe but it's true. 

The majority of those who seek to slap Malcolm Turnbull down are out for revenge and retaliation. Many are honest enough to admit that is the case. Others hide behind “I will not betray my principles BS.” These are people who by their very actions are willingly heaping their desires to avenge what they consider past wrongs upon "innocent generations” who will follow. They are doing it handing government to Bill Shorten and Labor. Or worse still they risk the control of the country by placing it in the hands of a gaggle to self-interest micros or Greens. Principles? 

We have others who openly declare they are “true blue” Liberals but they are voting for Bill Shorten. True Blue? Never. No true blue Liberal would ever vote for Labor and particularly not modern Labor who wrecked havoc on this country for six years. AND, who will do it again. Bill Shorten has no economic plan, just a huge spending plan. 

These people profess to be voting for Labor in the hope it will be short lived. Then hope springs eternal again with the desire for a new conservative party to rise like a Phoenix from the ashes of defeat. That’s their idea of justice. Well I suppose that's OK if you believe in mythical creatures. But I wouldn’t be relying on hope to save ‘us’. I'd add lumbering the rest of us with Labor, Greens or a mishmash in either house is anything but just. 

"Revenge can masquerade as justice, but it frequently ends up perverting it." Yes it does. 

The question for all us genuine true blue Liberals is; what is the risk and can we really afford to take it in kicking the Libs out. Or, do we stick with what we have and help change it? I’m opting for the latter. I can’t rely on hope and I’m not into revenge. I'll stick with justice and grace. 

Gerard Is Right: Leave Turnbull Be .. What We Need Him To Be

Gerard Henderson wrote a piece published in The Australian on the 28 May  titled, “election 2016: Media should just let Turnbull be.” As you would expect there has been a lot of comments. Most of it seems to be negative anti-Turnbull. 

It was an interesting piece. Much of what G Henderson said was in my opinion true.  But there were contradictions. There was one statement in particular I thought was a contradiction. It also generated most of the negative comment from those who state they are conservatives. Honestly, who would know if they are or aren’t. But the statement was this, “If Turnbull wins on July 2, then he will have a greater opportunity to fashion the Coalition’s policy with reference to his own policy vision.” 

The point made related to SSM and the Nationals. The point escaped most of those commenting. They see it as a broader issue. But, it plays to the fear many people on the liberal/conservative side of politics express. If Malcolm wins he’ll take the party down the left channel. 

The statement conflicted for me because it clashed with other points made by G Henderson. 

“Some of those who want Turnbull to be Turnbull overlook the fact he is the leader of a right-of-centre Coalition administration. No Liberal Party leader can ignore the views of party operatives, parliamentarians and the rank-and-file members who keep the organisation together and do most of the work at election time.” 

Correct  and it  won’t change if he is elected. So why would he be stupid enough to revert to the ‘stereo-type’ Malcolm the leftie? He remembers what happened last time. He’s been warned what will happen if he tries it again. 

G Henderson stated, “And then there are the Nationals. When Turnbull led the Liberal Party in opposition in 2009, he was close to presiding over a situation where the Nationals dumped the Coalition agreement. The issue turned on Turnbull’s support for an ETS.” 

Do you honestly believe the Nationals wouldn’t threaten this again should Malcolm stray from the path of the straight and narrow? Perhaps the not so happy Libs who are championing a vote for Barnaby might like to consider that and insist on an agreement to be sure. I think it makes sense to have one.

Our elected representatives have shown they are prepared to remove a leader. They have done that twice in recent times. Malcolm as opposition leader and Abbott as PM. Why would Malcolm or indeed us think they wouldn’t do it? If the LNP with Malcolm as leader are elected. If he strays too far to the left changing agreements we vote for, I’ll be one of the loudest voices calling for his head.

Tony Abbott broke promises. That didn’t sit well with many centre moderate Libs. If (and it’s a big if) Malcolm was to break promises after being elected there would be a monumental revolt. I’m in doubt it would be the case. 

Malcolm Turnbull is many things but a fool he is not. He knows the score and I doubt he wants to be turfed for a second time assuming the LNP gain government and he remains leader. 

I will refer to one comment to G Henderson’s column. It was this from someone named Andrew.  

“I agree with the very many right wing Abbott supporters who attack Turnbull.

Not because Abbott was deposed as he was hopeless and had to go.

(I concede border protection etc)

Turnbull has turned out to be a socialist and bereft of ideas, and more hopeless than Abbott.

I'm very sorry that Costello left Parliament he would have been an even better PM than Howard.

Unfortunately I'm voting for the truly awful Labor lot in the hope that a new liberal-conservative party will arise from the ashes.

The Other Andrew.” 

I have no idea who The Other Andrew is. Or whether he is genuine. But if he is, there's not a lot you can say about comments like that except HELP!!!!! No self respecting, genuine conservative would ever vote Labor. Ever advocate voting for Labor. I don't often reply to media comment but I did to this one.  

“To reward Labor after they almost led this country to the point of ruin, on the off chance a new conservative Phoenix will rise from the ashes of a decimated LNP I find astounding. Even more so given Labor are promising to spend more, tax more and weaken our borders in removing TPV's that's just for starters.

There's also the very real likelihood you could be waiting 20-years for the 'saviour' to reach maturity. There is no guarantee it will happen. 

So good luck with your gamble. I just hope the rest of us don't end up paying for the bet.”

So back to G Henderson’s headline. Yes. Let Turnbull be. Let him be the leader he has committed to being in leading a right-of-centre Coalition party. Not the leftie, republic pushing, social engineer so many would will him or wish him to be.  Hold to account on that commitment.

People do change and they do modify their opinions. It's called maturity and taking into account team and voter expectations. Turnbull knows the score. Time will be the judge of his conviction. He may never completely give up his attachment to a republic. I’ve little doubt that we will traverse that path one day. When the time is right. The same goes for SSM. He has stated he supports the party’s plebiscite decision. The will of the people will decide. As it should. Turnbull will stand firm on border protection. As PM he knows more about the inherent risks of weakening our policy that the armchair experts.  Turnbull will hold the line on the economy. As he absolutely must. He's no fool. We must not forget; there are still people waiting in the wings to topple him (that isn't a dig at Tony Abbott). There are others.  He knows it and so do we. 

Back to focusing on what is really important. Bill Shorten and Labor. Keeping them OUT. If they get in as conservatives we can't control them. We can control Turnbull.

Jones and Turnbull Peace Deal. Why?

Daily Telegraph a lead story. Jones and Turnbull’s Peace Deal 

That any politician regardless of what side, has to cosy up to a trumped up peacock like Jones infuriates me. The fact their possible meeting is newsworthy is beyond belief. Plus, we’ve heard it all before. Why should any politician require Jones blessing? Why do we allow people like Jones and other shock-jocks to determine who is worthy of being elected and who is not? 

I was a long time Jones listener. I turned off some years ago because I could no longer take his two-faced sycophantic ravings. Jones, like Bolt plays to an audience. He does it not because he always believes in what he is saying. He does it to gain an audience, increase his ratings and hence his paycheque. 

I have been on the receiving end of Jones attacks more than once. I was a climate skeptic when Jones was a climate change advocate.  I took issue with Jones pushing the climate myth down our throats.  It was obvious it was a money making scam. Given my job at the time I saw it firsthand. I believed I was in a position to speak from a basis of fact. He disagreed. Yes, he has changed his position now because the mood changed. But it doesn’t absolve him of the vicious attacks on people who disagreed with him. 

Who could forget his denigration of people who had the temerity to take off public holidays? Remember those episodes?  At the time Jones had to work public holidays. So it was the perfect excuse to climb onto his soapbox and attack those who didn’t.  Jones circumstances changed and he hasn't worked a public holiday for years and never a word has been uttered since. 

Then we suffered his endless railing against the development at Circular Quay. Jones went on and on about the harbour foreshore being stolen from the people. His accusations of impropriety against the developer and those who approved the development were a daily occurrence. We found out sometime later (when the attacks had stopped) Jones owned an apartment and lived there. What a hypocrite.

Jones was a long-time champion of Julia Gillard. In fact, he even convinced me (cut my wrist and my blood runs blue) she was OK. Then he turned on her in the most vicious way. Was she a good PM? No. Did she deserve to go. Yes. Did she deserve the vicious attack by Jones in claiming her then recently departed father died of shame? No, no, no!!! No person with a modicum of decency would think that let alone say it. How cruel. How contemptible. Any respect (which wasn’t much) I had for him flew out the window at that point. He lost me as a listener. 

What genuine Liberal supporter would forgive Jones full on assault against the Queensland Liberal Party? Jones even returned from holiday to (his words) sink them. Jones summarily dismissed what the Libs had inherited, their record or the impact of electing another Labor government. It was a personal vendetta, stuff everyone else. That speaks volumes about the man. 

Jones cares only for himself and his mates. He's never gotten over being overlooked for Liberal pre-selection. He's an A class hypocrite who wields far too much power. Jones sees himself as the King maker, the ego of the man is unbelievable. 

I laugh when I read comments about him ‘standing up for us’. He doesn’t. He stands for himself and his mates. He will stand up for you as long as you fawn over him and stroke his ego. Or, as long as there's something in it for him. The moment you stop or there is no benefit for him, Jones drops people. Listeners are no different. Try disagreeing with him. 

Jones found his niche and as a result he has become very wealthy. But he isn’t your friend and I would be much happier if Malcolm Turnbull had continued to boycott him. But I understand why he possibly won’t, I hope he doesn’t live to regret it as so many others have. 

Doesn't Tony Abbott Deserve Better?

Tony Abbott as the deposed Prime Minister has put his unseating behind him. So why is Mr Abbott’s supporters campaigning against him? Urging people not to vote for the LNP. Urging people to vote for new micros and even worse telling them to donkey vote. Isn’t that another slap in the face and the ultimate betrayal? 

Mr Abbott still believes in the Liberal Party. His supporters say he is a man principle. He is encouraging people to stick with the party so it's safe to assume he believes the basic principles haven’t changed. 

Perhaps he’s reflected on when Bob Menzies was removed as Prime Minister by his party back in 1941. Menzies claimed the crown back in 1949 (after the conservative parties of the day merged to form the current Liberal Party). Or perhaps he knows more about the risks than we do. 

Mr Abbott has even declared he will work during the campaign to undermine Bill Shorten’s claims of a “civil war” within the Liberal Party. Mr Abbott was hurt. Understandable when the majority of your team informs you they longer wanted you as their leader. It’s a confronting thing to face. He did things following the change I suspect he’s come to regret. We’ve all been there. But Mr Abbott knows politics. 

Mr Abbott well knows the mess the Liberal National government  inherited from Labor. He’s experienced the impossible task of dealing with a senate that is obstructive and totally unpredictable and illogical in their behaviour and their decisions. He knows what potentially lies ahead if the Liberal National government is wiped out and replaced with an alternative. My God just consider for a minute what the alternatives might look like.       

• A Shorten led Labor government staffed with predominately the same group as last time. High taxing, high spending give, give, give party. We haven’t recovered from their last rounds of feckless spending and they want to inflict more on us? Their class warfare surfaces the worst in society; greed and envy. It's shameful. 

• A hung parliament with the Greens holding the balance of power? Open borders, high taxing, increased asylum seeker intake to 50,000 per year. Closing down the coal mines putting another 50,000 out of work.  This list goes on. 

• A hung parliament in the lower house. Greens holding the balance of power. A senate stocked with independents, and micro fringe parties holding who ever wrestles power in the lower house to ransom. We’ve had close to three years of the government being thwarted in delivering on their policies. Surely no one wants the same or an even worse outcome after this election.

Even Mark Latham was pleading with voters last night to pick either Labor or the LNP and give them a workable parliament in both houses. Mark Latham also understands the looming chaos if we get this wrong. 

Tony Abbott understands what it is at stake; communism and social engineering, restrained capitalism or chaos. No prizes for betting on what Mr Abbott is campaigning for. 

Back in 2009 Mr Abbott led the revolt against Malcolm Turnbull. Mr Abbott disagreed with the Turnbull lead opposition supporting Labor and their ETS/Carbon Tax. The Abbott led team upheld
their principles and opposed the direction the opposition was going in. In doing so he and his supporters were prepared to resign. Now that is standing up for your principles. 

In 2015 Mr Abbott chose to stay in government. He is still there in 2016 doing everything he can to help secure a victory for our government. I read that as confirmation Mr Abbott supports the current direction and current policies. Let's face it, with a few tweaks here and there nothing much has changed in key areas like; Sovereign Borders (nothing has changed) climate (minor change) and addressing debt. Tony Abbott has proven he was prepared to resign on principle when he fundamentally disagreed with our policy direction. This time he is staying, so that is good enough for me. 

So back to my original question. Why are the exLibs, basically Tony Abbott supporters doing everything in their power to undermine him, undermine the party and support sinking the government? It's a question that intrigues me. In particular given the often quoted justification, "it's a matter of my principles."

I think Tony Abbott deserves better, but that's just me applying my principles. But more importantly for me it's following what Joseph Heller said. "Rise above principle and do what is right."

Dear Prime Minister Turnbull

It’s time for a heart to heart with the poor beleaguered voters. Voters who are trying hard to sustain a positive position in the face of increasing electoral disillusionment. 

With the greatest respect to you, you have got to start acting as the Prime Minister not the CEO of Company Australia. In February I penned a blog highlighting the perils of you traversing the same path as Tony Abbott. Sadly, Mr Turnbull from the outside looking in that's where you are heading. This one-man band leadership style is not working. It's not working for us, it's not working for your ministers and it's certainly starting to backfire on you. You have very capable ministers who are more than equipped to run their diverse portfolios. Let them. When you challenged Tony Abbott you accused him of not respecting cabinet intelligence. From where I’m sitting I question whether you do that yourself. 

I know you rate yourself very highly on the subject of economics. So you should. But, you are not the Treasurer, Scott Morrison is. Let him do his job. Listen to him. When he says the problem is spending he is absolutely right. Scott Morrison has proven time and again he can sell a tough message and get the electorate to listen. I’m afraid, despite my first belief that communication is strong point for you, you aren’t doing as good a job. If you continue to insist on controlling everything yourself, what was the point of getting rid of Tony Abbott? 

You are a strategic thinker, fantastic we need that in a leader. But I sense what is missing is the ‘pulse check’. As an example, let's take the income tax sharing debate from last week. I can see the merit of what you were endeavouring to achieve. Forcing the states to be more accountable makes sense. However, on the street voters have no trust in the states not to ‘jack-up’ taxes as they did with land tax. Then we have state approvals for large council rate increases and the forced amalgamation of councils in NSW and the alarm bells ring loudly. The debate was dead in the water before it even got off the ground. There were too many influencing factors you couldn’t control. Whilst I understand the bumbled announcement on the edge of a sporting field, few see beyond the event of the day. Add the absence of Scott Morrison coupled with the fact  he was caught unawares (for the second time in almost as many weeks) and the rumours fly. Not a good look. I’m sure you are well aware perception  is reality.

The next big hurdle is the budget. If you do a poor job of this I think you can kiss goodbye to winning the election. Whilst reform is essential and hard decisions will need to be made, skimping on health and education is a suicidal move. People will buy a deficit in these areas if you tell them why you are doing it. 

As a true Liberal I’m for self-sufficiency and private education but super tax concessions and private school funding must stop. It's unfair, and it's bad economics. A study released in 2014 showed the rate of growth of super tax concessions is greater than that of the pension despite the ageing population, meaning the cost of the tax concession will soon overtake the pension to become ''the single largest area of government expenditure,'' by 2016-17. It also highlighted that the Commonwealth bill for the aged pension and super tax concession is projected to rise at a staggering 12% annually to be $50.7 billion in 2016-17.

''The overwhelming majority of this assistance flows to high-income earners,'' the report finds.

“Low income earners receive virtually no benefit,”

Ditching both of these delivers a win-win. It will soften the blow when you announce the tougher decisions and it will restore faith with the ‘middle of the road’ core. 

I don’t want a Labor Government returned to power. Should we go to a DD, I don’t want a gaggle of ill equipped single cause radicals in the Senate. I’ve had enough of the chaos. You can fix it and get us back on the front foot. You can steer the debate back onto the folly of Labor and you can deliver a win in both houses. That's something Tony Abbott couldn’t do because the public did not trust him enough to give him control of the Senate. It’s up to you but you don’t have a lot of time and you have a huge credibility ravine to traverse. 

As they say, “Do it NOW.” If you don’t you’ll go the same way as Dennis Jensen but this time we all go with you and Bill Shorten will be Prime Minister. 

Who Leaked The Confidential Discussion on Tax Sharing?

When Tony Abbott came under attack from the media over bumbled statements and announcements  I came to his defence. As did many others. So it’s only fair I do the same for Malcolm Turnbull. 

When the PM announced his intentions over his determination to have the ABCC passed I let out a big sigh of relief. He sounded authoritative and prime ministerial. In essence the leader we needed to see.  Then came the fumbled announcement of the COAG discussion over tax income sharing. Much was made about the setting of this important announcement; standing at the edge of a football field. Even more was made about Scott Morrison not being present. The media went into overdrive and I was crestfallen and as a result openly criticised the PM. 

But then I stumbled upon a transcript of Turnbull’s interview with Fran Kelly. 

“FRAN KELLY:

A process question first, if I may Prime Minister – why did you choose the launch of a football academy on the edge of a sporting field to reveal your plans for “the most fundamental reform in generations”?

PRIME MINISTER:

Well let me remind you that at the COAG meeting – this is the premiers and chief ministers meeting with me and the Treasurer and others in December last year – we agreed that we would at the next COAG – which is this week – review, look at a wide range of tax reform, that’s state tax reform and revenue sharing options between the Federal Government and the states. So this has been on the agenda.

We have raised it because I don't believe in dealing with the states via a megaphone. It has been raised privately and discussed between me and other chief ministers and between the Treasurer, Scott Morrison, and his counterparts and of course between Martin Parkinson the head of Premier and Cabinet and his bureaucratic counterparts. Those discussions found their way into the media yesterday morning. I heard you had a very good program yesterday morning talking about it.

PRIME MINISTER:

So really we're in a position where because, you know, confidential discussions had been breached, it was obvious I had to clarify what we were talking about and look, I'm an open person, it was an issue of concern so we – so I answered it. So there it is.”

The interview is worth a read. It clarifies a view points and highlights the difference between a perceived announcement and what in essence was a clarification. It also highlights some of the challenges with the States. 

Interview With Fran Kelly

I still think the delivery could have been better. But, perhaps given the leak I’ve been harsh. That said, it's obvious someone was out to sink this proposal before it was even discussed. As I’ve said many times. For all the demands for reform the moment ideas are put up for discussion it's a deafening NO, NO, NO. 

So the $64,000 question remains. Who leaked the confidential discussion? It's poor when leaders and their aides can’t be trusted to maintain confidentiality. If they were business leaders they’d be fired in similar circumstances and rightly so. 

My lesson to self? Do your research before jumping to conclusions. 

The Liberal Party Terrorists

If I was in Barnaby Joyce’s shoes, I’d be tearing my hair out over what is going on within the Liberal Party. As a member of the coalition group, The Nationals fortunes to a large degree rely on a strong and united Liberal party.  Instead, the Liberal Party are beset with infighting, and accusations of disunity and divide. We have the ex-Prime Minister who takes every opportunity to stick in a barb despite stating he wouldn’t do that. We have a Prime Minister who appears to not be able to reign Abbott in. We have media who feed off this stuff and the willing leakers who are providing them with anything that will create a negative headline. I don’t mind admitting that as a member of the Liberal Party, I am tearing my hair out and I know for sure I’m not the only one. 

After years of relative stability and prosperity we plunged into the dark ages of six years of Labor. I won't rehash their failings they are well known. It was with a sense of overwhelming relief that the LNP coalition sweep into power in 2013. It wasn’t long before key election commitments were delivered. Boats, Carbon Tax, Mining Tax gone. Then came the budget and the ‘ship floundered’. We were paddling madly to stay afloat. 

Progress was stalling and every little glitch, stumbled word, fleeting glance was front page news. Relationships that were tenuous unravelled before out eyes. Internal power plays became the standard game. In February 2015 a message was delivered to Tony Abbott; take control of the bridge, get back on course or face the consequences. 

The next seven months were a low point in our Liberal history. The accusations and infighting continued. The get squares and removal or sidelining of anyone who posed a threat to positions of power was par for the course. “You leak and blame the other guy” strategy was in full swing. We continued to flounder. The parliamentary party said enough and in September we had a new leader. Once more there were signs of relief but this time we also had the insidious declarations of open warfare. It took no time and we were back where we started. The architects of the destabilisation were still there. Only their motivation had changed. This time their sights are set on bringing down the so called usurper Turnbull and with it, the  Liberal party. 

Had the ship had been in good shape in 2015 there wouldn’t have been a ‘mutiny’. But it wasn’t. While change was needed there is a group in the parliamentary party that did not, will not and cannot accept that. The same applies to the anti-Liberals within the community.

The upshot of that is we now have within our parliamentary ranks a destructive rogue gang. Some label them the Liberal Taliban. I think that's an accurate description. They are hell bent on wrecking the Turnbull Govt and along with it the country. 

Over the coming weeks there will be more and more destabilisation. We are hearing and seeing the commentary around the so called rift between Malcolm Turnbull and Scott Morrison. Much has been made over Scott Morrison’s exclusion from the PM’s inner sanctum meeting on Sunday night. The Telegraph and Australian both ran stories today stating who and isn’t in the inner sanctum. The laugh is, they have different lists. I think the leakers need to liaise more before they feed this stuff to the press. 

We can expect to see an increase in contradictory statements made by the rouge group to those made by Malcolm Turnbull, Scott Morrison and the rest of the cabinet.  There is a deliberate strategy to distract the media and the public from the key message, to spook the electorate and fire up the disenchanted. 

Two of our female Ministers will be key targets. Don’t be surprised if there are more leaks relating to our subs contract. That's part of the get square. People within the rogue group will do everything within their power to thwart the DD strategy. They are still hanging onto the feigned hope of an Abbott resurrection. Winning government from a DD hurts their cause. 

The puerile campaign to let's make Malcolm look stupid is underway with the ridiculous stories, cartoons and media comment associated with his “Continuity and Change” comment. Claims it was stolen from Veep highlights the lack of intelligence of those pushing it. The study and adoption of Continuity and Change strategy has been around well before some cheap comedy. India and Russia have included “Continuity and Change” as a Foreign Policy foundation for years. It's frequently used in academic texts, including here. Religions use it as do businesses. A quick Google check proves it. For the record Veep used “Continuity With Change.” I think is a great vision statement but we do need to see what the plan is to achieve it. The budget and election policy plans should make that clear. If it doesn’t yet it needs to and it needs to. 

So folks batten down the hatches we are in for a rocky ride. It will get dirty. The true nature of the rogue gang will be evident. The usual line up of media bile pushers  will be out in force salivating over every bit of juicy gossip. 

In the meantime Bill Shorten and Labor are going about their business, largely unchallenged and just sticking their heads up from time to time to point the finger; hey look at that lot over there. 

That we have people within our own Liberal parliamentary ranks who’d rather destroy the party instead of our opposition I think is reprehensible. No wonder Labor are laughing at us. Let's just pray they don’t take the rest of us down with them. 

Malcolm Turnbull Can't Afford To Fall Into The Tony Abbott Trap

When the Liberals changed leaders I breathed a sigh of relief. Despite getting off to a good start after winning the election, by early 2015 the cracks were forming. The consequences of that are common knowledge. The Government limped along until the challenge in September last year. 

When Malcolm Turnbull put his hand up for the top job he did it on the basis of the leadership failures of Tony Abbott. Such as Tony didn't listen to his caucus or consult with his cabinet. Tony’s arrogance and refusal to listen to ministers who, after all, are the ones in charge of their portfolio’s. Tony suspected the loyalty of his ministers and a lot of that drove his lack of trust issues. Tony’s inability to lead the team and to manage the recalcitrant backbenchers. Tony’s failure to deal with the heavy handed over controlling PMO. Ministers were frustrated, backbenchers were frustrated and the electorate was becoming increasingly disillusioned. This played right into the hands of our hound-dog left leaning media. 

Malcolm likewise got off to a great start. Whilst many Abbott disciples turned on Malcolm with a vengeance the electorate in good old Aussie fashion were prepared to give him a go. It was a baptism by fire with major security issues, TURC and bedding down a new team, etc., but he weathered the storm. I thought he did a pretty good job. 

However, in the last few weeks, Malcolm appears to be doing exactly what he accused Tony Abbott of doing, particularly when it comes to consultation and engagement, managing the trouble makers and making decisions. 

Despite what some people have said, the left wing media were never going to give Malcolm a free run. In particular, there is a well developed Fairfax/Labor partnership driving a ‘divide and conquer’ strategy that will run its course up to the election regardless of who is leading the Conservatives. They are using every crack, every stumble and every hint of discord to drive the wedge, spook the backbenchers and unsettle the electorate and it’s working. Again!!! 

Malcolm came to the chair on the basis that he was best placed to drive economic reform. He has credentials to do that, but he isn’t the Treasurer, Scott Morrison is. It appears blatantly obvious that Malcolm and Scott have not been on the same page. 

Malcolm made the fatal mistake of going to the public and talking up Tax Reform and not engaging effectively with the Treasurer. Malcolm in essence did a Tony he ‘jumped the shark’. The humiliating backdown and the resulting flip flopping is playing right into Labor’s hands. As a result the attacks on Labor’s budget plans are being derailed. We’re on the back foot, when it should be Labor. 

The Treasurer has been working for weeks with the department and other bodies to determine the best course of action to deliver a plan to bring our economic future into balance. That plan will be announced in the May budget. That’s no easy task when you consider the Treasurer has to manage Labor’s debt mine field and deliver on what conservatives hold dear; lower taxes, debt reduction, controlled spending, growth and jobs. He has to do this in the face of falling revenues, global uncertainty, an ever demanding electorate, a feral Senate who continue to block savings measures and a bunch of ‘jump at shadows’ backbenchers. 

Perhaps Malcolm feels that given the expectations the electorate had as a result of his financial background that he is one who should be engaging with the public on all financial matters. He shouldn’t. That’s Scott Morrison’s job. Malcolm should be managing behind the scenes. Given comments over the last couple of days it looks like Malcolm now realises that Scott Morrison is right when he talks about the importance of controlling spending and going after some minor reforms leading up to the election. The big Tax Reform can come later. Let's face it, you don’t have to eat the elephant in one go. Pacing yourself often gets a much better result and certainly creates less heartburn for both the Government and the voters. 

It takes an exceptional person to step into a new leadership role and not stumble a few times until they come to grips with all aspects of being the leader. Malcolm has been an extremely successful entrepreneur and businessman. That doesn’t automatically mean that he would instantly become a superb leader of the Government. I think he is trying to do too much himself. Good leaders manage from the middle, they understand their portfolio managers are grown-ups, they don’t need the boss holding their hand. If Ministers need consultation they know where the PMO office is.  This was something that Tony couldn’t grasp, but Malcolm can. His business success proves that. Now, he just needs to do it; for himself, his team and the many weary Liberal supporters out there who are losing the will to continue to support the party. 

The Prime Minister is a smart man and from what I am hearing, Malcolm will listen to the advice he is receiving and I’m strongly of the belief he will act upon it and then we can all get back to doing what we like best, focusing on wiping out Labor at the next election. 

Desert The Party But DON'T Blow-up The Base-Camp On The Way Out

The Headline Reads: 100's resigning from the Liberal Party. Fine, let them go. 

When you join a political party, it means you agree with and aspire to the principles of the party, not the character of the leader. Well, at least smart people do that. Leaders can and do change for all sorts of reasons. 

From the Liberal Party Homepage 

OUR BELIEFS 

We Believe:

In the inalienable rights and freedoms of all peoples; and we work towards a lean government that minimises interference in our daily lives; and maximises individual and private sector initiative.

In government that nurtures and encourages its citizens through incentive, rather than putting limits on people through the punishing disincentives of burdensome taxes and the stifling structures of Labor's corporate state and bureaucratic red tape.

In those most basic freedoms of parliamentary democracy - the freedom of thought, worship, speech and association.

In a just and humane society in which the importance of the family and the role of law and justice is maintained.

In equal opportunity for all Australians; and the encouragement and facilitation of wealth so that all may enjoy the highest possible standards of living, health, education and social justice.

That, wherever possible, government should not compete with an efficient private sector; and that businesses and individuals - not government - are the true creators of wealth and employment.

In preserving Australia's natural beauty and the environment for future generations.That our nation has a constructive role to play in maintaining world peace and democracy through alliance with other free nations.

I subscribe to those principles. I’ve yet to see ANY evidence that under our new party leadership that we’ve walked away from those principles. If and when that were to happen which is highly unlikely, I will review my position based on what the revised principles are. 

I've read a number of comments from exLibs stating they only joined the party because of Tony Abbott. Similarly many joined the Labor Party during Kevin Rudd's ascension. That is one of the problems political parties face today. Personality politics versus substance politics. We’ve seen how well that’s working for our American friends haven’t we. Give me party over personality every time thanks. 

Those still stomping their feet and sulking in my humble opinion are extremely selfish. Their cries of 'I want my Tony back' and 'I'm not voting for the Liberals until they bring Tony back' are fanciful. It won't happen. They are simply acting like spoilt children and they are certainly NOT thinking about the party or the hundreds of thousands of others who like me still support the party. They're entitled, of course, to their dummy spit. But they are not entitled to attack others and then cry wolf when people strike back and they’re certainly not entitled to go on a wrecking ball mission and ruin it for everyone else. 

So continue with your little protests and your threats to form other parties and all you'll succeed in doing is further divide the party and bolster the micro parties (particularly in the senate). Further more then our worse nightmares will be achieved; you’ll hand the government back to a CFMEU backed Labor government under Bill Shorten along with their friends the Greens. Is that what you really want? 

So desert by all means, but please stop blowing up the base camp on the way out. 

LIBERAL PARTY, LABOR PARTY: NO COMPARISON

Day two under the leadership of Malcolm Turnbull and the social media trial continues. The witch-hunt for the ‘turncoats’ is in full swing, ably supported by the shock-jocks. The opposing Liberal camps are ripping into each other. I have a personal view that some of the comments would probably be best left unsaid, but expression is good and we do believe in free speech. 

What is really interesting, is the tactics now being used by our Labor chums. They are doing their level best to compare the Labor years to what happened on Monday. For them to suggest there is any comparison between Rudd-Gillard-Rudd and Turnbull-Abbott is ludicrous. But, it’s a deliberate tactic to brand Liberals as no better than Labor. We must not let them get away with it. Mr Abbott’s situation is very different. 

In February, Mr Abbott survived, as one journalist described as a ‘near death experience’ when MP’s called for a change of leader. This challenge came after months of the government's inability to gain support for key budget measures and to explain their vision to the electorate. People were also becoming frustrated with what they perceived were broken promises. Whilst I understood the reasons for actions taken, it would be fair to say the government did a very poor job of selling the reasons to the electorate. The electorate was very angry including many staunch Liberal supporters.  

I remember having discussions with some LNP social media activists. We were trying to defend broken promises, but we were losing the battle. The communications from HQ was almost non existent. Polls were declining and our elected members of parliament were trying to deal with the disenchantment in their electorates. Months of this finally led to the demand for a leadership spill as referenced. Mr Abbott survived, but he had received the most public and direct warning possible from the party room that he had to change. Mr Abbott was given six months.  

Over the ensuing months little improvement has been made. Mr Abbott has received multiple warnings of the potential consequences of failure. Elders of the party, i.e. Former Prime Minister John Howard (who by the way was an advocate of carbon pricing, but who had a change of heart), Peter Reith and Peter Costello also pleaded him to change and to make changes. Mr Abbott refused. 

I am well aware of some of the substantial help and advice that was offered to help bring the two warring camps together. Likewise, advice was given to change the line-up so that some of the performance gaps could be closed. That was also ignored. 

Mr Abbott’s stubbornness got in the way of good judgement. The merciless media attacks on him continued and the white-anting from within, grew in intensity and frequency as anxiety levels increased because nothing was changing.. Now, I am not supporting white-anting, but I do understand the frustration felt by many. 

Mr Abbott could have made necessary changes, but he didn’t. Not because he couldn’t but because he chose not to. I’ve read all sorts of comments related to the swiftness of the spill, but once again it was Mr Abbott, who called the vote for Monday evening, a few hours after Mr Turnbull made his announcement. Mr Abbott could have delayed the spill motion to give his supporters more time, but he didn’t. Unlike the first spill that Mr Abbott won, he was unfortunately not victorious a second time. 

Now we have an active campaign by some Liberals to paint Mr Abbott as a victim. He wasn't and isn't a victim. I'm sure he wouldn't want to be remembered as a victim either. And we have Labor and their ‘pointing the finger’ campaign; “see, see your party is no better.”

I’m sure Mr Abbott was deeply hurt by what happened on Monday. No one likes rejection. But as we would expect from him, he was gracious in his departure. And, he would NEVER do anything to wreck his party. We should respect that. We owe him that.

And, the next time someone from the Labor side tries to tell you the Liberal Party is as bad as Labor, put them straight. There is NO comparison, not even close. Assassinating someone behind closed doors is very, very different to extending the courtesy of giving someone six months to fix the problem, knowing full well what the consequences of failure are. 

As for the view, that the only the public should have the right to decide the fate of a Prime Minister, that simply isn’t how the process works. The Prime Minister isn’t The President. The Prime Minister's electorate vote him in, we vote for our own candidates, their party policies and local issues. The party room appoints the Prime Minister. If people vote for a party based solely on the leader, that probably explains more about them and their lack of understanding of the Westminster system than anything else. And it clearly explains how we ended up with the Rudd Labor government. We know how that worked out. 

One last comment. I happened to pick up 2GBS Alan Jones comments about both Malcolm Turnbull and Bill Shorten last night. I was frankly disgusted. That sanctimonious so call 'King of Radio' branded the  The Prime Minister hypocrite over what he said about Mr Abbott when addressing the parliament. It might pay Mr Jones to play back some of the things he himself has said about Mr Abbott. 

What really sickened me was Jones fawning over Bill Shorten!!!!! The same Bill Shorten who played a major role in knifing, not one but two Prime Ministers in a most sinister manner. Who himself has said some dreadful things about Mr Abbott. So if we are handing out Hypocrite Awards I think Mr Jones and Mr Shorten might be very worthy recipients.