Malcolm’s Bitter Harvest



It would be trite to begin with the platitude: You reap what you sow. To Malcolm Turnbull though, that cliché must have an ominous ring about it as he reflects on his past. To what extent has he brought upon himself the political troubles that afflict him now?

His career was illustrious before he entered federal politics, but once inside the rabbit fence the rules changed and so did he.

Brought up by his father, he had a sound education at Sydney Grammar School and the University of Sydney, from which he graduated in Arts and Law, and on a Rhodes Scholarship at Oxford he took a degree in Civil Law.

He is remembered as an adventurous barrister defending Kerry Packer against the ‘Goanna’ allegations made by the Costigan Commission, and is famous for his success in the ‘Spycatcher case’ when he took on and defeated the UK government, which was trying to suppress the publication of the book of the same name by Peter Wright, a former MI5 official.

He tried his hand at journalism, moved into merchant banking and became managing director and later a partner at Goldman Sachs. Subsequently he showed his entrepreneurship and technical skills when he oversaw the expansion of Internet Service Provider OzEmail, which he later sold for $60 million. He was Chairman of the Australian Republican Movement, and entered federal politics in 2004.

Even his opponents acknowledge his intelligence, his enterprise, and his substantial achievements. So how has it come to this?

This week, Bernard Keane began an article in Crikey: The Abbott legacy: Turnbull heads for the worst of both worlds with: “
The political chattering class owes the people of Australian an apology. Nearly all of us, to a woman, were badly off-beam about the transformation of Australian politics last September. We were overcome with a sense of relief that the chaos and debacle of the Abbott era was over…

“Enter Malcolm Turnbull. Turnbull the adult, Turnbull the brilliant communicator, a changed Turnbull who had learnt his lessons from 2009 and would now lead a rational, mature, consultative government. He promised to give us a genuinely Liberal government, in contrast to the reactionary rabble he had just ousted, and he promised reform via an intelligent conversation with the electorate. The years of destructive, negative politics from Abbott, the years of internecine squabbling from Labor, were at long last over.

“For a while it seemed to work. Turnbull was charming and, yes, Prime Ministerial. He refused to rule out reform options, insisting he was going to change politics by refusing to play those sort of petty games…

“Then it went wrong. Turnbull's government is adrift, there's open warfare within it…the much-vaunted tax reform package will be barely worth the term ‘minimalist’, with almost every worthwhile tax reform now ruled out because of backbench pressure, the desire to run an uncluttered scare campaign…

“What we missed in the relief rally that accompanied Turnbull's ascension was that merely because there was a new prime minister, that didn't mean the underlying causes that drove Australian politics into the ground in the first place had vanished. They were still there, and still capable of damaging politics and policy.”


Many of us, while enjoying the prospect of a more progressive prime minister to replace the reactionary conservative Abbott, had our reservations.

Puff the Magic Malcolm published on 18 February on The Political Sword, began with an initial optimistic paragraph that ended: “Most important though was his stated vision for this nation: it was upbeat, forward-looking, encouraging and exciting…” But the second and third paragraphs read: “
Those of us who have followed politics for many years had reservations though. We remembered how after his rather brutal takeover from Brendan Nelson to become Leader of the Opposition in 2008, he offered much promise to his party and to the electorate. Many applauded particularly his enlightened views on global warming and his collaboration with Kevin Rudd to mitigate it. But after a promising start, an ill-considered instance of over-reach brought him undone. Failing to do the due diligence required of an accomplished barrister, a disturbed Liberal mole in Treasury, Godwin Grech, led him up the garden path with a fake email. He remained there, stranded and exposed as one too obsessed with bringing down a prime minister and his treasurer. ‘Utegate’ uncovered a fatal flaw in Turnbull’s personality. He did not recover fully until he removed Abbott in September last year.

But everyone knows that to garner the votes he needed to replace the unpopular Abbott, he had to compromise many of his beliefs and principles. Just how many, and to what extent, we would soon discover.”
Turnbull has sown the seeds of his own decline, and possibly his own destruction.

He took on the leadership with some cherished principles and beliefs:
- the need for action on global warming
- the need for marriage equality
- the need to move to a republic
- the importance of the Gonski school reforms
- the need for superfast broadband for all
- a cities policy with emphasis on public transport
- the need for sound economic management (which he believed his predecessor lacked).

One by one he has diluted or abandoned each of these:

Far from his support for an emissions trading scheme in the Rudd era, and his sarcasm about the Coalition’s Direct Action Plan, which he described as a ‘fig leaf’ for doing nothing, on becoming PM he immediately endorsed it, took it to Paris, and left us looking dangerously inattentive to climate change in the eyes of the world. And recently he has done nothing about the decision of Larry Marshall, chief executive of CSIRO to slash 110 positions in the Oceans and Atmosphere division, effect a similarly sharp reduction in the Land and Water division, and reorient climate change activities. Overseas climate scientists are alarmed that they will lose an important data-gathering source. Turnbull has been unmoved.

His support for marriage equality has been seriously diluted by his acceptance of the Abbott delaying tactic of a plebiscite after the election at a wasteful cost of $160 million. In similar vein, his support for the ‘Safe Schools’ program that supports gender diversity and counters bullying of LGBTI children, has been diluted by his authorization of an ‘investigation’ into it. In both these instances, the hard right conservatives and the Australian Christian Lobby have been let loose with their divisive propaganda.

His reaction to the revisiting of the Gonski reforms was unenthusiastic. He allowed the same old negative rhetoric of the Abbott/Pyne era to resurface, thereby giving it credence: “ You can’t fix the school curriculum by throwing money at it. No alternative was offered, with or without money.

His management of the NBN after Abbott ordered him years ago ‘to demolish it’ has been no better than Labor’s, which he ridiculed in such derogatory terms. It is still far behind schedule, costs are rising inexorably and will likely exceed the cost of Labor’s NBN, and the technology is antiquated.

His cities policy and his advocacy for public transport seem to have taken a back seat. Big promises; little achieved.

And as for the superior economic leadership and fiscal management that he insisted was needed after what Abbott gave us, it has all but evaporated. After hand-on-heart promises of comprehensive tax reform and attention to industrial relations, we are now facing a desolate scene as the fiscally inexperienced Morrison struggles to formulate his May Budget with virtually all his options propelled by a fractious Abbott-led backbench into the too-hard basket.



How has this all come about?

The answer is straightforward. Abbott and his henchmen, some of whom sit on the backbench, have made almost impossible every move Turnbull wanted to make.


The hard right reactionaries, supported by the coal lobby, have made action on global warming dangerously difficult.

The same neo-conservatives, aided and abetted by the ACL, have got their teeth into the sexual equality and Safe Schools debates, and have already debased them.

The Gonski reforms sit on the shelf, opposed by the Abbott conservatives who do not believe in equal opportunity for good schooling irrespective of postcode, income and ethnicity. How many of these are themselves recipients of private education, who believe in ‘user pays’? If you can’t pay, too bad!

The NBN will remain second rate because of the mixed technology and copper wire connections to the premises. Why the LNP does not warmly embrace FTTP technology, so essential for a first world economy and competiveness, seems mysterious until one recognizes that the FTTP NBN was a Labor initiative, and therefore must be denigrated and despoiled by the LNP.

Behind all this opposition is an Abbott-led Fifth Column of reactionaries, who still bridle at what happened to their man. It is determined to show us that they were absolutely right when in power. Abbott announced last week in Japan that he wears his 2014 Budget as a badge of honour. At the weekly party meeting he again called for spending cuts, particularly to welfare, and tax cuts, which will benefit mainly the wealthy.

Abbott has another objective: to upend and replace PM Turnbull. Anyone who doubts this has a faulty memory for Abbott’s characteristics. He has always been a poor loser way back to his student days. He is a bare-knuckle street fighter who never gives up his quest to destroy his enemies – destroy, not simply defeat. Turnbull is his enemy, notwithstanding Abbott’s vow to do all he can to have the Turnbull government re-elected. This is another of his lying utterances, like his promise that there will be no wrecking, no undermining and no sniping. Now all of these are happening! His erroneous comments about the delay to the purchase of submarines were an overt attempt at wrecking and undermining.

There is now talk of the ‘Second Abbott government’. Already he is out and about with another set of slogans he believes will win government: He has condensed Labor's election promises to a threat of: ‘five new taxes’ a housing tax (negative gearing), a wealth tax (capital gains), a seniors tax (superannuation), a workers tax (smokers), and the carbon tax. It is vintage scaremongering Abbott, but his behaviour is infuriating his colleagues. He has declared open war on Turnbull.



So has Malcolm sown the seeds of the harvest he is now reaping?

Yes. His bitter harvest is the direct result of his willingness to sacrifice so many of his sacred principles and policies in order to scavenge the votes he needed for leadership.

He put his longstanding ambition to be prime minister ahead of his deeply held values and principles. He ought to have known that the Shylocks who extracted that price are ruthless operatives for whom power is all that matters. They will never give up. They are determined reactionaries, hell-bent on upholding their ultra-conservative beliefs at all costs. Indeed, some believe it would be better to lose the election in order to cleanse the LNP of the moderate elements and restore and protect conservative values. To them, that is of supreme importance.

We should not be surprised at their destructive behaviour. They will not change; they cannot. They will fight to the bitter end in what is now clearly a life and death struggle between Turnbull and his moderates and the Abbott-led extreme right wing reactionaries. Abbott told us often that the LNP is not Labor. He was right. The LNP is now set upon a course even more self-destructive than that of Labor.

Malcolm’s Bitter Harvest is upon him. He has reaped what he sowed.




What do you think?
What are your views about PM Turnbull six months in?

We look forward to reading your views and your comments.


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DoodlePoodle

13/03/2016This piece tells it exactly as it is. Turnbull must wonder how he got himself in his current situation. One wonders what the LNP can possibly say or do in an election campaign. They have painted themselves into so many corners. Meanwhile Shorten is out there every day with a plan that he can hammer to the electorate. Surely people must be able to see the difference.

Ad astra

13/03/2016Doodle Poodle Thank you for your comment. You are right. No matter which way Turnbull turns, he finds himself in a corner. He seems trapped in a maze and has no idea where the exit is. And his dilemma is of his own making. It's good to see Shorten out there with positive messages. Even those who might disagree with him will at least know where he stands. Having a defined plan will always trump no plan, or a wishy-washy one.

Casablanca

13/03/2016Spot on, Ad Astra. To continue the agricultural analogy, Malcolm's brow is now deeply furrowed. And even we city slickers know that deep furrowing is detrimental to the growth of new shoots. The deep furrowing has happened in a remarkably short time as evidenced in the first image of Malcolm in the article. If Malcolm Turnbull, PM can't even advance his own firmly held beliefs within his own government, what hope is there to advance these matters on behalf of enlightened voters?

John Kelly

13/03/2016It is extraordinary that someone could promise so much and thus far deliver so little. Given the parlours state of the Abbott government and the initial honeymoon for Turnbull he has wilted. He could have ignored the extreme right with a crash through or crash approach and would have been more successful than he has been. The extreme right may have power but they are cowards too. Malcolm could have given them the two fingered salute and proceeded with his reforms. What could they have done? Replace him? How stupid would they look if they did that?

Ad astra

13/03/2016Casablanca How right you are. The furrows deepen as he realises how trapped he has become as he tries to conform to the demands of the reactionaries. His discomfiture is manifest, but it is the nation which suffers most while he dilly-dallies, not knowing which way to turn. Shades of fiddling while Rome burns...

Ad astra

13/03/2016John Kelly It's good to see you commenting on [i]TPS[/i]. I have had the same thoughts. Why has Turnbull so timidly submitted to the bullying of the reactionaries? What would be the consequences for him if he gave them the two fingered (or even the one fingered) salute? What could these bullies do? My guess is that they would huff and puff but they could not blow Turnbull's house down. How stupid (and Labor-like!) would they look if they tried to upend him. They would make a lot of noise and then go to water, as bullies usually do. If only he would take the risk!

2353NM

13/03/2016Well written Ad Astra. If Turnbull's Government was a business, it would be showing signs of real stress. Turnbull is supposed to have the skills to run a business - so what's different this time (or was it all just smoke and mirrors?) John Kelly - I've pondered the same question as you raise. While the fundamental conservatives have some ability to generate media attention, reality would suggest that the majority of those that would support them are literally dying out so the influence has to be declining. On top of that, as you say Turnbull was supposed to be the knight in shining armour - they would look like complete gooses to replace him. So the answer is either Turnbull can't see the wood for the trees (he could have chosen to proffer a finger or two with little or no long term damage) or he really believes this stuff. In which case the experiment demonstrably hasn't worked and the Australian public are (to borrow a phrase) waiting behind the ballot boxes with baseball bats. Don't say option 2 can't happen - Newman had a bigger majority in Queensland and lost.

Rebecca Stevens

14/03/2016It is a huge mistake to forego your beliefs in order to achieve power. What is the point of having power if you have lost your integrity and don't stand up for what you believe is right? Australians are very good at detecting a phony, and that is what Turnbull has turned out to be. Those who sell their soul to the devil end up paying a very high price.

Casablanca

14/03/2016Perhaps it's timely to go back and read what Annabel Crabb said about Turnbull in a Quarterly Essay a few years ago - David Marr said it was 'The most incisive portrait of Turnbull that’s been written'. QUARTERLY ESSAY 34 Stop at Nothing.The life and adventures of Malcolm Turnbull Annabel Crabb How would Australia be different if he were prime minister? What are his most closely held policy convictions? I asked dozens of Malcolm Turnbull's political colleagues this question, asking them to name three. Many of them had to pause before responding. 'You'll have to excuse me. I'm eating some chocolate,' was the best initial response, from a Liberal on the other end of a phone line. https://www.quarterlyessay.com/essay/2009/06/stop-at-nothing eBook $9.95

TalkTurkey

14/03/2016Last comment first: Casablanca: I must vote as Best Comment on Turdball, partly because made so long ago, PJK's assessment: "Keating stirs the Liberal leadership pot - Federal Election ... www.smh.com.au › Federal Election 2007 Nov 26, 2007 - Mr Turnbull was a bit like a big red bunger on cracker night, Mr Keating said. "You light him up, there's a bit of a fizz but then nothing, nothing." And to the first comment, by DoodlePoodle: "They have painted themselves into so many corners." Indeed, you can extend the metaphor too, it's like they've progressively deadlocked themselves out of every room in the house they occupy, with the key always withheld by some of the family. And there's Turdball locked in the sunroom, on display but unable to do anything and fading visibly. But Yes Ad astra Last comment first: Casablanca: I must vote as Best Comment on Turdball, partly because made so long ago, PJK's assessment: "Keating stirs the Liberal leadership pot - Federal Election ... www.smh.com.au › Federal Election 2007 Nov 26, 2007 - Mr Turnbull was a bit like a big red bunger on cracker night, Mr Keating said. "You light him up, there's a bit of a fizz but then nothing, nothing." And to the first comment, by DoodlePoodle: "They have painted themselves into so many corners." Indeed, you can extend the metaphor too, it's like they've progressively deadlocked themselves out of every room in the house they occupy, with the key always withheld by some of the family. And there's Turdball locked in the sunroom, on display but unable to do anything and fading visibly. Now, Ad astra, to your article itself : Dam, but you write so well! If Turdball himself read this, he might be able to see himself as others see him. He wouldn't like it because there he is for all to see in the sunroom and with no clothes. I particularly noted this sentence: "Many of us, while enjoying the prospect of a more progressive prime minister to replace the reactionary conservative Abbott, had our reservations." I think I must be more cynical than you though Ad, because my responses to Turdy's ascendance were all darker. I certainly gloried in Abbort's demise, horrid Thing that he is, but I had no joy in his replacement not only because the fickle Oz public flocked adoringly to him, but also because I didn't for a minute believe he had any depth of principled purpose for a better society. I was a keen observer of the Republic Referendum where Turdy was front-and-centre. He was touted as pro-Republic but afa I'm concerned he was Howard's stalking horse, setting hares running and sooling dogs of dissent after them, confusing and damning the whole issue. If there was any justice he'd've been awarded a knighthood there I reckon. The Grech affair & #UteGate showed him not only cynical and ruthless, in trying to destroy Rudd on a fabricated & silly accusation of criminality, but also catastrophically incompetent as a lawyer and politician, in failing to check the veracity of Grech's weird claims. No high-mindedness there. And then his despicable destruction of the NBN, as you mention Ad. An craven act of wanton bastardry to the people of this country, at the behest of the craven vandal Abbort, at the behest of the One Who Rules Us All, Murdoch. Turdball, who has a background in IT businesses, knew exactly what he was doing, as we all did by the time he was doing it. It was Tony Windsor who said, "Do it once, do it right, do it Fibre", and with his re-entry into active politics, he will be haunting Turdball all the way to the election. Turdy's just a rich shallow hollow puffed-up self-centred smug creep and I never had any delusions about him since those first days. I'm just surprised that so many did. But there's not so many now!

DoodlePoodle

14/03/2016https://www.quarterlyessay.com/essay/2016/02/balancing-act Interesting Quarterly Essay - George Megalogenis

ad astra

14/03/20162353NM Turnbull poses in intriguing question for us. Is he so hog-tied by the reactionaries in his party that he can scarcely move, or is he just a timid man not prepared to stand up to the bullies and put his principles ahead of his ambition? In any case, he has been rendered impotent, whether by external forces or internal conflict. Either way, it is a sad state for a national leader: sad for him, and sad for the nation.

Ad astra

14/03/2016Rebecca Stevens Thank you for your perceptive comment, and welcome to The Political Sword. Do come again. You are right. Australians can pick a phoney, and increasingly see Turnbull as one. He seems to have sold out his principles to appease the reactionaries. In my view he will not succeed until he stands up to them. Does he have the guts? In the meantime, the nation suffers under his incompetent government.

Ad astra

14/03/2016Casablanca Annabel Crabb's Quarterly Essay on Malcolm Turnbull: [i]Stop at Nothing[/i] will be well worth a re-read. I think it's among my e-books.

Ad astra

14/03/2016Talk Turkey Thank you for your comprehensive comment. You are right; I was more willing than you were to give Turnbull the benefit of the doubt about his inglorious past, and had hope for a new improved version this time around. It's looks as if your scepticism is closer to the truth. I suppose it was the stark contrast between him and the awful Abbott that deluded us. He looks, and indeed is so much better than Abbott. But that is not enough. What the nation needs is a strong, decisive leader who can cast off Abbott's reactionary hangers-on, and get on with governing this country for the majority. Turnbull is neither strong or decisive. The people are now seeing this; his ratings are falling steadily. His retreat on such crucial issues as the NBN and marriage equality has been particularly despicable; we know he has abandoned his beliefs to placate the Abbottites to sustain his position. The nation suffers. It seems now that he is prepared to abandon or water down needed tax reform because his colleagues don't really want it lest it threaten their seats. Self interest dominates thinking and action. All Turnbull's visionary words have gone up in a puff of conservative blue smoke. He has eschewed wearing Liberal Blue ties, but is hog-tied by Reactionary Blue ideology. So much promise - so much disappointment.

ad astra

14/03/2016Doodle Poodle George Megalogenis' Quarterly Essay [i]Balancing Act[/i] looks interesting. The preamble is enticing: "[i]In this urgent essay, George Megalogenis argues that Australia risks becoming globalisation’s next and most unnecessary victim. The next shock, whenever it comes, will find us with our economic guard down, and a political system that has shredded its authority. "Megalogenis outlines the challenge for Malcolm Turnbull and his government. Our tax system is unfair and we have failed to invest in infrastructure and education. Both sides of politics are clinging defensively to an old model because it tells them a reassuring story of Australian success. But that model has been exhausted by capitalism’s extended crisis and the end of the mining boom. Trusting to the market has left us with gridlocked cities, growing inequality and a corporate sector that feels no obligation to pay tax. It is time to redraw the line between market and state. "Balancing Act is a passionate look at the politics of change and renewal, and a bold call for active government. It took World War II to provide the energy and focus for the reconstruction that laid the foundation for modern Australia. "Will it take another crisis to prompt a new reconstruction?"[/i] I'll look forward to reading it.

Annette

15/03/2016Even my 88 year old father thinks Turnbull is running scared. If Shorten sticks to his resolve to have climate change action central to his campaign, I believe he will win because I don't think all that many Australians are actually science deniers. The truth is coming out. http://www.smh.com.au/environment/climate-change/true-shocker-spike-in-global-temperatures-stuns-scientists-20160313-gni10t.html

Ad astra

15/03/2016Annette Welcome to [i]The Political Sword[/i] and thank you for your comment and the link. Do come again. With today's startling news that February broke the record for monthly temperature increase (1.35 degrees C), climate change will be a major issue in the upcoming election. Malcolm Turnbull knows that the Coalition policy on carbon mitigation is deeply flawed (despite the gobbledegook that Greg Hunt dished out this morning), and should he continue to push the line that Direct Action is and will be effective, he will stand discredited in the eyes of a majority of the voting public, who now want something effective done about global warming. Having described Direct Action as 'a fig leaf' and a profligate waste of money, it is difficult for Turnbull to now claim it is doing a great job of carbon mitigation.

Vince O'Grady

15/03/2016Excellent read Ad Astra. Turnbull is seen by many as Labor leaning and I am sure that has been a fostered perception. All I see of the man is another Liberal Liar. Having worked in the telecomms Industry for years I knew that the liberals would not produce an NBN from copper. If Turnbull was so clever and intelligent he would have known it too. If he believed in Science and innovation, particularly Climate Science, he would not have agreed to the dismantling of the CSIRO. Australia's shining light for pure science. If he believed in Economics he would not have agreed with Joe Hockey dismantling the Car Industry, before his interim report was given by the PC. A fatal decision which a 2014 report from the University of Adelaide which says that 200,000 Jobs will be lost and Australia will take a $29 Bn hit to the economy. If Liberals believed in Australian Jobs, they would not have signed the China Free trade agreement with the Jobs going to China and 457's at a prodigeous rate. TPP is another example. If Malcolm believed in Peace and prosperity, he would be overseas talking to China about their belicose stance in the South China Sea. Malcolm is a Liberal Dud who waffles his way through everything. He may know how to be charming, but he's no labor person. This is evidenced by his remarks about the Unions Royal Commission where he states extensive evidence against the unions. That is rubbish. with 72 people being injured at work each day in Victoria alone and death as a consequence of the almighty dollar, it's inevitable that the CFMEU would try their hardest to protect their members. Besides that there were less people referred to the police from the RC than normal crime fighting bodies found normally in the Liberal party. The organisation is awash with them. So the actual examples of Malcolm's liberal nature, rather Bell the Cat. And you have put it so well. Lastly he said that more jobs had been created by this government than since john Howard was in power. That is incorrect. The Labor party created 535,000 jobs in 2010.

BSA Bob

15/03/2016Interesting that Turnbull, who came into this job promising so much change, now seems to be basing his re election strategy on doing nothing.* Steady as she goes folks, everything's already for the best. *Apart, of course, from using the courts & parliament to further his party's private political agenda.

Ad astra

15/03/2016Vince O'Grady Welcome to [i]The Political Sword[/i] , and thank you for your kind remarks and thoughtful comment. Do come again. You are right in everything you say. You cite instance after instance where there is a stark inconsistency between what Turnbull professes and says, and the reality of what he does, which is either contradictory, or amounts to nothing at all. What a disappointment he has been. So many had hoped for a new and improved Malcolm this time around, but sadly we have the same old Malcolm.

Ad astra

15/03/2016BSA Bob it's so good to see you again on [i]TPS[/i]. You are right; Malcolm seems even more reluctant to act than he was previously. He must be really hog-tied by the reactionaries, scared to cross them, unwilling to challenge them. It is pathetic and disappointing. His government is afflicted by a torpor that shows no sign of abating, and the nation suffers.

TalkTurkey

15/03/2016Ad you say: "Turnbull poses in intriguing question for us. Is he so hog-tied by the reactionaries in his party that he can scarcely move, or is he just a timid man not prepared to stand up to the bullies and put his principles ahead of his ambition?" Yes, and yes, but the real answer is that he really doesn't have any strongly held views or aims apart from being King Malcolm. I don't believe that he is really viscerally interested in climate change or helping form a better society, he's not even too interested in being hegemonic, he is already where he wants to be and that's what counts.

Stinson108

16/03/2016I think we all read too much into the group of "hard right" "disruptive" Liberals. From where I'm standing this group is not really that bright altogether. In my view the rot or MTs reluctance to bring about change has happened after he got onto the world stage .......he simply got his marching orders as he was hopping from one end of the globe to the other. Obama and Rupert made sure which way he will dance. Making a comparison between all the G8 , or even the Brussels EU government .......they are all jumping to the same tune. The odd ones out are Russia and China. These two are portrait to us in MSM as "cold war " agitators . Should Shorten and the ALP make it into parliament.......just wait and they will have the same doctrine imposed on them , or will have to wear a steep decline in our economy with the help of Wall Street. ( Loss of AAA rating for Australia will be the start) The Abbott removal was engineered from outside...he was going to loose the election ( Rupert advising Tony to get rid of Peta)......in comes Turnbull (moderate according to MSM )...and then back to playing the tune . Our democracy has been hijacked by corporations!!!!! This is what it looks like. I follow with interest the pathways of Corbyn and Sanders .......MSM is the conduit which steers policy and your vote , and with that both candidates success or failure . The near total silence on the TPP agreement is telling......that is our new government .

Ad Astra

16/03/2016Talk Turkey From what you say, it means that Turmbull is really nothing much at all. That is sad for him, and sad for all of us. A spineless, rudderless narcissist is not what we want for our national leader. Is there no hope for his leadership?

Ad Astra

16/03/2016Stinson108 Welcome to [i]The Political Sword[/i] and thank you for your comment. Do come again. Your points are well taken. More and more we the voters are realising that the big corporations are ruling the Coalition roost. We have been aware of Murdoch's pernicious influence for ages, but there are many others who lobby the government and bully ministers or bribe them with promises of donations. The IPA has profound influence, and is still pressing for its long list of policy changes to be implemented. Will it be possible to change this state of affairs? You sound sceptical. I share that scepticism.

Woodypear

17/03/2016A great analysis!

Ad astra

18/03/2016Woodypear Thank you for your kind remark. It's always good to see you here.
How many umbrellas are there if I have two in my hand but the wind then blows them away?