Opinion: Malcolm Turnbull, it’s time to throw off your shackles
IT HAS taken way too long, but finally Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has decided to stop muddling in the middle.
To paraphrase Paul Keating, the 18 months since Turnbull knifed his to way our highest office has been like a “flogging from a warm lettuce” – a totally ineffective form of punishment that has barely left a mark on the nation’s fabric.
After a near-death experience at the July election, the Prime Minister ended 2016 with a minor legislative win or two and walked into the summer holidays holding hopes of a brighter 2017, only to stumble into the summer of hell.
He lost a minister to an expenses scandal, was caught with his hand in pensioners’ pockets, and a computer at Centrelink said ‘no’ to thousands of Australians in an ungodly mess that left him looking like a mean rich man out to punish the poor.
Labor could see the writing on the wall.
Just make Mr Harbourside Mansion look out of touch and out of his depth and they could finish him off for good.
How wrong they were.
Whether it was Cory Bernardi’s departure into the conservative wilderness or one taunt too many from Bill Shorten, Turnbull finally cracked yesterday in Question Time.
He delivered one of the greatest parliamentary tongue-lashings of all time in a display not seen since the days of Paul Keating and Peter Costello.
The ballsy, brawling barrister of Spycatcher and Goanna fame – where he deftly defended Kerry Packer against allegations of corruption – was back.
In a press conference on Thursday, the same Mr Turned-Bull was present, fired up and ready to fight for his political life.
Judging by the overwhelming reaction to his evisceration of Shorten in Question Time, the nation liked what it saw.
Turnbull’s backbench also were impressed and that is precisely where he needs to next direct his anger.
He should turn his bark and bite on the restive conservative backbenchers in the Coalition that have kept him as shackled and subservient as Reek in Game of Thrones.
Tell the Triple-A terrors of Abbott, Abetz and Andrews to shut up or ship out. Let George Christensen walk if he thinks he’d be better off with Bernardi living in a conservative echo chamber.
The PM has shown he is prepared to stand up.
Now he needs it stand up for what he really believes in or his inner attack dog won’t bark true.
He knows what the nation really needs is serious, sweeping tax reform. Bring it on.
He believes in climate change, albeit balanced with delivering energy security. Then open up a serious fight and brawl over it in the party room and House until there is blood and a scheme that actually works.
He supports gay marriage, like most Australians. Then let parliament have a say, get it off the bloody table and move on to more important things.
He wants a republic. Then own it. Let’s have the conversation now.
What Australia clearly wants – and needs – is a prime minister who is prepared to fight and stand up for what he believes in. The public will respect him for it.
It’s time to go in and go hard.
