With less than a day passing after Coalition stalwart Nick Minchin announced his retirement from federal politics, Tony Abbott wasted no time in using the opportunity his exit presented to reshuffle his front bench.
More specifically, he finally had an excuse to shift long-time pain in his bum, Barnaby Joyce, from his finance post and into something a little less visible — and he siezed it with both hands around Barny’s throat.
According to The Australian‘s Paul Kelly, Malcolm Turnbull immediately piped up from the backbench with “Pick me, pick me!”, but in the end, he went with the more conservative choice (both literally and figuratively) of Andrew Robb.
But will it be enough to bring the Opposition’s economic credibility back from the brink? Will it actually stop Joyce from running his mouth off, or just give him more free time to perform in front of the press pack? And has he opened the door for the triumphant re-emergence of Malcolm Turnbull?
Here’s how the pundits see it:
The Australian
Paul Kelly: Turnbull’s return to frontbench a step too far Tony Abbott
The removal of Joyce shows Abbott’s ability to correct his mistakes.
Dennis Shanahan: Labor’s crowing over Barnaby may backfire
Abbott will also be seen as having acted as a leader should and to be in control of his team.
Sydney Morning Herald
Editorial: Abbott passes reshuffle test
Abbott has shown skill in winning the public back to the Coalition
Lenore Taylor: Joyce is neck-deep in water
Now Joyce, defender of the rights of upstream irrigators, has to adjudicate the fight
The Age
Editorial: Abbott misses an opportunity to rebuild
Mr Turnbull would be a far better finance spokesman
Grattan: A quick hit, or it would get ugly
If Abbott had delayed, the Turnbull factors would have come increasingly into play.
Courier Mail
Dennis Atkins: Tony Abbott shows that he just doesn’t get Queensland in dumping Barnaby Joyce
… he has humiliated one of the most senior Queensland Nationals – someone who has much greater recognition than party leader Warren Truss.
Daily Telegraph
Malcolm Farr: Ruthless response to reckless ramblings
Joyce could never be finance minister should there be an Abbott government.
ABC
Fran Kelly: Tony Abbott on the run
Senator Joyce is a talented politician who will inflict damage on the Labor Government now that he’s free
Elsewhere…
Grog’s Gamut: Shutting the Barnyard door after the horse has bolted
… thanks anyway Barnaby; you helped the ALP kill any momentum Abbott had more times than anyone else.
I’d characterise it more as moving the deckchairs…
What is Fran Kelly smoking? Can we all have some, please?
Agree Diana — are the press that out of touch that they honestly believe Joyce is respected by any but a small group of the Qld community who are of a similar ilk?
Just reading most of the above snippets convinces me that the coalits have somehow managed to bribe the mainstream press — because, surely they aren’t THAT stupid.
They have become timid little bunnies when it comes to scrutinising the opposition and yet are quite happy to exaggerate to the point of downright lies when scrutising the govt.
Something just isn’t kosher.
@ Jenauthor – I appreciate that you are an ALP supporter but no one in their right mind could suggest that the ALP should be free of criticism. Perhaps they have not had a credible Opposition for a large portion of their term, but I’d be loathe to suggest this Government has been performing at a high level – especially from an economic perspective.
What is Dennis Atkins smoking? Does he seriously believe that QLD is suitably and appropriately represented by a red-faced, wide-eyed, shouting lunatic?