One of Julia Gillard’s biggest political mistakes turned out to be announcing the 2013 election date many months out from the actual event. Robbed of one of the crucial ingredients in election year political journalism — the ability to endlessly speculate on when a poll might be held — the press gallery savaged her.
Malcolm Turnbull hasn’t made the same mistake. The PM has said an election will most likely be held between August and October, as scheduled. But he has also not ruled out going to the polls early if the Senate rejects the government’s draconian (and wholly unnecessary) anti-union Australian Building and Construction Commission bill.
Any election campaign called in such circumstances will feature little debate about the alleged merits of the ABCC bill — smashing unions is simply not a priority for voters, who are focused on economic management, health, jobs and education.
But if the polls are correct, it will enable Turnbull to win a mandate in his own right. And that could be the circuit-breaker his government, as young as it is, now clearly needs.
After this week’s woeful performance by Treasurer Scott Morrison, it is clear that the government is stuck in a sea of indecision on tax and wider economic reform. Labor, in contrast, has rolled out a series of bold, costed reform policies. And Turnbull is equally mired on other issues like climate policy and same-sex marriage.
Perhaps an early election is exactly what Turnbull needs to kickstart his government — indeed, to make it wholly his government — and start governing effectively. Another six months of what we saw this week will be appalling for the government and for the country.
What a pathetic excuse for krap reportage “Robbed of … the ability to endlessly speculate on when a poll might be held — the press gallery savaged her.“.
And yet NSW has fixed 4 year term so why not the same shitbrain savagery?
Couldn’t be anything to do with Gillard leading a sound, unleaking, sane, stable and well run government, thus robbing churnalists of the easy life?
“Perhaps an early election is exactly what Turnbull needs to kickstart his government …”
My mind went immediately to the Python’s parrot sketch. How can something be kickstarted when it is stone cold dead?
Plus where are the government performers? ScoMo is indeed woeful. The selection of those who have been discarded since Christmas indicates poor judgment on Turnbull’s part. Not a star in sight. Lacklustre seems to be the only word.
Why would we want to give Turnbull a mandate in his own right? What would be in the mandate? It is more likely control of the senate in his own right which the Greens would hand him in exchange for more seats of their own. Perhaps more likely is the senate with the Greens deciding what goes through and what does not.
The Greens will win no friends for blatant opportunism in allowing a rushed double dissolution election for restoring the unfair, dangerous ABCC. So, will they help Turnbull rush through a budget? And will they help him go for a double dissolution election without a budget?
Greens opportunism is as likely to cost to cost the Greens as much as opportunism cost the Democrats.
Turnbull may win the 2016 election on charm alone as surely he’s not foolish enough to reveal the LNP’s real agenda prior to voting day.
If Turnbull is going to kick-start anything, he would have done so before this.
All the Coalition’s pious büll shit about containing governmental spending is forgotten as they shape up to an election and a picnic at the taxpayer’s expense.