Federal Government
THE WILDERNESS YEARS: Malcolm Turnbull sets up “Leader’s Office in Exile”
The usual retirement speculation about a recently deposed federal leader hasn’t plagued Malcolm Turnbull. Other than a misinformed local newspaper report it is widely understood that the wealthy and ambitious former investment banker has no plans to go anywhere.
VEXNEWS can reveal that Turnbull’s plans to become Prime Minister are just alive as they were six months ago.
Liberal insiders have told VEXNEWS that Turnbull has retained – and is personally paying for – a considerable number of staff in addition to those funded by taxpayers. The annual cost of retaining those Turnbull has kept on is said to be in the hundreds of thousands of dollars. It’s hardly the action of someone who has lost interest in the caper, say party room observers.
MALCOLM’S WILDNERNESS
A well-informed source told VEXNEWS yesterday that:
“He’s set up a Leader’s Office in Exile. Malcolm isn’t going anywhere. He’s committed to politics for the long haul and it might be that not being leader at the next election will be a blessing. Who knows? Abbott is doing OK but he’s still enjoying a honeymoon, when the specifics of what he’s promising have to come out it might start to get tricky. And of course the polls continue to be very ugly. The only bright spot is that the Coalition needs to win fewer than a dozen seats to win, so the contest starts as a close one.”
Turnbull has been overseas, on holidays in Peru and at the Phil Scanlon Australian-American Leadership Dialogue, but is considered likely to throw himself into a big local campaign for his seat of Wentworth later this year, hoping that a strong showing will be some measure of vindication for him adopting the same climate policies as Labor.
A FIGHT BETWEEN LIBERTARIANS AND CONSERVATIVES
He anticipates that Abbott will fall on his face and that the most unexpected victory of the social conservative minority in the Liberal party room will collapse in the wake of a bad election result and that Turnbull’s wilderness years will eventually end in triumph. An anonymous informant sent us this analysis of Abbott that is reasonably representative of the Turnbull backers’ view:
Abbott is a dud. I have known the guy on and off for the best part of three decades, and have been unfortunate enough to have to work closely with him for a couple of years.
He has a certain roguish charm which appeals to the Press Gallery (who have always been rather lenient on former journos who become politicians: eg, Latham, Bob Carr, Peter Colllins, Clare Martin, Brian Burke for a while, etc.).
He is also quick-witted and can be devastatingly nasty about opponents (although I would rate Gillard way ahead of him in this regard). On that basis, he will make an effective Opposition leader for a while, and will no doubt land some telling punches on the vile Rudd.
But Abbott is not going to be electable. He dangerously overestimates his intelligence, has a wildly undisciplined mind, and is prone to incredible gaffes. He also is a complete and utter socialist who would like almost every sort of business activity either to be owned and run either by the government or by religious charities: views of which the business sector is well aware and which (along with his social conservatism, of which they are also wary) are going to make them tend to shy away from the Libs while he is leader.
Worst of all, he is an unreconstructed sexist who believes in his heart of hearts that all women over the age of 21 or so should be married, bearing children on a regular basis, and engaged in homemaking on a full-time basis. Even though he tries to hide these views, women voters below the age of 50 can sense them and therefore instinctively mistrust him.
I reckon the Libs would have been on a far better wicket with Turnbull, or even sticking with Nelson (not Hockey: he’s a goose whose only claim to fame is that he used to be on Sunrise with Rudd).
My problem with politics ATM is finding anybody at all for whom I could possibly feel like voting. How I wish Turnbull would abandon the Libs and set up a political party which is anti-socialist and pro-business, pro-environment and socially progressive on issues like abortion and gay marriage.
Discussion
83 comments for “THE WILDERNESS YEARS: Malcolm Turnbull sets up “Leader’s Office in Exile””
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Such a party would fly in about, oh, two dozen booths across Sydney and Melbourne. Good luck with that!
“How I wish Turnbull would abandon the Libs and set up a political party which is anti-socialist and pro-business, pro-environment and socially progressive on issues like abortion and gay marriage”. Get the party started and I too am a definite starter.
Such a party would fly in about, oh, two dozen booths across Sydney and Melbourne. Good luck with that!
Not so true – this is not a party that would be short on bandwagon jumpers and more immportantly it would have a cash pool to rival any of the other political parties. I wouldn’t be so dismissive.
Turn To Turnbull – such a Party is the ALP.
Methinks Turnbull has a CHIPP on his shoulder.
Let him start a new party. What will be its motto … “Let’s keep us bastards wealthy” ?
Eventually he’ll slither back into the arms of the ALP.
i cannot wait for Tony Abbott to fall over – then I can be just like my dad and get 2 parliamentary pensions!
Ted will be his point man in Victoria.
Dear Malcolm, the leadership debaclde was of your making. Tony has a job to do. He has to stem a landslide loss, not win. That is why Abbott wanted you to send the ETS bill to a Senate Committee. HE wanted you to this job. However your inability to understand the party or your role exposed your vanity. Your unsuitability was clearly demonstrated and outed you as an incompetent and vindictive. Metaphorically-speaking, put it back in your pants, Malcolm!
If you care – which you don’t -about the party, be a good backbencher, do as your told, and, if you are serious about the leadership, travel the country to visit local branch meetings.
I stopped spinning in my grave when Turnbull was deposed. If my Liberal Party has any brains they’ll stay right away from Turnbull.
Turnbull will start his own political party in march this year it will be pro-business, pro-environment and pro-republic. Problem is not enough of the real Australia is going to support it.
Bring back my spiritual protege P.Costello!
The people of Australia, so willing to cut down the tall poppies, will never elect a millionaire Point Piper resident as their Prime Minister. Save your money Malcolm for Daisy’s inheritence!
One big problem in Malcolm’s game plan. One has to be a member of parliament to be PM. Can’t see him winning Wentworth in 2010 – irrespective of whether he spends #600,000 or #1million of his own money on the campaign. An old saying…Money cant buy you love.
I am one of the poor bastards who is a liberal Liberal, not a conservative. I’m a lifelong member of the Liberal Party now feeling like I don’t have a party any more. I feel like a child who has been left on the footpath alone because his mother and father had a fight and were so full of each other’s anger and vindictiveness that they stormed off in opposite directions completely oblivious that they had left me standing on the footpath inches from whizzing traffic.
See – it’s all about me.
And the tiger.
And the sheep.
Baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JfJpIug6ZpE
Well spotted Alex Turvey.To be the leader of any Party he first needs to win a seat and 12 months from now he’ll be long gone from Wentworth.
Ahhhh… Speculation in politics. Where would we be without it?
If the well-informed source was so smart, he’d be a wealthy man from betting on his successful predictions.
Hey Alex – go back to your failed blog attacking the independents!
Nick “Baby Oil” Shambles exposed:
http://www.youtube.com/user/TheAlexFanClub#p/u/6/eGoOFRudFWU
Why doesn’t that Champagne Socialist just go and join the ALP where lefties of his ilk belong.
“I will not lead a party that isn’t as committed to fighting climate change as I am,”
You said it yourself Malcolm, your career in the liberal party is over. They don’t give a f**k about that left wing scam.
How is Turnbull a libertarian?
I thought libertarians were in favour of small government and lower taxes and expenditure not supporting Labor’s schemes to socialise the economy under the guise of helping the economy.
Reagan would be spinning in his grave.
Indeed anon. I have not heard him once say that he’ll do anything to limit spending or lower taxes.
His idea to patch up the budget black hole last year was to raise the tax on ciggies, sin taxes like that aren’t very libertarian, not to mention his passing of the alcopops tax through parliament.
This guy isn’t a libertarian he’s simply a big government Labor-lite centrist.
MALCOLM TURNBULL = LABOR-LITE
Didn’t Abbott get in trouble last year when he labeled NSW as a nanny state for banning parents from smoking in their OWN cars if one of their OWN kids was in the back?
hope he does start his own Party and split the right vote even further
Reagan wasn’t a libertarian. He proposed signing a federal law banning abortion. Not very libertarian. Plus he didn’t balance the budget. If anything the deficit grew larger under his watch.
It was me.
Oh Malcolm! WAKE UP!!! You might as well leave the Liberal Party – if you don’t I will eventually! Join the ALP – you really wanted to years ago, and you are FAR, FAR better off, almost at home, with them. As for forming another Party – wise up, it won’t work. If you believe it will, you must have more money than sense (which I’ve always thought applied to you anyway!). As I said, do a Kernot, and get into bed with the ALP. There’s sufficient unattached females (and even if they’re attached, under the Kernot Rules, who cares?) on the ALP side to actually do a repeat run of the Kernot adventure. Go on Malcolm – go for it! Might as well – nothing much more in politics for you my boy!
Cheers,
Observer.
Hey Darren, why don’t go back and work for your mates at the ALP
Reagan was a libertarian in theory and mantra; but knew that it just didn’t work – he lived during the Great Depression when Hoover’s “rugged individualism” of market failure caused financial calamity. In times of financial crisis, the only people who support libertarianism are those employed in government jobs with cushy working conditions and job security (sound familiar all you political staffer hacks?) Private enterprise always demands government intervention when markets fail and conservative politicians act (Margaret Thatcher bailed out British Leyland.) Isn’t it just wonderful how libertarians (Bush Jnr, Condelizza and Bernake) become socialists in the end!
That’s total rubbish about Abbott being sexist. Anyone who saw his ministerial office would have seen he had a number of strong professional women there in senior roles. Your anonymous source is talking an absolute load of crap.
Libertarians don’t support abortion. The issue is split among people calling themselves libertarian. Libertarians believe life and liberty need to be protected. Those who analyse the situation realise that it is undeniable that life begins at conception and hence the foetus is a human being with a right to life. Many libertarians also subscribe to Dr Walter Block’s ‘evictionism’ theory, which you can look up on google.
And libertarians DO NOT support the global warming scam. Libertarians are more hating of it than conservatives.
Turnbull is a conspirator. An elitist pushing the New World Order, Green Religion agenda. The idea that he’s a libertarian is absolutely absurd propaganda.
Oh gee George please pass me the rosary beads and send the Little Blonde Choir Boy into my chamber.
Baillieu refuses to apologisePAUL AUSTIN
January 15, 2010
JOHN Brumby is demanding Opposition Leader Ted Baillieu apologise to Women’s Affairs Minister Maxine Morand for what the Premier calls a bizarre attack on her family.
Mr Baillieu is refusing, standing by a Liberal candidate who called for the new Environment Protection Authority boss John Merritt to be sacked because he is married to Ms Morand.
Mr Baillieu added his weight to the attack yesterday, saying: ”Husbands or wives of cabinet ministers should not be engaged as watchdogs on government.”
The Liberal candidate for Ms Morand’s marginal seat of Mount Waverley, Michael Gidley, said in The Age yesterday it would be ”impossible” for the EPA to give frank and independent advice to the Government now that a cabinet minister’s husband was in charge.
Mr Brumby branded Mr Gidley’s attack inappropriate and unjustified. He called on Mr Baillieu to ”pull his candidate into line”, apologise to Ms Morand and Mr Merritt, and ensure that MPs’ families were kept out of political debate. ”To say that because someone is married to a politician they are not able to get a job in the public sector is just bizarre, it’s just absurd,” Mr Brumby said.
”Politicians’ spouses are entitled to work – they are entitled to get jobs on merit.”
Mr Merritt, executive director of health and safety as WorkSafe Victoria since 2001, was selected by an independent panel as the best person to run the EPA, Mr Brumby said.
There was ”no political involvement” in the decision.
But Mr Baillieu said the Ombudsman, in a 2008 report to Parliament, made it clear perceptions of conflict must be avoided in the public sector.
”Some areas of government give rise to obvious problems in terms of personal relationships, and particular care must be taken to ensure that such relationships do not impinge on the performance of official duty,” Ombudsman George Brouwer wrote.
”Public officers cannot simply assert that they did not or will not allow themselves to be influenced by personal relationships … The maintenance of public sector integrity therefore requires that officers avoid situations where it may be reasonably perceived that they could be influenced by a personal relationship.”
Mr Baillieu said Mr Brumby should ”explain why he continues to disregard the recommendations of the Ombudsman”.
The row came as the Coalition sought to steal an election-year march on the Government by promising to abolish suspended sentences if it wins the November poll.
Mr Baillieu indicated the policy – rejected by Mr Brumby as a dangerous assault on judicial discretion – would take more than four years to ”phase in”.
If you want to do a hatchet job on Tony at least be up front about it. Turnbull did a hatchet job on himself. He can start his own party or join the one that already exists for his beliefs… the ALP.
After what Bob Collins, Bill D’Arcy and Milton Orkopoulos did to the Little Blonde Choir Boy – some absolutely sick stuff – we’ll have to look after the poor child.
The fiends and paedophiles in the ALP have ruined the poor boy.
Tell Malcolm, and that alleged ” well placed Liberal source”, who backgrounded for this article, that they’re dreaming!
The Morgan poll to-day, testing community attitudes to the whole Climate Change question, confirms that there is a shift towards the view being expressed by Abbo.
The political Left are nervous. It’s palpable.
The major thing Abbo must do is ensure that he and Barnaby Joyce are singing from the same sheet.
Nevertheless, Joyce will bring alot of the rural vote with him.
Abbo’s policy speech last night about the Murray Darling needing the nation’s attention is spot on and, interestingly, his commitment to try to reverse the Bligh goverment’s Wild Rivers legislation may see the Coalition winning alot of Indigenous support in North Queensland.
Abbott is taking the fight to Rudd and its great to see!
Malcolm, you are a blow in who does not know Lib values. If you are a true Liberal you will give support to Tony Abbot, not do a Napoleon Bonaparte.
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by landeryou and Political Fiend, vexnews. vexnews said: THE WILDERNESS YEARS: Malcolm Turnbull sets up “Leader’s Office in Exile”: Malcolm Turnbull greatly admires Winsto… http://bit.ly/5HxeS4 [...]
No one rogers Choir Boys like me.
But what about ME!
Will I ever be a Senator?
Nick, Alex, Pleeeeeeeeease.
Poor poor Marco members resigning in their thousands, its a whole new ball game, Hows mad Mary?
Miles you have delusions of grandeur – your true skills lie more in cleaning public conveyances after Alan Jones and Byron in Wahroonga have entertained their guests in the far cubicle.
To the truly deluded: Malcolm WILL start a new party. The object is not to win, but to influence who WILL win and thereby have real power. Will you guys ever get it?
The sooner the better – then the conservatives will need to negotiate sensibly with progressive liberals (like they do with the Nats) to get anywhere.
This development will be the saving grace on non-labor politics in this country.
If it does not happen, Labor will remain the natural party of government and just keep wining by default.
On your knees Miles
you dick
Will this be like the time I got on my knees to beg before Nick and Alex?
he lived during the Great Depression when Hoover’s “rugged individualism” of market failure caused financial calamity.
Posted by Blind Freddie | January 15, 2010, 14:53
I’m sorry, what?
Observer = Tim Andrews. How are ya Tim mate?
Why do people keep calling Ronald Reagan a libertarian? For crying out loud he started the war on drugs. He didn’t get caught up in all this public health bullshit that libertarians and liberals see eye to eye on. He did the proper conservative thing and used the full force of the law to clamp down on these disgusting practises.
Why do people keep calling Reagan a libertarian? For crying out loud he started the war on drugs. He didn’t get caught up in all this public health bullshit that libertarians and liberals see eye to eye on. He did the proper conservative thing and used the full force of the law to clamp down on these disgusting practises.
Why do people keep calling Reagan a libertarian? For crying out loud he started the war on drugs. He didn’t get caught up in all this public health BS that libertarians and liberals see eye to eye on. He did the proper conservative thing and used the full force of the law to clamp down on these disgusting practises.
Eeek, Malcolm is showing as much political nouse out of office as he showed in office. I wonder what he don’t get about “just go away already!!!!” Nobody wants him. He is an embarrassment to be around. Obviously he has more money than brains. Does he really think anyone would want him back?
By the end of the year Malcolm will be sharing his wilderness with Tony abd the rest of the Fascist Liberals
Argus – do you even know what fascism is?
“I am the LEADER! I’ve made the call,”
Mal’s LaborLite will fail. It is a shame about him. He does have talent, but like most pollies, his talent fades in comparison to his massive ego.
…but Alex you promised you’d get me the votes….
I’m still relevant!
Anyone got any spare stamps ?
We’re right behind you DC…..
Observer = Tim Andrews. How are ya Tim mate?
Posted by Alex Hawke | January 18, 2010, 0:17
Want to try that again?
Alex, why did your goons desert me at the preselection?
Don’t vote for DC at his preselection. He is a bad man.
Check how sexy Alex and his lefty mates are in this new vid.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yuFl6×356a0
Hahahahahahahahahaha
Trent looked like he enjoyed that just a little too much.
DC is god’s candidate for the Upper House
Please not again tonight Mr Abbott.
I enjoyed my little drinkies tonight with Trent Zimmerman, Don Harwin and Matt Kean on Oxford Street.
Thanks for making me feel relevant guys!! xoxo
I enjoy more than drinks on Oxford Street and William Street with my daddy Trent Zimmerman!
Thank god Dominic Kelly now has the hairless fox Trent Zimmerman. I fought off Dean Gillespie and fought off Ryan Heath to keep my man Hawkey – back off bitches Hawkey is mine.
Why arent I on the frontbench ?
I will tell you why no front bench position:
Alex Hawke – dysfunctional immature power freak, devoid of intelligence or reality. David Clarke gave me a job as he felt sorry for me after the Army Reserves wouldn’t let me lead the Battalion on Graduation Day because all fellow students and officers hated me. I should have stuck to packing boxes and stacking shelves at a popular super market. If I had stayed in that role I could have been the supreme power and controlled the isles with supremacy.
The Hawke Team:
Nick Campbell – too busy pulling my strings and being exposed by Alan Jones.
Scott Farlow – can’t hold down a job, incompetent, no ability, forced his now wife to make false allegations to Police about David Bennett.
Simon Fontana – nervous twit, sweaty hands and shakes far too much. I have written numerous emails about Fontana in the past stating how incompetent and dumb he is – lets see them published in the papers if he ever stands for Strathfield or other public office.
Ray Williams – bus driver with attitude, no qualifications, anger issues.
Dominic Kelly – he truly loves me and is my eyes and ears in State Parliament. Dom\’s note book and efforts to write everything down for me on all in State Parliament is appreciated. But because he is an absolute wanker, liability to Catherine Cusack because he does no work and pisses everyone off he has managed to become the most hated Liberal staffer in Parliament House even second to the racist Adrian Pryke. He wonders why The Don, Zimmo and his boys are the only ones that will take him to Oxford Street.
Dom Kelly’s saving grace is that he does what he is told.
= De Luca
Turnbull’s Grech email fiasco was a disaster.
Turnbull is not fit to be PM.
If the Liberal Party want him as their leader, so be it. However, Turnbull will NEVER be Australia’s leader.
He is shop-soiled goods.
NEWSFLASH:
The Liberal Party lost the 2007 federal election.
They will lose the 2010 federal election, very badly.
They will lose the 2013 federal election.
Chaps you had better get accustomed to losing. It’s going to become a habit.
Turnbull was never a strong-enough Liberal – he never took a tough stance on anything, and he had 1 yr to ecplain Liberal beliefs (not exactly policy) on immigration, climate change, republic, health and education. He only did well on the economic issue for a little while until Utegate came along. At least Abbott is out there, on the hustings getting his message across…. I see and hear him far more on the news, and that’s what the Libs need to fight back at the next election.
Has Turnbull passed away?
Haven’t heard about him since he went overseas. Maybe reports of his death are greatly exaggerated.
What a load of ‘CR..’ – Who would be stupid enough to want TURNBULL as Opposition Leader again, or for that matter, have anything to do with him? RETIRE MR. TURNBULL and let Mr. Tony Abbott keep doing the perfect job he is, and will do, in the future. Unfortunately, Malcolm, you have turned out to be a TRAITOR to the Liberal Party and proved to be nothing but a HINDRANCE to them – So I say ‘GOOD-BYE’ to you. Go join the Labor Party, if they’ll accept you!!!
Malcolm I told you I would help you OUT. Like I have helped everone else out — Good bye.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ryqBdVikiaQ
I wonder when this film will be showing at Greater Union Bondi Junction?
I just can’t wait to buy my pop corn and skittles to enjoy this new video. Watching the Liberal party tear itself apart is great!
The shambolic actions of one man looks set to bring down Barry’s bid for government.
Pyschotic MP from Mitchell enraged after Clarke preselection win.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ryqBdVikiaQ