In staying hostage to this right-wing lunge, rather than fighting to move it back to the mainstream, Turnbull erased his moderate face, destroying his only utility – electoral utility – to the Liberals.
Our penchant for overturning political leaders didn’t appear overnight. But it has been intensified through constant polls and, in the Liberals’ case, the fact that the party allows it.
It is possible the home affairs minister is in breach of Section 44(v) of the Constitution – and if the High Court were to find him so, it would cause yet another headache for the government.
With fringe right parties feasting on the margins of conservative political discontent in Australia, deeper questions are being asked about whether the Liberal Party itself is at risk.
The pain in politics is not pretty. Most leaders relish imposing it on adversaries. But then, when they come to bad ends, as they often do, they bleed and vent. Tony Abbott’s anger and distress is clear…
The table below shows the results of the five polls that have been conducted since Malcolm Turnbull replaced Tony Abbott as Australia’s PM. Three of these polls have Coalition leads and the other two are…
Australia will benefit if a Turnbull government pursues a foreign policy agenda attuned more to regional and global goals and developments, and less to domestic political challenges.
The Abbott government resisted the disruptive changes of the 21st century. To succeed, the Turnbull government will need to shed this reactionary mindset and embrace inevitable change.
Christopher Pyne’s policies in the education portfolio were underpinned by liberal values of the free market, autonomy and education as a private commodity.
Natalie Mast, The University of Western Australia e William Bowe, The University of Western Australia
What did we learn from the Canning byelection campaign? What are the result’s implications for both the new Turnbull government and the Labor opposition?
An important element in the success of Malcolm Turnbull’s government will be how effectively it handles the Senate. Some crossbench senators have greeted the arrival of Turnbull enthusiastically, contrasting…