As chance would have it Malcolm Turnbull was to have been at a sod turning for a big Toowoomba bypass project on Monday, in Ian Macfarlane’s Groom electorate.
Malcolm Turnbull has widened already huge leads over Bill Shorten on satisfaction and better prime minister ratings while the Coalition leads on the two-party vote in Newspoll.
The government is preparing for an early byelection in former treasurer Joe Hockey’s safe seat of North Sydney, with nominations for the Liberal pre-selection already open.