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Wednesday May 23, 2012

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Is Turnbull Labor's saviour?

Posted by: Tom Elliott | 27 July, 2011 - 5:30 PM
Malcolm Turnbull

Well, you don’t have to be a professional pollster to know that the Federal Labor Govt in this country is deeply unpopular.

Although Kevin Rudd was replaced just over a year ago by Julia Gillard in an effort to turn the party around, its electoral fortunes have now sunk to a fresh low.

Today in the Age, the Gruen Transfer’s Rowan Dean poses an interesting question – could Labor revive its flagging fortunes by convincing former Liberal leader Malcolm Turnbull to change sides and replace Gillard as PM?

It seems a farfetched idea, but consider this – since losing the Liberal leadership to Tony Abbott in late 2009, Malcolm Turnbull has done his best to undermine his political colleague. For example, he thinks the NBN might be a good idea, that man-made climate change is beyond debate and Australia should move to become a republic once more.

All these policies are far more popular in the Labor Party than the Coalition.

Furthermore, in late 1999 it’s rumoured that Turnbull approached both Bob Hawke and Kim Beazley with a view to seeking Labor preselection. Nothing ever came of it, but what all this evidence suggests is that despite being the wealthiest politician in parliament, Malcolm Turnbull might be a lot more comfortable leading his ideological friends in the Labor Party than his conservative foes in the Coalition.

PLAY AUDIO: Tom Elliott's interview with the Gruen Transfer's Rowan Dean who is flirting with the idea of Turnbull changing sides

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Blog comments Your Say

  • Mylene, Get your fingers out of it.

    IAN BARKER Thursday 28 July, 2011 - 2:39 PM

  • At the end of the day Labor are great in opposition. With their union background they are good whingers who keep governments accountable. But please please please don't let them actually touch the wheel and run anything.
    They knife Rudd because he wants to introduce an ETS. A year later the knifer, brings in exactly the same thing. Call me confused Mylene.

    The Cynic Thursday 28 July, 2011 - 2:28 PM

  • Good Idea Jan,that would prove beyond doubt, the big majority do not want another tax>!

    Steve Thursday 28 July, 2011 - 1:12 PM

  • Get rid of Turncoatbull, he just thinking of what he how much he can make out of Carbon Tax, and to all voters out there, Labor/Greens/,dependents did not want to have a referendum on Carbon tax claiming it was too expensive, well maybe we could all use the census form to voice our opinion on Carbon Tax and add the question to form ourselves and answer Yes or No, that way should cost Zero to be able to have a say on the matter

    Jan Thursday 28 July, 2011 - 11:59 AM

  • Can somebody ask Turnbull how much money Goldman Sachs expects to make from the implementation of a carbon tax and the trading of carbon credits?

    Is it in the $tens, $hundreds or $billions over the first 5 years?

    This is the new derivatives trading for the investment bankers.

    Paddy Thursday 28 July, 2011 - 11:44 AM

  • It'll be a lot easier for the Liberals if they give Malcolm back the leadership after the election than to try and repeal the Carbon Tax. It's a win/win situation.

    Mylene Thursday 28 July, 2011 - 10:57 AM

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