Listening to Ben Fordham's 2GB Drive Program on Tuesday afternoon, nearly 24 hours after the end of Tony Abbott's Prime Ministership, I was bemused by how caller after caller lined up to attack both Malcolm Turnbull and the Liberal Party. Turnbull was a treacherous wretch, and the Liberal Party as a whole had not only lost the plot, it had lost them, for good. They would never vote Liberal again. They felt disenfranchised. My friend Ben tried to hold them back a little on the grounds of reasonableness, and managed it for a bit, but finally there was no stopping the mob. We then cut to the 5pm news. It was enormously positive for Turnbull. Record turnaround in poll-numbers! Huge approval surge! Huge fall for Shorten! Canning by-election likely to be saved! Liberal Party back on track!

The lesson? Whatever else, it emphasised the new disconnect between the world of talkback and the real world. Tony Abbott, as we know, had a close link with talkback and was constantly being publicly brow-beaten by Alan Jones.

Malcolm Turnbull, in the same field, attracted great support by telling a hectoring Jones: "I don't take dictation from you, Alan."

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/comment/why-talkback-radio-has-disconnected-from-the-real-australia-20150918-gjq1m3.html#ixzz3mDs6Gqya
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Hopefully, The Murdoch press is not going to try to bring back Tony Abbott. The Tony experiment by Uncle Rupe is finished, kaput, buried, cremated and deaded. Rupert, you did a great disservice to this fair nation.
In the same token, Uncle Rupe being a "republican" for Australia should laud Turnbull's republicanism. But unlike Tony Abbott, Rupert cannot control Malcolm. Malcolm dictates to Rupert. The minions are caught between having to pander to Malcolm and give him praise, otherwise they would do Labor a favour. God forbid. With Tony Abbott gone, all that stock of neo-conic ammunition — that the Murdoch press could use to enforce inequality, war rubbish and other right-wing concocted crap — has blown up sky high... 
The Murdoch press will have to at least print some Turnbullism palatable to the masses. So the tone of the media is going to change. Barnaby Joyce can say all he likes, anyone badmouthing Malcolm would be doing Labor a favour. Turnbull knows this and suddenly it's clear sky for Malcolm. 
The only trouble makers will be the women, especially someone like Concetta, a staunch monarchist, could be a trouble maker... But Malcolm has more baubles and beads in his bag of tricks...


Meanwhile, What Turnbull has to do urgently (though Malcolm won't take dictation from Gus):

 

Restore the confidence of the Aboriginal people by stopping the destruction of their settlements and working on recognition in the constitution.

Investigate the problem of global warming in earnest and propose a solution that supports renewables and eliminate subsidies to the fossil fuel industries in order to make a dint in the problem. Then eliminate fossil fuels.

Stop the Australian war planes in Syria — and for once stop listening to the double-dealing Yankees (and Saudis) on this subject.

Reinstate the Gonski reforms and boost the general confidence in PUBLIC education.

Remove the chaplaincy program.

Restore the funding to Universities to make them more democratically accessible

Improve health services and manage the influence of pharmaceuticals on the services

Restore funding to public scientific organisations.

Restore MANUFACTURING in this country — dice the FTA with China and control those made earlier with other country. 

Reduce the exposure of this country to currency speculations by whatever means

Stop "stopping the boats" in a manner that stops being a shameful embarrassment to this country.

Improve working conditions (Sweden has introduced the more productive and effective 6 hour day).

Restore the NBN plan of fibre to homes.

Get the marriage equality laws passed through parliament.

Move towards an Australian Republic.

Charm the Murdoch media to approve of all good things to come...

Tell his doubtful rich mates that these first steps in a simple program is for them to benefit (profit) from a better and more confident country prepared to face the future rather than flying back to the 1950s.

 

And of course fund the NDIS...

 

 

 

Note: image at top is from the front page of the Sunday telegraph. As usual, the woman's body overlapping the Dame trick is unrelated to Malcolm's new possible non-captain's pick... Delta is here to attract the attention of (male) buyers...

 

Well before the spill, before even Tony Abbott's near death experience, Alfred P Zarb considered the tidings and foretold a future involving Malcolm Turnbull.

Greece’s Delphic Oracle had her vapours. Rome’s Vestal Virgins had their godly fire. Denmark had its fairy tales. Others had tea leaves and chicken entrails. That is how the future was foretold. But how is it done in Australia? 

I thought long and hard, much earlier than Tony Abbott’s “near death experience”, before I realised it. In Australia, we have politicians to do it for us. More usefully, for psephologists, soothsayers and the media witchdoctors inhabiting the frenetic parliamentary triangle in Canberra, we have politicians with unique talents to self-destruct. Shocked into an unending flow of nightmarish visions, I fought to escape and wake up, but with a great dream to tell. I recite it here, as happens with dreams, as if it is re-enacting itself in the here and now.

Unexpectedly, at a sudden meeting, the Liberal Party caucus faces an extraordinary spill of its leadership positions. Surprisingly, Malcolm Turnbull is elected party leader with 88 good luck votes in favour, and 13 bad luck votes against. A later check of the ballot box suggests 54 to 44. It is still a clear case of the good and the bad. Not surprisingly, Scott Morrison is elected prospective deputy leader, waiting for Julie Bishop to concentrate her energetic skills exclusively on foreign affairs. So Malcolm Bligh Turnbull at last abandons his Hamlet Costello crown of thorny thoughts and becomes Australia’s 29th Prime Minister. At the end of one of the finest speeches ever leaked from the party room, the new PM requests the indulgence of a necessary but solitary captain’s call. In an immediate attempt to regain the nation’s respect for parliament and voters’ trust in politicians, Turnbull announces crucial reforms as soon as possible.

One, the Speaker will come from the cross-benches and cannot belong to any political party while in this important role. Two, for the duration of the Turnbull leadership of the Government, Coalition members will not ask any questions during Question Time. Three, he relinquishes the presumed privilege of a PM to unilaterally engage in foreign wars without prior full cabinet approval. Four, all expenses claimed by any MP will be uploaded with due explanation to that MP’s website, within seven days for backbenchers and 14 days for ministers and their shadows. Five, the new Turnbull Government will honour the Coalition’s earlier promise to build Australia’s new submarines in South Australia, with international assistance if and when necessary.

Within minutes of naming at least five women in his first ministry, the new PM announces a special parliamentary committee to improve parliament’s operational requirements to make it less difficult for talented women with young family to serve the nation in Federal Parliament. Purely coincidentally, Warren Truss announces his retirement. Barnaby Joyce is then elected leader of the National Party. 

Shell-shocked, former PM Tony Abbott resigns from parliament, effective as and when it suits the Liberals, much to the secret satisfaction of spouse, Margie.  After a short holiday recovering budgie smugglers discarded by brilliantly successful opposition leaders, Tony announces he will devote his next few years to writing two major monographs. One will assess Australian politics and values, and the other will explore overdue reform of the broad Australian economy to meet the challenges of the 21st century. If appropriately asked, he would also write his multiverse memoirs.

Shattered by Abbott’s sudden loss of leadership before the election, plus reading the future before it happens and well recognising that while assassinating two prime ministers may be careless, killing a third is much too foolhardy, as well as impossible, Opposition Leader Bill Shorten quits parliament. Despairing of what might have been – always a wonderful solace or unhappy trap for highly motivated – well-superannuated ex-politicians, Bill turns his undoubted intelligence to the study of Shakespeare and Roman history. Before too long (some say deservedly so, rather unkindly) he becomes an acknowledged expert on Julius Caesar, especially as observed and appreciated by his great friend Brutus.

Will Turnbull completely destroy Australia and everything that's Righthttps://t.co/PFZaEoLaWH @IndependentAus HAHA @davrosz *giggling*

— Cranky Angry Noely (@YaThinkN) September 18, 2015

Tanya Plibersek, graceful and thoughtful as ever, is easily elected leader to wisely mother Labor into somehow becoming grown-ups again. Grown-up enough, that is, to warrant holding government in the future at the voters’ pleasure. In a move of historical significance, Tanya announces she will lead in Opposition for two terms. Then, preferably, she will hand leadership over to Ed Husic, impressive member for Chifley, who is already showing unmistakable signs of unusually wide appeal. Ever the shrewd numbers man, Anthony Albanese adds his support, reminding colleagues, grown up or otherwise, of the changing demographics in many marginal seats. Somewhat embarrassed, but keen nonetheless, Husic promises total loyalty to Labor and its traditional Australian values, especially for the ordinary workers like his family. So Labor starts preparing for the approaching real exam for grown-up politicians, for the one after, and for the one after that. Mendacious media and disingenuous politicians often call it “the only poll that counts”.

With Turnbull as Prime Minister, an extraordinary mood of multi-partisan cooperation and national pride bursts out among the cross-benches in the Senate. Richard di Natale, impressive no-nonsense successor to Christine Milne, offers the full support of the Greens to accelerate possible carbon tax revenues to expedite return to budget surplus. Clive Palmer makes his China expertise readily available to whoever wants it (for only a small fee, some insist), before resigning his Federal seat to be parachuted into Brisbane as the new premier of Queensland. Upon her inclusion on a special committee to oversee pay and related conditions for armed forces serving overseas, Jacqui Lambie drops all threats to take Tasmania out of the Commonwealth. Philosophical Nick Xenophon, mindful of historians’ doubts about the Athenian democracy of his ancient forbears, agrees to assist with all government negotiations to build submarines in Adelaide. Not infamous Johnstonian canoes, he insists loudly and calmly, but real lethal warships. Nick also begins to think that perhaps Australia needs more practitioners of his sensible yet pragmatic style of politics, even though a Xenophonic Party could ring alarm bells.

Time waits for no man (women excepted, then?). PM Turnbull, despite his earlier silly mistakes over the unverified use of certain trucks, is a great success. Former fine enemies, previously suspicious he may be a Labor Trojan horse in disguise, now laud the clever measured way with which he is improving the standing of parliament, the fortunes of the Liberal Party and the broad international standing of Australia. Not a bad threesome, he fantasises. He convinces his peers that budget surpluses are excellent when possible, and that budget deficits are equally as good when necessary. The nation is united once more, class wars of entitlement are famously ended, and real mateship returns. Sensible freedom of expression overtakes political correctness. Crimes are recognised as crimes, not confused with terrorism. Disgruntled youths find reasonably secure work and serious social inequalities recede. Business profits rise and membership of unions increases. Australia is at peace with itself, almost convinced it is the envy of the known world. Hope and incentivation replace fear and indifference.

Will Turnbull be the first Australian PM to visit our offshore detention@independentaus centres? https://t.co/o7WyONjrrx @IndependentAus

— lynlinking (@lynlinking) September 21, 2015

Having grown up at last, Ed Husic is Labor leader. He waits and he waits. Malcolm Turnbull announces his coming retirement (as soon as a reasonable replacement can be found), satisfied with his tenure at the Lodge. With shrewd Lucy’s farsighted encouragement, he starts contemplating new experiences and opportunities. The future looks promising, indeed. Tony Abbott is appointed first President of the newly proclaimed Republic of Australia.

It was then that the rooster started to crow.

Alfred P Zarb is an independent writer based in the NSW Blue Mountains. The original John Graham artwork featured in this piece may be purchased from the IA store.

 

https://independentaustralia.net/politics/politics-display/telling-in-the-mountains-an-australian-politics-dream-diary,8184