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Malcolm Turnbull: the Wile E. Coyote of Australian politics

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As we sit and wait for news of the fate of the seven dual citizens as they traipse from their parliamentary offices with the woebegone air of condemned men and women to the High Court this afternoon, it is worth reflecting on the sort of week the government has already had.

There is a prescient sense of deja vu about it. The Turnbull government often has good Tuesday afternoons but come the weekend, the control of the agenda has been lost, a scandal has emerged, or infighting on the backbenches has turned into a donnybrook. The familiar theme is, in any one week of the Turnbull government, one step forward and three back.

Indeed it has happened so often the thought occurs that possibly Malcolm Turnbull isn’t very good at being prime minister.

Full column here.

591 Comments

  • JackSprat says:

    Ah, the joys of Chinese manufacturing.

    I have had 2 of those flexible hoses that plumbers us to connect sink taps to the mains water break within a few months. Both hot water

    One went during the night and we are up for a new cupboard.
    Today’s one went while I was present and there was no damage.
    I came across a guy in Bunnings with the same problem – hot water, blown within 5 years.

    One old bath room has a Dorf in it and it looks as good as new..

    • The Outsider says:

      Funny you should mention that, JS.

      I bought an Aldi kitchen sink mixer (for (for $50!!) last week and it also had the flexible fittings. I was going to swap it for my Franke mixer, which has copper pipe fittings, this weekend. In the end I decided against it, as I thought it was better to keep a reliable old system.

      Reading about your experience, I’m glad I didn’t.

    • Tracy says:

      Got those in the downstairs bathroom, I usually run my hand along ours about once a month to check there’s no moisture on the outside (no leak inside) after we had one go a few years ago.
      The ones under the kitchen sink are about eight years old but less humidity in the kitchen.

      • JackSprat says:

        No warning Tracy.
        We were in the bathroom when it happened.
        What’s that hissing noise?
        And then the water started to flood out of the cabinet.

  • Henry Blofeld says:

    The perennial goose, ex ousted PM Abbott, Mr Insider, waxes lyrical about the benefits of Climate Change , a subject he has continuously denounced for years! I think this is just another “Abbott Change” and haven’t we has a plethora of these from this class A idiot!
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=64z5J7OKmjM

    • Jack The Insider says:

      Off topic, CNN is reporting the first arrest from Mueller’s investigation will take place on Monday EST but who will it be?

      • Dwight says:

        Manafort would be my guess. However, it may be for when he was working for the Podesta brothers. No surprise that Mueller’s investigation is leaking to CNN. I think the last honest man in DC was Gerald Ford.

        • Jack The Insider says:

          Not a leak but a warrant filed apparently, mate.
          Update: Sorry, no. The story relates to a Federal Grand Jury approving the first round of indictments. So that is a leak and if not leaked by the defence that is a potential problem, presuming the story is accurate — that’s a big ‘if’ too.

          • The Outsider says:

            Some pretty explosive stuff, so far: http://www.news.com.au/finance/work/leaders/trumps-former-campaign-head-surrenders-to-fbi/news-story/66f12402ba62ff47a5bb13880390b0ea

            Diogenes has found his man in Robert Mueller, don’t you reckon, Dwight?

            • Jack The Insider says:

              Manafort was always in big trouble from what was reported of his activities. Important to note he had only a temporary association with the Trump campaign, winding up in mid 2016. He and his business partner, Rick Gates, have been charged with money laundering and tax evasion. For me, the more important bit of news is Trump foreign affairs adviser, George Papadopoulus, pleading guilty to lying to the FBI about the extent of his Russian connections. That could prove crucial. Flynn is virtually a separate matter and he, too, is in a huge amount of trouble. There are three things to look at as Mueller continues his work. One: the possible collusion between the Trump campaign and the Russians (DNC hacked emails, fake news dissemination during the campaign etc). Two: a raft of alleged financial crimes historically involving the Russians and Trump businesses and businesses owned and run by Trump associates. Three: the allegation that Trump obstructed justice in firing Comey. Long way to go but those who know Mueller say he is thorough but moves quickly unlike Ken Starr who dragged his investigation of Clinton on for more than two years. Today is just the beginning.

        • The Outsider says:

          Dwight, I think I recall you saying a while back that it was James Comey.

          Do you still feel that way?

        • Boadicea says:

          You were right Dwight!

      • Henry Blofeld says:

        Might be Grandma Hilary Clinton, Mr Insider, she’s up to her garter in Russia collusion it does seem. Cheers

        • JackSprat says:

          Now now Henry – the signing off of documents when she was Sec of State and Bill getting a $500,000 speaking fee is purely co-incidental

    • Milton says:

      Just like to register my displeasure at your sentiments and tone, dear Henry.

  • Razor says:

    For me, something of special note in the Barnaby disaster, is the fact nobody has seemed to question the motives of an obscure Victorian legal centre initially funding Tony Windsor’s High Court challenge. The same Tony Windsor who made a lot of selling land to those evil coal miners. I also note once again he has shown his mettle and is not going to run. The blokes a weak, two faced, bitter grub.

  • Henry Blofeld says:

    A joke to start Sunday off, Mr Insider and here it is: “Malcolm Turnbull”.

  • Huger Unson says:

    Asked whether Mr Tillerson got the logic, Ms Bishop replied: “He’s a very, very, very logical man.”
    Almost sealed it for me, almost. If JB wants to command the utmost verisimilitude of politics, she should prefix her judgments with The truth is …. Does it for me, every time.
    Could do better, then, but she’ll ease into the job and we’ll all be satisfied with her leadership. That’s a gilded promise.

  • The Outsider says:

    It looks as though Annastacia Palaszczuk is about to call an election. I just found out that she was once married to George Megalogenis.

    I wouldn’t have picked it.

    • Milton says:

      I didn’t know that TO – and quite a brief marriage, though they all seem like forever.
      Another thing I didn’t know was that Enoch Powell was one of Gough’s professors in the Classic’s. Very smart chap was young Enoch in that dept.

      • The Outsider says:

        Milton, I didn’t know that but, I always thought that Gough could sort the wheat from the chaff.

        • Milton says:

          The Outsider, Gough’s cabinet was not bereft of chaff.
          And for what it’s worth TO, Gough got a 2nd class honours in classics and Enoch “For his efforts, he was awarded a double starred first in Latin and Greek, this grade being the best possible and extremely rare”, from Cambridge (both wiki refs).
          One thing for sure you only need to mention their first name to know them.

  • wraith says:

    And the winner is Jules!

  • BASSMAN says:

    George Young-revisited…..It is sad really, all we hear about is Vanda and Young yet nearly all of their initial hits
    which stamped them as a serious band were written by Stevie Wright (and often in
    conjunction with George Young). Why is Wright ignored as a songwriter? Maybe because
    he was not viewed as ‘clean’ as the other members. In fact the VERY first hit they EVER had Come and See Her was
    co-written by Wright as was For My Woman. It was his songwriting with Young that started them on the road to the top:-

    Wright has these credits-not bad for a bloke ignored by everybody-

    In My Book, Sorry, Easy As Can Be, Wedding Ring, I Can See, The Old Oak Tree, I’ll Make You Happy, Hard Road- heap of tracks, Sad Lonely and Blue,For My Woman, Land of Make Believe, Women, Me or You, Funny Feeling….and many many more.

    Sad Cafe

    • Trivalve says:

      That’s a string of good and great songs Bassy. They were a world-class outfit. Without resorting to Wiki though, I refute your assertion that Come and See Her was their first hit. No way.

    • The Bow-Legged Swantoon says:

      Since been remade into a really excellent TV series by HBO.

    • JackSprat says:

      Hey Wiss, are those good looking nurses getting to you?

      Hope you are on the mend.

      • Dwight says:

        I keep waiting for the moment when on campus I run into the two student nurses who looked after me in March. They must be spending all their time in the wards now.

      • Wissendorf says:

        Hi JackSprat. Yes, on the mend mate. Came home last week after an extended stay due to infection. In ICU I had ladies, but in the post op critical care ward most of my nurses were male. All were excellent. I followed the link in the item I posted, to the factory where they make these robots. Many different designs available from about E1300. My ex, bless her, is looking after me at home atm and I showed her the catalog, and then said if they have a model that makes decent coffee and doesn’t nag I might invest. Copped an earful. The following day a disturbing item came up on morning TV. I thought I had misheard so I tracked down more on the net. Saudi Arabia has granted citizenship to a robot. It now has more rights than the Saudi women. World gets nuttier every day.

        • jack says:

          Wiz, a few blokes doing the nursing is OK, but if you are stuck in ward with a drip in your arm and nothing except religious programmes or the Chinese news channel on the tele, then a plurality of young local women helps the time slip by.

  • BASSMAN says:

    I dunno why hacks are slashing their wrists over Mad Barnaby:-
    1. He will win easily
    2. Parliament will go on the same. No Looters will cross the floor whilst waiting for Joyce
    3. The Speaker has a casting vote to stuff Labor up
    4. Gillard governed like this for years and had more legislation passed than
    this corrupt lot.

    • Dwight says:

      As for your third point I might be wrong, but didn’t Smith say he wouldn’t use it?
      I still think that the amount of legislation passed is an indictment, not an indicator of success.

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