Humble servant of the Nation

ABC News 24: when too much non-news is never enough

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While we contemplate the tragedy that has befallen the once great party of Billy McMahon, let us also consider what’s on Bill Shorten’s to do list today. Pop into the office late, check emails, go to question time, make merry, flip through soft furnishing brochures, have a long lie down.

That’s pretty much all Bill Shorten has to do right now. I would add Labor’s tactics yesterday to suspend Question Time and bring forth a vote of no confidence in the Turnbull government were terrible. It would have been a better exercise to drag up Liberal frontbenchers who had voted for the challenger, Peter Dutton, and asked them questions of the “Does the current Prime Minister enjoy your full support?” type. Almost certainly the questions would have been ruled out of order, but it would have made for great theatre.

Look, it’s not all bad news. At least Malcolm Turnbull won a poll for the first time yesterday in what, 18 months or more.

For now, it is enough to know that voters hate what they are seeing. The next Newspoll promises to be such painful reading for the Liberal Party that the numbers may just as well have been toted up by the Marquis de Sade. Thank you, Sir. May I have another?

In times of great tumult, if you are like me you will turn not just to print and online reports but to television for that additional sense of immediacy. I have followed the travails of the Liberal Party, leading to this reckless act of self-destruction on Sky News because it offers the best political coverage on television bar none. It does so without ostentation. It is political news done on the smell of an oily rag. The team led by David Speers is well connected, often reporting on SMS communiques received from members of the beleaguered party in real time.

Full column here.

128 Comments

  • Milton says:

    The liberal party – another victim of climate change.

  • Dismayed says:

    credlin and jones now unloading further on Turnbull. the idiot paul murray just finished crying how terrible it is dutton has to actually work for the top job. It is clear now the right wing and conservative are being led by the nose by the Newscorp cultural warriors. jones is a disgrace. Interesting all this has happened just after murdoch flew into town? the cons are disgrace and holding the nation to ransom. I thought Turnbull’s effort his afternoon was his best effort yet. He was confident and direct. That was the turnbull the Nation hoped would see from the outset. the conshave wrecked the Liberal party. the newscorp spruikers are a disgrace. No Surprises.

  • Bella says:

    Why can’t the government just put itself out of it’s misery & ours, call an election, then let Australia decide?

  • Dismayed says:

    the true cons on show again. Liberal members including woman have complained about intimidation and bullying to get them to support dutton. Regardless if it is dutton or hillsong morrison the cons will further divide the nation by deliberately inciting and using divisive racist bigoted attacks on certain sections of the Australian population. this from the party that has in the past 12 months had the biggest number ever of migrants enter the country. the conservative own the wrecking of the “Liberal” party they may have a short lived gain but come the general election it ill cost them even more. No surprises

  • BASSMAN says:

    “Sky News because it offers the best political coverage on television bar none”. Gulp!Hope you listened to Chris Uhlmann about Sky’s and 2GB’s biased reporting on Sunrise. https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/sky-news-news-corp-2gb-waging-war-against-pm-chris-uhlmann-20180823-p4zz7f.html

  • Carl on the Coast says:

    Just like the PM’s support, the comments on here have disappeared?

  • BASSMAN says:

    It is between Julie Bishop Scum Morrison and Dutts now. She has thrown her bra into the ring. She might win…..why? She would save the most seats. Saving seats is more important than contesting an unwinnable election.Remember Rudd? Saved about 12 seats. As hopeless as he is, Shorten will offer stable leadership rather than a rabble.

  • Milton says:

    Politics is all about timing (and numbers!) and Albo has missed his chance.

  • Milton says:

    Turnbull ready to take his bat and balls and head home.
    And ever the opportunist, Barnaby Joyce considers this an opportune time to reinsert himself back into the commentariat.
    ps Surely someone should be giving us live footage of all the comings and goings. Even a closed door or a whiteboard would do the trick.

  • Henry Donald J Blofeld says:

    Your Twitter feed has been quite entertaining, Mr. Insider keep up the solid work!

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