The AFR’s Laura Tingle has published a ripper post assessing the so-called “ginger group’s” attack on the Turnbull Government’s superannuation reforms – i.e. the incessant white anting from loon pond conservatives within the Coalition – and arguing that if Malcolm Turnbull and Scott Morrison cannot get these reforms over the line, they do not deserve to keep their jobs:
The Coalition party room meets for the first time since the election in Canberra on Monday…
There is a push on by Abetz and others against the Coalition’s superannuation policy proposals in the budget… The argument boils down to the fact it may have cost the Liberal Party some donations. Not votes…
Now there is always a lot to criticise about policies put forward by both sides of politics… But superannuation was one of the few areas where the Coalition was on the side of the angels, and thoughtful policy.
…concessions for superannuation [are] just so obscene in terms of equity – and the cost to the budget – that even the industry recognised something had to be done…
We are talking about a policy position that has got the closest thing to bipartisan support we have seen in decades…
There are all sorts of other answers to the question about what to do about superannuation. Nothing is perfect. But this is equitable. It does not involve raising tax, just cutting badly targeted tax concessions.
If Turnbull and Morrison cannot see off this particular ginger group, they really don’t deserve their jobs.
Here here. Kowtowing to the conservative nutters within the Coalition is precisely why Malcolm Turnbull lost his luster with the electorate.
Turnbull swept to power in a wave of public support in mid-September 2015, only to lose the electorate’s good will within just six months – a dramatic turn of events.
Rather than embracing his small “L” liberal roots, and forging ahead with previously espoused views on climate change, same sex marriage, and the elimination of property tax concessions, Turnbull instead embraced the conservative loons within his party and performed a smoking U-turn on these issues. In the process, the electorate lost its trust in Turnbull, viewing him as untrustworthy and just a polished-up version of Tony Abbott in a nicer suit.
About the only area where Turnbull has promised meaningful reform is unwinding some of the disastrously inequitable and expensive superannuation reforms of Peter Costello. The package put forward by Turnbull and Morrison is a policy no-brainer, projected to save the Budget some $2.9 billion over four years, in addition to funding the low income superannuation tax offset, which means those earning less than $37,000 would not have to pay more tax on their super than they do on their income.
There is also near tri-partisan support for superannuation reform between the Coalition, Labor and the Greens – something that is rare in modern politics and should make passing the package fairly straight-forward.
If Turnbull and Morrison fail to get its superannuation package through the Coalition party room, then they will once again prove that the conservative nutters are running the show. Turnbull and Morrison will be beholden to these nutters for the remainder of this political terms, stifling their ability to govern.
Put simply, Turnbull must shut-out the conservatives before they poison the policy well completely.
