From Turnbull ally Nikki Sava today:
A vocal few who remain in Abbott’s orbit are deluded into thinking a spell in opposition to cleanse the Liberal Party of the taint of Turnbull is a good thing. A desirable thing. So they cheer him on like giggly schoolgirls with their pompoms and tricky gymnastics, ignoring the fact that on any measure Turnbull has delivered more of the conservative agenda than Abbott was ever able to.
They know they are not helping the government. Wittingly or not, they are not helping Abbott either. He will never again lead the Liberal Party. He would be lucky to secure double digits in any vote.
His destructive and self-destructive behaviour has escalated in a carefully orchestrated grid of appearances at think tanks or with young conservative MPs such as Sukkar, Angus Taylor and Andrew Hastie. Sukkar and Taylor, who are junior ministers, have angered their senior colleagues, including those who had urged their promotion. Questions were raised about their poor judgment at Tuesday’s cabinet meeting where their conduct was criticised. Christopher Pyne had already received his rebuke personally from the Prime Minister.
Abbott’s recipes for revival, as inconsistent and as far removed as they are from what he practised as PM, and his method of promoting them, are the stuff of fringe dwellers. It is no way forward for a mainstream political party seeking to govern Australia today or anybody who wants to lead one.
…The Sky News-ReachTEL poll, which Abbott acolytes choose to ignore, said it all. A total of 73 per cent of Liberals prefer Turnbull as leader over Abbott. Abbott is strong among One Nation voters, where again, according to ReachTEL, 76 per cent of them would prefer him over Turnbull. One Nation votes could help retain a few regional seats, but in the suburbs of Brisbane, Melbourne, Sydney and elsewhere its policies would cost votes. That was obvious in the West and explains why in Queensland the LNP is treading carefully on the issue of preferences.
Perhaps. Or perhaps it says that Abbott will recapture the ON vote, without which the Coalition will never form government again.
It doesn’t have to be Tony to do it, much better if it isn’t. But that vote must be recaptured.
The answer is so obvious. Cut immigration by half. ON dies. Abbott dies.
Coalition becomes the party protecting living standards.
