Yesterday I noted that the Liberal Sheilas movement was not much more than a hollow echo of Malcolm Turnbull’s dubious values:
The candidates share independence, climate change consciousness, social progressiveness, immigration sympathies and political centrism but they do split over how these are interpreted. Steggall is against Labor tax reforms, Yates is half for them, presumably Banks is against and Phelps is an unknown but probably against given the political reality that Wentworth is the number one tax rorter in the country.
So, in truth, this looks more or less like the Turnbull Party in exile, a cluster of blue ribbon social consciences with little or no economic prowess nor vision for how to lift Aussie living standards beyond a very welcome shift towards carbon mitigation.
It might change but for now they’re good for throwing out the Coalition and not much else.
It is becoming apparent that Turnbull’s ghost is the hand that guides at least some, via Domain:
Malcolm Turnbull’s son Alex has confirmed he is involved in Liberal defector Julia Banks’ campaign to oust Health Minister Greg Hunt from his Melbourne seat, as furious Liberals declared the independent MP had “betrayed us all”.
Several Victorian Liberals are convinced the former prime minister had a role in Ms Banks’ decision to challenge Mr Hunt, who supported Peter Dutton in last year’s leadership coup.
The junior Turnbull has previously said he would bankroll independent political campaigns, particularly those prioritising climate change, as Ms Banks has pledged. He did not answer questions about any financial involvement in her campaign.
…Scores of Victorian Liberals complained Ms Banks was out for “revenge” and said she did not stand a chance of ousting Mr Hunt from the seat, which he holds on a margin of 7.8 per cent.
Just as Malcolm was a total washout, these Turnbull independents are not the great saviours that they are made out to be.
We need much deeper reform than they offer.
