Brendan Nelson has thrown the Liberal leadership open to a party room vote tomorrow morning. A source quoted by the ABC calls the move a “suicide mission” and “predicts Malcolm Turnbull has the numbers to take the leadership”. Nelson defeated Turnbull in the first round five days after the November 24 election by 45 votes to 42.
Reflections on the Miracle of Democracy at Work in the Greatest Nation on Earth
Liberal leadership: round two
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520 Comments
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Robb is a clever guy, they could do worse.
I just love this. Brenda or Turnbull or Abbott or Hockey. WGAF because it will solve nothing as long as Cossie is still there smirking.
The Fibs will still sit there with their month open waiting for Godot Cossie.
Cossie’s revenge, how sweet it is.
Nelson is either a genius for doing this or a fool. We’ll know when we get the results of the ballot tomorrow morning.
This means Turnbull and Abbott havent had time to canive and sort out who’d get what, and Nelson could look decisive and like a leader by doing this.
Either way a spill was going to happen, Nelson has done it when he still thinks he can win it.
GP @97, never say never ….. (from the Melbourne Herald Sun) “Deputy Liberal leader Julie Bishop has not indicated she plans to stand aside from her position.
However, during tomorrow’s meeting, one of her colleagues could call for a spill of the position.
The matter would have to go to the vote.
A spokesman said Ms Bishop was not making any comment tonight. “
No 101
He’s caught the two most likely contenders totally off guard: Costello and Turnbull.
Costello was busy backstabbing and saying that he wasn’t spineless. Now he has to prove it.
Turnbull has been on an Italian siesta in Venice and hasn’t canvassed support.
Tomorrow morning shall be interesting.
*sigh*
Oh well. At least I didn’t fence sit. And I still have my hat!!
GP I agree it’s a good surprise move – unless it is to counter a “surprise” move by Turnbull that he got wind of.
Perhaps the real Malcolm will be revealed when he won’t have to embarrass himself any more by waffling along in support of the untenable and the hopeless. And with a bit of intellect up front, perhaps there will not be the same need for his colleagues’ confected rage and childish stunts.
I recall Beazley did a similar thing in December 2006. That turned out well for him.
Guess it just hastens the inevitable
Ok, if Turnbull wins who gets shadow Treasury, and what will Nelson do?
No 106
Mog, we saw plenty of stunts from Labor over the last 12 years. Remember ease the squeeze, ladder of opportunity, whingeing bitching Simon, bomber the waffler?
Malcolm in the Middle.
This is Brendan’s Maxwell Smart trick to take the attention away from his failure to produce his private member bill on the Pension Increase today. good thinking 99.
No 111
1. The private member bill is unconstitutional in the lower house.
2. It is constitutional in the upper house.
Turnbull is definately in:
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,24350022-601,00.html
No, please don’t! It hurts too much!
GP,
my point exactly
This is wrong. You can’t initiate an appropriation bill in the Senate; it is unconstitutional.
No 115
If the Coalition introduces it in the upper house, it will easily get the support of the two independents and the Greens.
116 GP – that is old news now.
Apologies. My bad.
On Sky news news, Spears says Tony Smith and Mitch Fifield support Nelson. Apparently Smith voted for Turnbull in Novemebr.
Also apparently Smith and Fifield both worked for Costello in the past…
118 lol. Well I guess if Nelson gets up it’s still alive.
I have to say I don’t agree with you on Costello challenging. I think he’s resigned (at least for the moment) to being the power behind the thrown (such that it is).
The more I think about it, the more I think Nelson is doing this because of Costello, not Turnbull. Costello not resigning and refusing to give a definite answer re: a leadership challenge has forced Nelson to do something he hasn’t done for 10 months, show leadership.
Failing leaders often call this particular stunt and it rarely benefits them.
I just love that it interrupts Costello flogging his book. Beautiful timing by Nelson (intentional I hope).
It’s called a “Hail Mary” pass in American football.
Does anyone know of the list of how people voted last time?
No 125
Even if he loses the leadership, Nelson has done the right thing. If he was destined to lose the job, it would be pointless continuing on when he clearly lacked the support of his party and of the public.
Dario
It’s REALLY going to piss off Costello. If he doesn’t challenge now, that stuff about him having ticker etc will never fly. If he does challenge and lose, he’s even more of an embarrassment than ever. If he challenges and wins, he’s stuck in a job he doesn’t want with a now irrelevant book.
I guess, but Nelson figures he’d win sooner rather than later against Malcolm.
James J is right about Beazley, when a floundering leader is flopping about in the boat someone is going to eventually bop it.
What could Nelson do though if he loses?
Well i suppose Robb would take Treasury and Nelson would either sit on the backbench or get Foreign Affairs.
No 130
It shouldn’t really annoy Costello. After all, he has let the rumours fly and allowed the speculation to continue since November last year.
No 132
Nelson could get health given his ministerial an vocational experience.
Who has health now?
Diog, i heard Cossie’s wife said something like this on AM or RN this morning: “Cossie is a man of his words. So people should take his words that he is not interested in the Fibs Leadership”. If he goes against his own words, he aint got no place to hide.
Joe Hockey
yeah Robb to treasury would make some sense (I don’t think much of him, but most think he’s wasted in foreign affairs).
GP back @ 88. Keep up that attitude. It’s doing wonders for you. That you would think you can simply appear here and expect automatic respect for a party and fortunately ex-government that has done so much damage, on balance, as opposed to good things for the country, speaks volumes about your comprehension of both the people who post here, and political process in Australia.
I’ve been googleing to try and find the answer. Please, why is Brendon called emo man?
No 135
Yes, Fin but he failed to completely rule out a challenge which to my mind indicates he may still challenge.
Except that everything was in his control with that. Now that he has his book planned for release Nelson comes along and upstages him. Yeah, he’ll be pissed off all right.
The question is whether the other job Deputy will be spilled. If Turnbull wins I suspect it will be spilled, though Julie would be favourite to win given the Sarah Palin hype at the moment.
No 138
Harry, I’m sorry but the fact that you consider the majority of the Howard Government constituted heinous damage to Australia automatically rules out any impartiality you might think you have.
The fact that government is voted out is not a rejection of everything they did. If you think otherwise, you are very much mistaken.
Colin Barnett said was retiring, now he’s premier. I think if Costello changed his mind the Libs would be happy to forgive him. (What the public might think is a different matter).
No 142
How about Wilson Tuckey for Leader.
He’d smash a hole through Rudd’s ego.
It didnt seem to hurt Colin, did it. But the Libs were coming off Sniff’s leadership, anybody would do better after that.
but not impartial ol’ you lol
139 fredo – because he is so into being overly dramatic about things
Not putting the Deputy’s job up for a vote is actually a clever move from Nelson (didn’t think he was capable of it). Reason being, if the Turnbull-Abbott* rumors are true, it would secure Bishop’s WA bloc.
* Maybe the deal was won an agreement to make George Pell the 1st President of Oz?
Flashback:
The Age, 22 July 2007
http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/no-hunger-for-the-lodge/2007/07/21/1184560109135.html
The story, by the way, is titled “No hunger for the Lodge”.
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