The Coalition’s apparent belief that everything that they read in the (Australian) newspaper must be true has got them into all sorts of trouble this week. The bizarre spectacle of a gaggle of Liberal Senators piling on Treasury Secretary Ken Henry in Senate Estimates was quite extraordinary… and all this to score what would have been quite a minor debating point, if there’d been any veracity to the story in the first place. It was quite clear in fact that it was wrong, or w r o n g ! if you prefer, before the inquisition even began, but that didn’t stop Eric Abetz and Helen Coonan from reviving some courtroom tricks. In fact, the spectacle of George Brandis in full flight – declaiming as though the Treasury Secretary were some sort of a hostile witness in a criminal trial – was really quite the thing to behold.
Henry’s testimony led to a most unedifying spectacle where Malcolm Turnbull failed pathetically to dig himself out of his hole on the 7 30 Report. It was – quite seriously – one of the most appalling interviews I’ve seen a political leader give.
Michelle Grattan claims, in a column that – among other things – recites some of Turnbull’s own talking points, that the opposition leader suffers from “periodic bad judgement”. I’d like to ask – quite seriously – if someone can instance for me an example of Malcolm Turnbull exercising good judgement. When are the media going to realise that Turnbull’s not the Messiah, just another arrogant barrister with an inflated ego?
Update: If anyone was wondering about Dennis Shanahan’s “we were right!” stuff in today’s Australian, Bernard Keane puts it to the test and gives it the epic fail.
It’s quite amusing to see the Liberals treating the policy views of Ken Henry, and Treasury more generally, as holy writ from which a government must not ever deviate.
Makes quite a change from their latter days in government
I had always wondered why Malcolm’s student colleagues hated his guts. Last night I understood why.
In a week when high school students are in trouble for bullying, it was an ugly sight to see our elected representatives, who are protected by Parliamentary priviledge, hectoring and bullying a public servant who is quite constrained in what he can say and what redress he can take.
I wonder what Malcolm thought about last nights interview? Let’s check Twitter shall we. Oh darn, nothing.
The interview was a shambles, Turnbull struggled to digest that shit sandwich, amusing to see the Oz double down on this today too.
Rob, actually I think it’s Glenn Stevens’ views that are currently being held to be gospel.
Right…and last week the RBA (and thus Stevens) were idiots for raising rates earlier in the year?
Consistency isn’t their strong suit! I’m really liking Jacques Chester’s comment about barristers looking for any angle to chip away at – I’m thinking it explains a lot about the way Turnbull is carrying on.
It’s no surpriise that Malcolm (in a Muddle) Turnbull should rush in and use the front-page story in The Australian on Tuesday, October 21.
The strong suspicion is that he and/or his overseas-owned investment bank cronies were the source of the story, which was designed to benefit them.
Alert readers had suspicions about this story because of its continuing switch in tenses.
For instance the first paragraph said “Reserve Bank governor Glenn Stevens is warning the Rudd Government its blanket guarantee of deposits is creating serious dislocation in the entire finance system and must be changed”.
That can only mean that a warning (if there were any) was after the Government’s October 12 announcement because the alleged serious dislocation had to follow the announcement.
The second paragraph switches to past tense when it said: “The Government ignored the RBA’s strongly voiced concerns about the impact of an unlimited guarantee scheme in its rush to announce a guarantee of all deposits in Australian deposit-taking institutions on October 12.
The use of the past tense is obvioiusly meant to convey there were strong concerns from Stevens before the announcement. Obviously, though, those concerns could not be about the serious dislocation being caused. The story claims these concerns were about the impact of an unlimited guarantee scheme. Yet on the very day the story appeared, Stevens said he supported the Government’s actions.
Another signal that the story was a political hatchet job is that there was no indication of comment being sought from the Prime Minister, the Treasurer, the Finance Minister, the Treasury Secretary or the Reserve Bank Governor – not even the ritual declined to comment.
Of course, seeking a comment may have spoiled the story and at The Australian they don’t let the facts get in the way of a good political diatribe.
One pointer to the source of such stories is to look at those mentioned favourably. They are (surprise, surprise!) Malcolm Turnbull and his investment bank cronies.
Enough said!
Never thought I would say it, but Costello would have been the best choice for leader of the opposition. *ugh – now gotta go & wash my mouth out with soap, more accurately, to scrub my fingertipe with solvol*
Of course, it also now seems that “serious dislocation in the entire finance system” is something of an exaggeration, given that many of the investment banks supposedly now losing millions to the guarantee-backed banks were struggling anyway.
I get the sense that Ken Henry feels that the most important thing is that Australia’s financial elite can have confidence that the partnership between the Government, RBA and the treasury department heads is working effectively to best address the crisis, and that the Opposition is working to undermine that confidence. It hardly surprises me that there would be some amount of disagreement between the parties concerned, but on the other hand it’s hard to think of a reason the government would opt for a plan that both the RBA and treasury deptartment had warned strongly against, given that there was minimal political benefit in doing so.
Wow, I just watched that 7:30 Report interview. I was cringing like I do when I hear Sarah Palin speak. This is supposed to be Turnbull’s home turf, and he’s making a complete meal of it! What is his strategy here? Muckrake at all costs? Jesus, he doesn’t exactly look like a steady hand.
As for an example of Turnbull’s good judgement, I don’t know how good it was but I was impressed with his patience and approach to winning the leadership of the opposition. Now that he’s got it, without too much bloodshed, his subsequent performance is making that judgement look less shiny…
Feh – the Opposition is just doing what an opposition does. “Lawyer’s tricks” can be effective, and when you don’t have to wear the consequences of your critique then logic and consistency in that critique are optional. And Ken Henry’s a big guy who can look after himself.
I’d focus less on Turnbull and more on the rancidness of the Oz.
Update: If anyone was wondering about Dennis Shanahan’s “we were right!” stuff in today’s Australian, Bernard Keane puts it to the test and gives it the epic fail.
Within four or so years this man has managed to become leader of the Liberal party.
Its umbelievable .No wonder Haward had such a hold over them.
derrida derider, I think the opposite is true. I expect nothing better from the Oz, but I did wonder whether Turbull had more to offer than this rubbish. It appears he does not.
Mr Albanese moved—That the Leader of the Opposition be required immediately to condemn and retract the irresponsible and reckless attack on the independence of the Governor of the Reserve Bank by the Member for Canning this morning,..& Senator Abetz, …& while he’s at it, himself.
The Member for Sturt is apoplectic, the House is in chaos, . (I think he’s acting something-important-on-their-side or other, is having a rush of blood to his
headspleen). It’s “unparliamantary…unprecedented since federation. Harumph”.The question is that the member be no longer heard. Division required. Ayes 73 Noes 56. Resolved in the affirmative. And again. And again. And again. Like groundhog day. What a farce.
Albanese: The member for Canning has apologised. How about it Malcolm?
“not only must there be a cap … serious dislocation” … “I move that this house censures the prime minister and the treasurer”
They had a go at Graham Samuels, too, and managed to really piss him off.
Never thought I would say it, but Costello would have been the best choice for leader of the opposition. *ugh – now gotta go & wash my mouth out with soap, more accurately, to scrub my fingertipe with solvol*
Steve I wouldn’t mind betting that Costello still has asperations in this regard. Perhaps he thought it would be better to get the Turnbull experiment out of the way first. This will lessen the chance of having Turnbull in the background undermining him when he does decide to give the leadership a crack.
As I watched the early part of this unfold, I assumed it was a set-up, and Talcum actually had *some evidence* he was about to spring – and was just laying the trap.
As the days passed, it slowly became evident that: he didnt. Nix. Just a fishing expedition, with nothing but a thin slice of tripe from the Oppo Organ on the hook.
And now they all look like tools!
Kat #17, If I had to lay money on the Costello aspirations it would be on just your scenario.
David Irving #16, Do I have a new friend? Who has had a go at the acceptor-of-brown-paper-bag-from-big-business?
The Opposition believes everything they read in the Australian because they write huge slabs of it. Shanahan has never been a journalist; he’s a columnist, paid to provide opinion and ‘analysis’. For most of the Howard years, he relied on a drip-feed from Liberal sources -chiefly Abbot and Costello. If only he was remotely humorous.
While I’m ranting about the Opposition Organ, I’ve gotta say I am heartily sick of their “Cut & Paste” section, whose editor is so obviously biassed towards conservative ideology and climate change denial. It should be called “Cherrypicking”.
An opposition leader needs consistency like a fish needs a metaphor.
As Jeff Kennett proved, there’s no penalty for an opposition leader consistently getting his head on the 6:30 news with outrageous statements.
I think Malcolm Turnbull is a marvellous, indeed, a Great Leader of a Coalition Opposition. Maybe even as good as Brendan Nelson. I think he’s so good at the job he should keep it for years and years.
“As Jeff Kennett proved, there’s no penalty for an opposition leader consistently getting his head on the 6:30 news with outrageous statements.”
Greg M, did you miss the part where he was unceremoniously dumped for being a constant,annoying ,dickhead? This will be Turnbulls fate, but without even the chance to let the electorate do it to him, if he maintains this pathetic standard.
SATP – Barnaby Joyce, I think, was making unfounded accusations to Samuels under cover of Parliamentary priviledge.
I’ve just read the transcript from the 730 report; it really is appalling. As an opposition leader, Turnbull makes a terrible barrister. He’s incoherent.
I did expect much more from him as opposition leader, even though the evidence (from his time as Environment Minister) wasn’t strong.
It does make you wonder as to whether that reputation of his is all he has now. Spycatcher was a long long time ago after all.
Well Mark, the Triumphalist Party ain’t over even tho’ Brendan’s fucked off to oblivion where he belongs ‘ey?
.
It’s a pretty goddamn’d mangled performance I must say. My favourite is this:
.
I like it when debates are debated. Is this is a debate? Or are we debating a debate? It’s debatable. I think it’s desirable however to get as many people involved in the debate as possible. It need to be an en masse debate. Just like in Canberra.
.
That said, it’s pretty standard for politicians to attempt to worm their way out of admitting they got something wrong. Turnbull would’ve been better off just admitting it and getting on with his point. His point being that the cap produced a scramble to redeposit funds in guaranteed places. That’s true.
.
However, given the mess, the spectacle of wealthy persons rearranging their finances is hardly the biggest concern. I think Turnbull has a point. Putting a cap on this sort of thing doesn’t reduce the govt’s liability in the case of a run situation. As accounts holding funds above the limit will simply be redistributed into smaller ones the govt ends up guaranteeing them anyway.
.
Still politically Turnbull tripped and fell on his nose. No-one outside Toorak gives a damn about rich people wasting a day rearranging their cash. It’s not important.
.
But I reckon O’Brien gunned for him a little too far and too hard. It’s not that big an error and he should be permitted to make his point.
You mean being openly and brazenly arrogant. He’s never been regarded as a dickhead. And now there’s noises that he should come back and be mayor or something. Personally I think not.
I was hoping Turnbull’d give Kevvie a run for his money. It’s good to have a healthy viable opposition. Remember the Beazley years?
.
REPORTER: Mr Beazley. Do you like ice cream?
BEAZLEY: Well I’m submitting a report to the sub-advisory committee to the Council That Determines My Opinions On Everything after conducting focus groups in Booval. I’ll get back to you on that some time around the year 2078.
.
That said Turnbull got caught in a glitch. He does need to stop thinking that Australians in general share the same concerns as those of us who think that a six figure balance is strugglin’. But I’ve seen him taking hard questions and he’s capable of being much better than that.
.
I remember in the last days of the Hawkeating era, there was this implied assumption in the behaviour and attitudes of the ALP types I knew that it would go on forever and ever.
.
I think maybe memories are short. Given that our Governor-General seems to think it appropriate to behave in a brazenly partisan manner I wonder if it occurs to the ALP that if they do it, the Tories will as well.
Anyone who believes it is only “rich” people who need to worry about million dollar bank accounts & guarantees thereof has a.. well to not be too blunt, has a Larvartus Prodeo grasp on economics.
Anybody who works for an enterprise which has a payroll of in excess of a million dollars, has plenty of reason to be really stressed. It is your money in that account (or will be on Friday) but you can’t do anything about protecting it.
steve, that had occurred to me, but surely in the case of a small to medium business working capital, as it were, wouldn’t be invested in financial products which are quite difficult to liquidate quickly. The whole point of these accounts is that it’s difficult to get at your money and in return you get a better return than you would get on having it in a more accessible cash account.
Certainly when I’ve worked in businesses in those situations it would only be cash reserves that would be invested for high returns, not the money you need to access on a regular basis.
I noticed. Sometime after he won two elections I recall.
Indeed Mark, however there are enterprises which are paid, say three or four times each year, or even less often, which have a large payroll, and a large number of sub-contractor & suppliers, all of whom are dependant upon weekly payment. (Shipbuilding yard, though not the business I am thinking of, would be a similar scenario, paid by customer once every blue moon, & holds tonnes of cash upon which are dependant not only a lots of welders, clerical & professional staff, but the staff of the baker, milkman etc who supply the canteen, & so on & so forth).
Anybody who works for such an enterprise, or who works for a supplier to such an enterprise, ought to really worry about the cash deposit arrangements of their “godfather”.
That’s Craig Mc’s comment, not mine.
But after his unceremonious dumping for, as you rightly describe, being a constant, annoying dickhead, Alan Brown, a man so colourless as to make Brendan Nelson look charismatic, he led the Liberal Party to a huge victory. Then again Labor under Joan Kirner were so much on the nose that a drover’s dog could have done that.
Arrogance per se doesn’t necessarily mean someone can’t be an effective political leader. Surely Kennett’s second time around as oppo leader meant that he’d learned how to be effectively arrogant, as opposed to ineffectively arrogant. I’m not convinced Turnbull has that sussed!
Sorry ’bout that naming mistake GregM.
Whenever I hear the name “Jeff(boofhead)Kennett”, used in any way near a favourable light, I lose all concentration.
Well, yes, except the funds complaining are mortgage funds and that whole sector has been collapsing for a year and a half anyway. But apart from that, sure.
Turnbulls problem seems to be that he really is convinced he’s the smartest guy in every room on the planet. The trouble is, that he aint really. This will be his downfall, and I think its already starting – he (like most of the rest of them) really doesnt have any idea how to deal wit the economic crisis (which I think is why everyone avoided doing anything about preventing it, even though they all could see it coming, but he is trying to convince us that he does. But actually, he is just annoying everyone and looking more like a spanner every day.
I hope this man never becomes Prime Minister – he just doesn’t have it. Fortunately recent days have shown that that eventuality is highly unlikely.
Forgive me for going slightly offtopic, but did anyone catch THe Prime Minister is Missing, regarding the disappearance of Harold Holt, and subsquent relevvations about all sort of scandals involving the Libs and Nats ?
If you missed it, you can watch the streaming video here.
http://www.abc.net.au/tv/documentaries/interactive/pms/ep1/
It’s the ABC Frank, wake me up when there is an ABC docu-drama which does NOT lay the boot into conservative politics, deify the alp, & demonise britain.
Taa Frank for link. Great gravitar BTW.
Wake up Steve: “Rats in the Ranks”? I haven’t seen it, but the synopsis suggests it’s a few steps down from deification. And Geoffrey (Mother&Son)Atherden’s Grassroots ” exploring the trials and tribulations of
WoolongongAcadia Waters Council, where the local politicians dream and scheme, intent on climbing the political ladder through corruption and shady deals.” tells it like it probably, unfortunately, and hilariously, is.Back On Topic: It should have been a gift for The Opposition Me. Watching parliament, he was well backed by Bishop being good at being evil, doing the well-briefed barrister thing, but he still fluffs it, gets lost in grammar school Gang of Four junk rhetoric when he should have just focussed on Weakest Link Wayne. ‘Cept maybe he knows that if Wayne had to move on, Tanner would be in the four, and Malcolm doesn’t want that.
The thing has drifted off thread a bit, but back to Turnbull’s interview with O’Brien, straight after Abetz’ monstrous arrogance; Turnbull was truly set up and left hanging swinging in the breeze for the birds to feed off.
The OZ is either doing dirt on Malcolm on behalf of his factional enemies, or just back to what they have done for fifteen months now without deviation- malicious and utter cock-ups.
It was another one of this legion of right-wing brutes of women they insist on drowning us with- Jennifer Hewitt, I think.
And the Oves was slithering away, somewhere under this dead sheep’s carcass of a botched smear-job, also.
Coonan looked so tiny when Henry boomed back at slimy Abetz’ offensive insinuations.
Danny, missed you. Duck irritates you also?
Arrogance per se doesn’t necessarily mean someone can’t be an effective political leader.
.
It’s positively necessary. Isn’t it arrogant to assume you can run a state?
Also Turnbull was right economically. Kevvie won the week politically. And Kerry O’Brien’s interview in that context increasingly makes the assertion that the ABC is the ALP’s media arm more viable. Turnbull was hammered for being wrong, but fundamentally he was right. Failing to guarantee the big accounts leads to chaos.
.
I’m not pointing the finger at Kevvie. I got that wrong too. I got it wrong btw in the context that govt’s are expected to bail out greedy fucks who crash the economy. The same greedy fucks who chant the small govt mantra btw.
.
At least Rupert Murdoch’s being honest he’s had his apparatchniks bust spouting the virtues of old-fashioned thrift in his papers. And stressing that the govt needs to hoard its dosh for the next bail-out. Bailing out the banks apparently is the new definition of govt.
.
Oh and something about ‘public services’ too.
For those of you who didn’t get it I was being ironic/sarcastic or just plain awful @ 22. Comparing Turnbull to Nelson is NOT a compliment.
Well, the public verdict is in, and they hate Turnbull’s approach. Libs down 2 (61-39), Talcum in freefall decline on PPM to 60-19 http://blogs.crikey.com.au/pollbludger/files/2008/10/essential-report_271008.pdf
with due props to Pollbludger, of course.