Malcolm Turnbull has been opposition leader for one year.
That anniversary has been marked, among other things, by an impassioned speech in the Coalition party room by his predecessor, Dr Brendan Nelson. Nelson argued against any compromise on emissions trading before Copenhagen, and all this has been tied in with a theme that the opposition has to stand for something – the tried and true Liberal verities of individual workplace contracts, of course, being one of those…
Nelson, however, says someone whom he diagnosed as having narcissistic personality disorder can still become PM.
Update: Nelson’s off to be ambassador to NATO (and Kim Beazley to the US).
I suppose it’s something of a truism that what we see to criticise in others is generally a projection of ourselves. A more narcissistic personality than Brendan, aimiable though he is, would have been hard to find a while back. Then along came Malcolm with all his booming self importance to more than match the handsome doctor. Talk about the smiling assassin on the ABC tonight and hasn’t he left a lovely legacy for Malcolm, really making it hard for him to get anything credible up on climate.
What a happy chappie he looked, with that dashing portrait on the wall behind him, a good sport about being voted out of the Liberal leadership, very serious and sad about sending our boys off to Iraq and into harm’s way, being statesmanlike about climate change. Just think of it Australia is only responsible for just over one per cent of the world’s carbon emissions! Why didn’t Uhlmann ask the grinning git what that means per capita calculated in terms of about 22 million Aussies compared with almost 7 billion world population?
Of course he thinks someone with a narcissistic personality could become PM. He might have made it himself if that bastard Turnbull hadn’t got in the way.
Pretty much all of the PM’s in my time seem to have pretty um, healthy egos, to say the least. I don’t think you can get close to the top job if you are normal.
I am appalled, appalled I tell you, that Nelson, who purports to be medico, would contribute to the confusion and idiocy that is the Opposition’s climate change “policy”. What a poisonous legacy.
But then his true nature, that of the dishonest and value-free opportunist, was revealed in his response to Rudd’s Sorry speech at the beginning of last year. That was truly appalling and absolutely unforgivable.
And yes, PatriciaWA: “Why didn’t Uhlmann ask the grinning git what that means per capita calculated in terms of about 22 million Aussies compared with almost 7 billion world population?”
I was yelling exactly the same thing at the telly last night: “What about per capita?”, but Uhlmann was just not listening. He had his own silly agenda to pursue, as he allowed Nelson to posture and emote, trembling voice and all, for the last time in front of the camera.
Farewell to a complete waste of oxygen and space.
Uhlmann is revelling in his elevation to the useless pack of nongs in the Press Gallery – and as a consequence is completely out of touch with the majority of Australian opinion on climate change – in lockstep with the Juriassic Fossils in the Liberal Party.
The world has moved on chaps, get on board.
He’s good isn’t he that Brendo?
Rather than just walk away from his previous comments about Mal, he decided to embellish them by indicating that a “narcissistic personality disorder” is pretty much part of the job description for any budding world leader.
Peter Harcher has tracked it all down in his article and it would be hard to imagine any pollie, including Bren, who did not score well in this test….
“A pervasive pattern of grandiosity (in fantasy or behaviour), need for admiration, and lack of empathy, beginning by early adulthood and present in a variety of contexts, as indicated by five (or more) of the following:
(1) Has a grandiose sense of self-importance; expects to be recognised as superior without commensurate achievements;
(2) Is preoccupied with fantasies of unlimited success, power, brilliance, beauty, or ideal love;
(3) Believes that he or she is ‘’special” and unique and can only be understood by, or should associate with, other special or high-status people;
(4) Requires excessive admiration;
(5) Has a sense of entitlement;
(6) Is interpersonally exploitative;
(7) Lacks empathy: is unwilling to recognise or identify with the feelings and needs of others;
(8) Is often envious of others or believes that others are envious of him or her;
(9) Shows arrogant, haughty behaviours or attitudes.”
http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/opinion/doctor-out-of-the-house-nelsons-final-diagnosis-20090829-f2zf.html
I missed the TV version but heard a snippet of it on RN this morning. Oh how my toes curled as the grinning git (thanks Patricia WA) told the interviewer about the Liberal Ladies versus his oh so edgy earring.
Subtext: Oh, look at me I’m such a lad, unlike these other liberal fuddy duddies. Oh spare me!
Fortunately his wife injected some sanity into his Marlon Brando fantasy:
ROFL!
Disclaimer: I’m totally in favour of people not adopting the beige cardigan once they hit 40, however, there are people who can get away with trying to look edgy and those who just try and fail. The ones in the latter category will look silly if they try to inhabit a position of gravitas like Defence Minister or even local GP.
Of course the rightwingers are laughing just as much…of course Nelson was hopeless…he used to be in the ALP after all. As for Turnbull, enjoy laughing at him the same way we laughed at Howard.
I have a nasty feeling though that the times will suit him.
Having heard alot of Chris Uhlmann (he used to feature pretty prominently in Canberra) I think he fancies himself as a bit of a skeptic/maverick/outsider. Sometimes this pays dividends and he does see through the bullshit. Mostly though I don’t think it works for him.
On an issue like climate change I think his natural instincts are to be a doubter, or at least doubt the policy proposals to deal with it, as they are “mainstream groupthink” and he is, clearly, not cut of that cloth.
Aidan @ 7 who cares where Chris Uhlmann stands on climate change providing he does a good job as a journo which is to report with some objectivity and hold his interviewees to account for their comments and their opinions.
A major problem on the national scene is that the press gallery wants to inject itself into the political play and to affect outcomes.
Of course journos have views of their own but their job is to question and report unless they are writing commentary which is clearly identified as opinion. If they want to be bit players on the political stage they should run for election.
Hmm … Mr Rudd apparently thinks highly of Dr Nelson – wonder what the Libs’ll think now:
http://www.smh.com.au/national/the-bomber-goes-to-washington-beazley-to-be-us-ambassador-20090917-fsja.html
Did people read Emo Man’s farewell speech to Parliament?
It’s amazing how much stuff he just gets flat wrong. Not in the “I disagree with him because of different starting premises” wrong, but in the “this makes no sense at all” wrong sense.
I guess that is my point. He does have an angle that he seems to come at stuff from. Basically if you are cutting costs he’ll give you a much easier ride than if you’re planning on spending some money. He just seems to have this view that most Government is pretty incompetent and that spending money should be subject to much more critical analysis than the other way around.
In terms of really top quality journos who are capable of I’d say unbiased reporting and questioning, I’d rate Jenny Brockie and (funnily enough) Maxine McKew. I don’t really think Kerry O’Brien is nearly as good as McKew. He has a slightly macho “I must ask a hard question and if I do that I’ve done my job”, whereas McKew seemed to be able to tease out the logical inconsistencies (bullshit). I think she is basically very smart.
Grace Pettigrew @3, totally agree! Couldn’t have said it better.
Now we know. Nelson was a fifth columnist for the ALP all along!
Daphon, I can’t imagine Rudd has any real respect for Nelson. The dashing doctor is just a pawn in the PM’s game.
One can imagine Rudd choosing his moment for this announcement and savouring its likely impact. Does he really understand his opponents so well or is he just lucky?
Patricia @13: “Does he really understand his opponents so well…”
Isn’t his wife a psychologist?
Elise, it’d probably help more if she was a geologist or perhaps a paleontologist
Robert @10: I tried, really I did, but I found myself yelling at the screen and that’s not good. Just pretend I’m foaming at the mouth and generating mindless vitriol.
Helen @ 5, couldn’t agree more. What a tool.
I’m not trying to big-note myself here, btw, but I’m nearly 60 and still wear the earring I had installed 40 years ago (when it was considerably edgier than Brendoc’s little effort at faux rebellion). Oh, and I eschew beige, despite my late mother’s best efforts.
Helen @ David, this reminds me of a colleague years ago who wore a bright green sports coat into the office every day.
One day, the lunch table conversation wandered around to people who were noticed by uppper management, and how to improve visibility.
Ahem… yes, you guessed it! This chappie volunteered that his green sports coat ensured that he was memorable, and all the senior management knew who he was…
“Nelson, however, says someone whom he diagnosed as having narcissistic personality disorder can still become PM.”
‘Suffering’ from that over-hyped ‘affliction’ (I think it’s what used to be called ‘having tickets on oneself’) is de rigeur for aspiring political leaders. However, in Nelson’s case, the aspiration wasn’t matched by any discernible talent other than a creepy affinity for mawkish sentimentality and an embarrassingly oleaginous manner that makes Uriah Heap seem sincere.
Fortunately he won’t have to do much in Brussels other than bore folk at cocktail parties – “and they thought I was gay! Ha, ha! Can you believe that?” – and sob unconvincingly at Anzac Day commemorations. Should suit him perfectly.
Moz @15: “…it’d probably help more if she was a geologist or perhaps a paleontologist”
What do they call those people who stick pins in dead bugs, and mount them on boards for museums?
Entymologists?
Helen: “entymologists”. Sounds good to me!
During the last year would you say there was any passing resemblance between the Rudd front bench at QT and a bunch of entymologists?
Trouble is, Elise @ 17, if you’re memorable and a twat, it doesn’t actually do you much good with senior management (or, in this case, the electorate).
Nelson as ambassador to NATO? I guess we won’t be getting out of Afghanistan any time soon.
David @22, far be it from me to suggest such a thing…!
Actually, to return to the original discussion about the Coalition policy on ETS, it seems that Rudd and the Labor party have a blind faith in CCS and ETS to get Australia from the back of the pack, in terms of both emissions/capita and readiness for a low-carbon future.
ETS depends on old-fashioned free market principles, which have been demonstrably shown to be flawed.
CCS is full of logistical problems, very expensive, and not feasible on a large scale.
What the hell is Rudd’s fallback strategy?
If ETS doesn’t drive major reductions, as many predict, then what?
If CCS doesn’t go anywhere, as indeed it hasn’t globally in the last decade, then what?
Our Plan B is what, exactly?
Pity to overshadow the glow of Beazley’s generally acknowledged well-earned appointment for which he is more than amply qualified by what seems a political ploy by Rudd.
Judging by Rudd’s facial expression and body language in the House during Nelson’s self-serving valedictory speech he doesn’t have much more time for the man than most LP posters.
I got it wrong earlier. Nelson’s only a prawn in Rudd’s game. We just don’t know what that is yet.
There is indeed a cunning plan afoot PatriciaWA@26.
Rudd is picking off various Liberals as they superannuate and sending them OS to represent his government…he began with Dolly and now Emo Man is packing his bags.
This is being painted by the OZ dolts as remarkable bipartisanship and uncommon political diplomacy blah blah. Really.
In fact, the plan is to completely debrain the Libs (no need to do this with the Nats), so that next election the voters will fall about laughing at the very idea of sending the Opposition into government.
Just watch Rudd’s next trick. He will buy Turnbull off (now that he is realising that the bunch of idiots he is leading will go nowhere with him) and send him off to New York to argue for the Rudd World Plan on carbon abatement. Turnbull will be much better at this than he is as Leader of the Opposition.
This will leave Tony Abbott behind to front the Libs next election. Nobody else left. Ho ho.
As Peter Garrett would- and has, which is why they are so careful about attacking him- say: The Fibs don’t have a plan but jsut a series of stunts. A Sun Tzu would say: Tactics without strategy is just (the) noise before defeat = “Game Over for atleast 3 terms… hopefully Solar Power has a red hot dig or we (the world) are all going to be controlled by Big Brother care of the Nuclear Industry taking over!”
Grace @27: “Nobody else left. Ho ho.”
You mean Abbott gets to turn out the lights…?
PS: Psychologists don’t know anything but where to find good and legally acceptable drug dealers!
Patricia @26: “Nelson’s only a prawn…”
Raw as well?
“You mean Abbott gets to turn out the lights…?”
My bet is that Tones will take up the position of Ambassador to the Holy See when Tim Fischer returns to the family farm in Wodonga.
Yes, of course. Then that leaves Chrissy Pyne to turn the lights off…
Elise, you got in one.
Yes, Grace! What about Turnbull’s egregious tones when talking about Nelson’s appointment. I thought he was just being determinedly gracious through gritted teeth. Perhaps not….
Anyway perhaps we’d better just keep our speculations to ourselves. Wouldn’t want to give the game away prematurely to the “Oz dolts”.
I rarely criticise your commentary, Grace, but is “debrain” the right word in the context of the Liberal front bench?
PatriciaWA, my working premise is that anyone who is capable of being turned (by whatever means, including bribery) to work for or on behalf of TEH LEFT side of politics (aka, in the current circumstances, the Rudd Govmint) can be described as having a “brain”. Enough of a brain to know where the future lies anyway. Those who cannot be so turned have their heads full of something else that cannot be described as cerebral matter. These weird zombies include Abbott, Pyne, Bishop etc….
Ahh, did I miss something here: “Nelson argued against any compromise on emissions trading before Copenhagen”, … and THEN Rudd picked him to join his team???
There I was thinking ETS was Rudd’s key platform, which he would defend right up to a DD if necessary…
And Rudd takes an outspoken skeptic onboard, practically on the eve of heading to Copenhagen – is he kidding us? Something doesn’t sit right there.
Did Rudd suggest that Nelson should put a cat amongst Turnbull’s pigeons, as a parting jesture to help Rudd’s cause along? Or did Nelson think that up all on his own? Which part of diplomacy 101 does this belong to?
“And Rudd takes an outspoken skeptic onboard, practically on the eve of heading to Copenhagen – is he kidding us? Something doesn’t sit right there.”
Apply Occam’s Razor. Nelson has been appointed as Ambassador to tne EU, Belgium, Luxembourg, the WHO and NATO. There are already Ambassadors/High Commissioners n place for really important ‘heavy-lifting,’EU posts like London and Paris. He won’t have a lot to do and certainly nothing to do with climate change. Nelson is an appalling piece of work with enormous self-regard but he’s moderately presentable and does a reasonable line in small talk.
For the PM it offers the opportunity to consolidate his bi-partisanship credentials defence line while offering an unbeatable Turnbull shiv-sinking moment.
Rudd is an awful human being but – unarguably – he’s bloody good politically.
“And Rudd takes an outspoken skeptic onboard, practically on the eve of heading to Copenhagen – is he kidding us? Something doesn’t sit right there.”
Another angle: You want as your representative either someone who’s a team player and knows all the teams and fields inside and out, who knows the history of the past battles and can think on their feet when things are getting sticky, or you want someone who, no matter how choppy the waves, will take their orders and stick to them, never letting external matters like their own opinions or logic get in the way of selling the message they’ve been given.
EU and NATO? Is that the 21st century version of Ireland and the Holy See?
d
Rudd has managed to humiliate Turnbull, and the Liberal Party generally, yet again with the Nelson appointment. Turnbull can only look on helplessly as Rudd gives a plum appointment to his predcecessor who had diagnosed Turnbull with a serious personality defect. The Liberals are going to have to fight the by-election for Nelson’s seat with Turnbull now officially working for Rudd (or Stephen Smith if you prefer). And Rudd instantly defuses any criticism that might have been in the air about sending the Bomber to Washington.
“Nelson is an appalling piece of work”
Why? Just because he gave his final address to the Parliamentary Liberal Party on the need to stick to their principles after he had just accepted the Governent’s shilling to lounge about on the Euro cocktail circuit, without telling his colleagues that he had done this?
They must be cursing him tonight. But I doubt that Brendan cares. He is now His Excellency, feted in the Qantas Chairman’s lounge, served canapes in first class, collecting his ambassadorial salary and his parliamentary pension.
What more can a man ask for?
He might even pop in to the Copenhagen climate conference in December, to argue for Australia’s position of course.
I’m starting to think Rudd makes Howard look like a rank amateur. I’m enjoying the show, but I feel slightly ashamed of myself.
Yes, those appointments are a great piece of political legerdemain by Kruddy. He may not be the kinda person you’d want to share a lifeboat with but a cunning and smart ratfucker at the helm of the rescue ship in these current choppy economic and geopolitical climes is certainly preferable to the alternatives offered by the Coalition.
And as Geoff observes, Nelson will be adequately quarantined and minded by professionals during his more sensitive engagements. As an actor manque, he should take direction quite well.
And big Kim is the perfect appointment to reassure the US establishment (if not the Administration) that we’re still onside with our big brother – especially when it comes to picking up a job lot of over-ordered F-22s. I bet the Senator from Lockheed is already planning his “Welcome the Thunder from Downunder” barbie.
Let’s face it, the Coalition are fucked for the moment. Labor has cheerfully and ruthlessly occupied the slightly centre right middle ground. The Coals are only left with going further right – which most of their Parliamentarians don’t want to do, both out of personal principles and not least because of the current GOP train wreck as they’re wrenched wingnut whacky right by what’s left of their base.
It’s a bland centralist technocratic political theme park for most developed economies now. Technology and demographic demands now triumph over ideology. I’m down with it.