Joe Hockey firms as likely Liberal leader

30 November, 2009 by

Turnbull lite?

Turnbull lite?

But he’s going to have to completely reverse his policy on the ETS, and that isn’t going to be particularly convincing. And Turnbull’s outburst at Nick Minchin “and the wreckers” with Laurie Oakes yesterday has backfired spectacularly as well:

IN a strong sign he is about to throw his hat into the Liberal leadership ring, Joe Hockey is holding talks at his Sydney home with Queensland Liberal Peter Dutton.

Mr Dutton is viewed as a potential candidate for the deputy Liberal leader’s spot, The Australian reports.

The pair arrived in separate cars today and made no comment as they entered the Hockey family home.

However, smiling Mr Hockey joked to the waiting media “you’re breeding”.

While Tony Abbott has also declared his intention to run, he may pull out of the race if Mr Hockey enters the ring.

Liberals say support for Mr Turnbull is bleeding away after his angry performance on Channel Nine’s Laurie Oakes interview where he attacked Mr Hockey, Senate leader Nick Minchin and Mr Abbott.

This is not looking particularly good for the party. Hockey is an ally of Turnbull’s – it’s going to be very awkward for him to stand against his leader. He will of course have to resign from the shadow cabinet before standing. The fight looks like being Turnbull -vs- Turnbull-lite, which is not what the party needs.

Read it here.

Filed Under: Climate Tagged With: , ,

Delusional Turnbull: "I will win"

29 November, 2009 by

Monty Python's The Black Knight

Monty Python's The Black Knight: "It's just a flesh wound!"

Whoever leads the Liberal party after Tuesday, it must not be Malcolm Turnbull. If he wins the leadership spill, it will only put off his execution until the inevitable apocalyptic defeat at the next election. But Malcolm Turnbull is blind to all of this, and blusters on in ever more extreme rhetoric:

Mr Turnbull this morning lashed out at his critics, in particular Tony Abbott, whom he will likely face in a leadership ballot on Tuesday, and Senate leader Nick Minchin.

“They are destroying the Liberal Party,” Mr Turnbull told Channel Nine. “There is a recklessness and a wilfulness in these men, which is going to destroy the Liberal Party.

“I will win on Tuesday. I am unbowed.

“Joe Hockey has told me as recently as last night that I have his complete support.

“I am not interested in becoming a mouthpiece or a patsy or a tool for people whose views are completely wrong and are contrary to the best interests of our nation, our planet and indeed the Liberal Party.

“If this issue is not resolved, the climate change war that Nick Minchin and his wreckers have started will continue to destroy the Liberal Party until such time as we are destroyed by Kevin Rudd in an election.”

Right result, wrong cause, pal. That will be the result if you remain leader. And I’m glad Hockey’s backing you – we don’t want Hockey as a leader – soft left, Turnbull-lite. So with luck it will be a straight fight between a deluded leader who is finished but can’t see it, and Tony Abbott. There is only one choice.

Read it here.

Filed Under: Climate Tagged With: ,

String of Liberals question AGW

10 November, 2009 by

Nick Minchin

Nick Minchin

Yesterday I posted about ABC’s Four Corners programme, and noted that the Opposition is under more scrutiny from the media on the ETS than the government. However, there was an upside to the programme, namely the string of Liberals, including Nick Minchin, leader of the Liberals in the Senate, who came out openly to question the AGW dogma. Here are some of his statements:

“I frankly strongly object to you know, politicians and others trying to terrify 12 year old girls that their planet’s about to melt, you know. I mean really it is appalling some of that sort of behaviour.

“For the extreme left [climate change] provides the opportunity to do what they’ve always wanted to do, to sort of de-industrialise the western world. You know the collapse of communism was a disaster for the left, and the, and really they embraced environmentalism as their new religion.

“I don’t mind being branded a sceptic about the theory that that human emissions and CO2 are the main driver of … global warming. I don’t accept that and I’ve said that publically. I guess if I can say it, I would hope that others would feel free to do so.”

We also heard dissenting views from Dennis Jensen, Cory Bernardi, Tony Abbott and Julian McGauran. The following exchange sums up the Liberals’ dilemma very well:

SARAH FERGUSON (to Dennis Jensen): Does that mean that Malcolm Turnbull is sort of too green for a majority of the party?

DENNIS JENSEN, LIBERAL MP, WA: I think that that would probably be fair to say.

Read the transcript and see the episode here.

Filed Under: Climate Tagged With: , ,
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