Nighty night
Well thank you very muchly for your fine company throughout a very interesting afternoon.
I will be back in the morning with another special edition of Politics Live to continue the wash-up from today, and to cover the formal swearing in of the new Turnbull ministry.
For now, let’s take stock.
Today, Sunday:
- In the preamble to the ministerial reshuffle, Liberal senator Cory Bernardi thought the Liberal party might split if Malcolm Turnbull failed to understand conservatives needed to have their voices heard.
- The defence minister Kevin Andrews thought Turnbull had been foolish not to take up his kind offer to go on serving in his portfolio despite his strong backing for the previous occupant of the prime ministerial suite. Turnbull evidently thought less foolish, and later appointed the first woman to defence in Australian history.
- The new Turnbull ministry was bigger and bolder than perhaps people might have expected. I think risky – absolutely, for sure. But not reckless, there’s a discernible plan here. Consequences, of course, unknown.
- Andrews and Eric Abetz were dumped, Ian Macfarlane and Michael Ronaldson were told their services were no longer required (ouch), Bruce Billson was made an offer he could and did refuse, and Joe Hockey thought he’d reached his time to bow out of politics for another public service role that has not yet been announced but could very easily be a big overseas appointment in a town starting with “W”.
- Turnbull brought moderates back to key positions and promoted policy wonks like Kelly O’Dwyer, Arthur Sinodinos and Christian Porter to key roles.
- As expected, Scott Morrison got treasury and Peter Dutton managed to hold onto immigration despite his support for Tony Abbott.
- Turnbull also flagged policies would change as well as ministerial roles. How, what and when? We are not yet sure. But the new prime minister has his glasses in his hand and his nostrils flaring. So if you are interested in national affairs, I wouldn’t leave town for a couple of months, at least not without your smart phone.
Thanks for all the comments.
As I said, we’ll be back in the morning. Until then, enjoy your evening.
My colleague Lenore Taylor has produced some commentary on the events of the afternoon, which you can read here.
A quick sample:
The biggest winners in the reshuffle – Marise Payne as the nation’s first female defence minister, communications minister Mitch Fifield, education minister Simon Birmingham, small business minister and assistant treasurer Kelly O’Dwyer – were all Turnbull backers. George Brandis, another Turnbullite, has become leader of the government in the Senate. Most of the assistant minister winners were Turnbull backers too.
Scott Morrison – the biggest winner of all – voted for Tony Abbott but has been accused of not encouraging his supporters to follow suit.
Two Abbott backers were elevated – Christian Porter to social services and Josh Frydenberg entering cabinet in the resources portfolio. The best news most Abbott backers got was that they could keep the jobs they already had – Peter Dutton in immigration, Andrew Robb in trade, Mathias Cormann in finance, Greg Hunt in environment.
I’ll post a comprehensive summary next.
Morrison ends that conversation thus:
I look forward to catching up with Ray (Hadley) some time in the near future.
On 2GB the new treasurer Scott Morrison is currently being asked by host Miranda Devine whether he is a traitor for not propping up Tony Abbott in the leadership tussle last week.
Scott Morrison:
I think I’ve already explained all of those things Miranda.
Q: Why is Tony Abbott so upset with you?
I have no idea Miranda.
The former industry minister, Ian Macfarlane, says farewell to the front bench.
It has been an honour to serve as the minister for industry and science for the past two years and previously as the minister for industry, tourism and resources in the Howard government. As the longest-serving resources minister and one of Australia’s longest-serving industry ministers, I have had the great privilege to work with Australians in all states and territories and across a wide range of industries. I am particularly pleased to be passing the resources and energy portfolio into the capable hands of Josh Frydenberg and I look forward to him continuing the bipartisan approach that has long characterised my time as resources minister. I have been particularly honoured to represent regional Australia in our Parliament. Australia has great opportunities ahead to carve a new role in the global economy as we transition into new industries and new jobs. Through science and innovation we will build a strong economic future, and I have been delighted to put the framework in place to grasp those opportunities, particularly through the Industry Growth Centres, by putting science at the centre of industry policy, and by strengthening Australia’s role as an energy superpower. I wish prime minister Malcolm Turnbull and his ministerial team all the best in tackling the challenges that Australia faces as we make this an even greater country. I look forward to continuing to serve in the Turnbull government as the Member for Groom.
The first female defence minister in Australian history.
Thanks for all the well wishes. I'm incredibly honoured to be appointed Minister for Defence by @TurnbullMalcolm
— Marise Payne (@MarisePayne) September 20, 2015
Mr Ebullience, Bruce Billson, bows out.
The outgoing, pocket rocket, small business minister @BruceBillsonMP releases statement pic.twitter.com/tHyjXzXBJL
— BuzzFeedOz Politics (@BuzzFeedOzPol) September 20, 2015
Various folks have pointed out there is no longer a dedicated minister for disabilities and the NDIS. The new social services minister Christian Porter will take carriage.
Bill Shorten earlier today:
I’m really disappointed that somehow disability has dropped off the calculations, that there is no minister for disability. I think that a fair deal for people with disability and carers does deserve to have its own ministry.
A rather unfortunate response to that development from Australian journalist Adam Creighton.
No minister either for gays, left-handers, Asian-Australians, ugly people, or midgets; Turnbull must hate those people #auspol #leftards
— Adam Creighton (@Adam_Creighton) September 20, 2015
From one Tasmanian to another.
@richardmcolbeck Congratulations on being named Minister for Tourism & Intl Educ, & Minister Assisting the Minister for Trade & Investment.
— Andrew Nikolic (@andrewnikolic) September 20, 2015
I wonder whether Andrew Nikolic will remain whip?
One little thing I forgot to tell you earlier. I believe that Bruce Billson was offered the cities portfolio that Jamie Briggs ultimately inherited in today’s reshuffle. He declined that offer. Pity. I would have enjoyed some new enthusiasms for Billson – trams, light rail, urban infill. It would have been sensational.
Another thing to note in brackets. Kelly O’Dwyer is now minister for small business. If I had another $20 (apart from the $20 I’d put on Joe Hockey going to Washington), I’d say $20 on the demise of the “effects test”. If you’ve missed the great internal battle of the effects test – Billson and a number of backbenchers and Nationals have been championing an effects test in Australian competition law to ensure big businesses do not misuse their market power. This is a gross simplification but I’ll make it anyway. Market forces/consumer is king folks don’t much care for effects tests. O’Dwyer I’d put in the market forces/consumer is king camp.
The first woman to be minister for defence in our nation’s history.
Let’s recap some key moments.
Some must depart so that others can come through.
He won't die wondering
Hmmm.
What to make of a very big afternoon?
That’s the first thing to note. It’s big. Malcolm Turnbull has not played it safe with this reshuffle.
There are significant changes in this line-up, generationally and factionally. The moderates are back, and in key positions (Pyne, Bishop, Payne, Birmingham). Policy wonks (as opposed to pugilists) are back too, and in key positions (Sinodinos, O’Dwyer, Porter.) The ladies have finally arrived in this Coalition government, and not before time.
Abbott’s Praetorian guard has copped a thumping. Andrews and Abetz are significant figures. It’s a provocative act, and we’ll see whether or not it carries consequences. I’m also quite amazed Turnbull dumped Ian Macfarlane. These two men have a lot of history, Macfarlane has a lot of political smarts, a lot of experience, and its a very tough thing to do if he actually wanted to stay on.
It’s not only the reshuffle. Turnbull was very clear this afternoon, policies would change. We don’t know which ones or when, but we know the new prime minister doesn’t intend to stand still. He wants to reframe. In fact you could see him itching to reframe this afternoon.
All in all, this is typical Turnbull. If it ain’t worth doing, it ain’t worth doing. In for a penny, in for a pound.
High risk.
But it’s not quite as reckless as the Turnbull of a decade ago. There is method here. Turnbull is looking to back himself and his prime ministership in with a new generation of Coalition figures with whom he shares key values in common. He’s looking to build a new wolf pack.
Let’s see how it all works.
Without further ado, you can consume the full “21st century ministry” list, without my segmentation, here.
I’ll give you some analysis next.
Malcolm Turnbull's ministry: mates in the outers
We are attempting to get to the bottom of whether or not the prime minister has just appointed a bunch of people who were formerly known as parliamentary secretaries as assistant ministers, which would mean they get a larger than usual pay rise. Early guidance is no, but that’s not definitive. Let’s power past that unknown for now and record mates in junior positions.
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James McGrath – assistant minister to the prime minister
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Peter Hendy – assistant minister for productivity
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Scott Ryan – assistant cabinet secretary
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Paul Fletcher – (a junior minister not an outer minister, but a mate) minister for territories, local government and major projects
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Alex Hawke – assistant minister to the treasurer
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Wyatt Roy – assistant minister for innovation
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Karen Andrews – assistant minister for science
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Ken Wyatt – assistant minister for health
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Stuart Robert – (a minister again, but a mate) veterans affairs and human services
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Richard Colbeck – (ditto on minister, and possibly not a mate, but the only Tasmanian in the pack) tourism and international education
If I had a spare $20 I’d put it on Mr Hockey goes to Washington. Just a gut instinct.
Just one more obsessive little ‘what next Hockeyism’ from me before my next list – which is mates in outer ministries – this is what Turnbull said in announcing Hockey’s departure just before. I did report it when he said it, but just in case you missed it.
Malcolm Turnbull:
I believe he has a further contribution to make in our nation’s service.
If you’d prefer your new look ministry with pictures, take a look here.
Malcolm Turnbull's ministry: the losers
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Kevin Andrews (dropped from defence)
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Eric Abetz (dropped from workplace relations and the senate leadership)
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Bruce Billson (dropped from small business)
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Ian Macfarlane (dropped from industry)
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Michael Ronaldson (dropped as special minister of state)
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Joe Hockey (quitting parliament – watch this space. I don’t know why I think a diplomatic appointment, I just do think a diplomatic appointment.)
And one very quick line of reaction from the Labor leader, Bill Shorten:
Today’s announcements look like the supporters of Mr Turnbull have taken the lion’s share of the positions and those loyal to Mr Abbott, they’ve been left on the outer.
Before I get to demotions, a statement in just now from Joe Hockey.
After having served for nearly twenty years as the member for North Sydney and seventeen years on the front bench, I advised the prime minister that I did not wish to continue as a minister in the government and that it is my intention to resign from the House of Representatives.
It has been a great honour to serve my local community as the second longest serving Member for North Sydney since federation. I have no desire to break Billy Hughes’ record!
It was a great privilege to serve on the frontbench.
In each and every ministry from financial services to employment and workplace relations, from small business and tourism to treasurer, I have sought to do my very best for the people of Australia.
I will have more to say in due course, but for the sake of my young family - to whom I owe so much - I have decided to bring my parliamentary career to a close.
Malcolm Turnbull's ministry: key elevations
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Michaelia Cash – minister for women
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Josh Frydenberg – minister for resources, energy and northern Australia
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Scott Morrison – treasurer
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Kelly O’Dwyer – assistant treasurer
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Mal Brough – special minister of state
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Christopher Pyne – industry, innovation, science
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Marise Payne – defence
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Mitch Fifield – communications
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Christian Porter – social services
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Simon Birmingham – education and training
Malcolm Turnbull's ministry: key players spared in the purge
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Nigel Scullion – indigenous affairs
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Warren Truss – infrastructure and regional development
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Julie Bishop – foreign affairs
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Andrew Robb – trade
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George Brandis – attorney general and leader of the government in the senate
- Michael Keenan – justice
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Mathias Cormann – finance and deputy senate leader
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Barnaby Joyce – agriculture
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Peter Dutton – immigration
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Greg Hunt – environment
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Sussan Ley – health
Rightio, that’s a bit of a real time mess in terms of the coverage, but I’ll gather now.
Give me a minute and I’ll give you the full and complete list, and then I’ll work through what it all means.
Q: Following what you answered to Phil, what are your instructions to your new ministers about things that are part-heard in the process? The higher education reforms from the first budget, the whole family and child care package from the second budget? Do you want them to take stocktake and think about those things, or are they supposed to proceed with the policy part-way through the system?
Malcolm Turnbull:
I’m the prime minister, I’m not the president. We have a Cabinet system of government. It’s a collective form of decision making. I am absolutely determined, that is one of the many reasons why Arthur Sinodinos is to be the Cabinet secretary. I’m determined that we have a proper consultative Cabinet system and all of those issues will be considered.
But enticing though your invitation is, I’m not going to respond with some direction to my ministers from this lectern.
Q: Peter Dutton survives, Eric Abetz goes and Kevin Andrews. How will you keep unity and can you comment please on Kevin Andrews and Eric Abetz?
I want to thank Kevin and Eric for their service. Look, it is, it’s very tough to make those calls, but that’s what leaders have to do. You have to have turnover and renewal. It is vital to have a contemporary 21st century government and that requires renewal.
Updated
Not only ministerial changes, policy changes too
Q: Will we see a complete renewed look at policy as well?
Phil, any government operating in modern rapidly changing disruptive environment like this one we all live in today has got to be prepared to formulate new policies and review existing ones. But I don’t want you to mischaracterise this. You know, there is a tendency in the – there is a disconnect at times between the political discourse and the real world where any change to a policy is seen as a backdown or a a backflip or concession of some mistake. Let me say this to you - when people ask me “do you guarantee this policy will work?” I can only say to them “I guarantee this is the best policy we can formulate at the time to meet the challenges as they are today.” I can also guarantee you that if we feel that policy is not effective, or could be improved, we’ll change it.
And I know that seems curious to say in a political environment, most politicians don’t stay things like that but if you talk to people in the street or around about, it’s common sense – we are in a rapidly changing environment and we have to be prepared every day, every single day, to ask ourselves will we remain competitive if we keep doing things the way we did yesterday?
We’ve got remain on the balls of our feet.
(That’s a long way of saying yes, there will be changes in policies.)
I’ll go through the list more elegantly and with more fine grained detail once we are through here, but need to persist right now.
Turnbull won’t comment further on Joe Hockey’s immediate plans. The prime minister says perhaps we can ask Joe any question we like. (There are a couple of key diplomatic posts coming up shortly. I’m not saying that because I know anything – complete speculation on my part.)
Updated
We shouldn’t be discriminating between one form of transit and another. Roads are not better than mass transit or vice versa, each has their place.
Turnbull is engaging here in a major departure from the maxim of the Abbott administration, which can be summarised as roads roads roads.
He drops this while confirming Jamie Briggs will get responsibility for cities.
Turnbull notes two of his best friends in the parliament – Michael Ronaldson and Ian Macfarlane – are not in this line up.
They wanted to be.
Malcolm Turnbull:
Each of them were ready to continue to serve in their current positions which they were fulfilling with great distinction and competence. But each of them understood the need to renew.
(Ouch.)
Hockey to quit the parliament in "due course"
Big news.
Malcolm Turnbull:
Earlier today the honourable Joe Hockey told me that he would not be seeking a place in the new ministry and it was his intention to resign from the parliament in due course. Joe has made a long and distinguished contribution to our nation’s government and parliament over many, many years, for which I thank him. I believe he has a further contribution to make in our nation’s service.
Updated
This is a major overhaul.
Josh Frydenberg gets northern Australia.
Eric Abetz is dumped as leader of the government in the Senate. George Brandis gets that gig.
Mathias Cormann keeps finance and gets the deputy Senate leadership.
Updated
Christopher Pyne will be appointed minister for industry, innovation and science. No nuclear codes, just a nuclear industry?
Marise Payne gets defence.
Malcolm Turnbull:
The first woman to be minister for defence in our nation’s history.
There will be two women on the national security of cabinet, Julie Bishop and Mrs Payne. Senator Michaelia Cash will join the cabinet also, as minister for employment, minister for women, and minister assisting the PM for the public service. She has led the government’s policy development on women’s issues, especially in regards to our response to the scourge of domestic violence.
The honourable Kelly O’Dwyer MP will be appointed the minister for small business and the assistant treasurer, a position which has been elevated to cabinet.
Arthur Sinodinos will be appointed the cabinet secretary – a post to be introduced into Cabinet. I said a few days ago that it was critical that we restore traditional cabinet government.
The gold standard of good Coalition cabinet government was during the Howard government and as you are aware, Arthur was at the centre of that as John Howard’s chief of staff for over a decade.
Senator Simon Birmingham will be appointed the minister for education and training. He’s moved quickly and effectively to lead the transformation of the vocational education and training sector as assistant minister.
The honourable Christian Porter will be appointed minister for social services. He has got a strong record of managing large budgets and making service delivery much more efficient. He will also be appointed to the expenditure review of cabinet.
Senator Mitch Fifield will be appointed minister for communications and arts.
Updated
Malcolm Turnbull unveils his 21st century government
The prime minister strides into his courtyard.
Malcolm Turnbull:
Today I’m announcing a 21st century government and a ministry for the future.
First cab off the rank, Scott Morrison is the new treasurer. Put up your hand if you are surprised. No? Let’s move on then.
I’ll be very interested to see who the new leader of the government in the Senate is. Obscure I know, but I can be like that. The little things.
(If Christian Porter is a stranger to you, he’s a rising star sort from Western Australia.)
Updated
Bits and pieces starting to break now. Just a few minutes and we’ll have the full picture.
Christian Porter the new Social Services Minister
— Andrew Probyn (@andrewprobyn) September 20, 2015
Marise Payne will be Australia's first female Defence Minister. @smh @theage #reshuffle
— Latika M Bourke (@latikambourke) September 20, 2015
Posted without comment.
2 flags. 1 hot dude with a phone. #TurnbullsMinistry pic.twitter.com/xnTUYVeKA2
— BuzzFeedOz Politics (@BuzzFeedOzPol) September 20, 2015
A two flag reshuffle.
Here’s one of the most difficult balancing acts a leader faces when embarking on a ministerial reshuffle: creating a functional cabinet. By a functional cabinet, I mean a cabinet where malcontents don’t leak.
There are two imperatives in a reshuffle which often directly contradict one another. The leader has to appoint a new ministry which balances friends and foes. But that adage of keeping your enemies close doesn’t always work in practice: keeping enemies close means keeping them close enough to obtain information which in the right circumstances could be damaging to the leadership.
One problem we saw emerge in the grim soap opera that was ‘Kevin versus Julia’ was attempts to accommodate Rudd after his brutal axing in 2010 didn’t always help the new leadership. Leaks. Intrigue. Back biting. A second round phase of destabilisation leads to decision making taking place in ever smaller circles, and on a need to know basis.
The shrinking of the collective brain is always damaging for a government.
This isn’t a prediction. It’s an observation.
Just in case I’m assuming too much knowledge – Andrews is is a conservative and a front line member of Tony Abbott’s Praetorian guard. He did, however, make an early and generous offer to remain on as defence minister with the new regime, I believe he extended the offer pre-spill. Andrews also ran for deputy leader, getting 30 votes in the contest against Julie Bishop.
Moving forward™
The broad church must continue: Andrews
Kevin Andrews, in sorrow and in anger:
Frankly, my remaining in this job was not about me, it was all about the stability of our Defence Force in Australia and its leadership. Mr Turnbull’s decision now means there have been more defence ministers in Australia than prime ministers in the last three years. More defence ministers than prime ministers in the last three years.
Defence is meant to be a natural strength for the Coalition, but during this government it’s not always been the case. I’m proud of what has therefore been achieved. I want to especially thank prime minister Abbott for the opportunity to serve in his ministry both as the minister for social services and as the minister for defence. In social services I was proud to initiate the welfare to work agenda that is currently underway.
It is clear to me and to so many who know him that Tony was extremely loyal, loyal to a fault. The Liberal party is a broad church. The custodian of two great political traditions, Liberal and Conservative. For the sake of the party, this broad church must continue.
Having delivered that little sortie, Andrews notes that his parliamentary career will continue. He’s been preselected already.
I suspect the new prime minister already knows that, but for the benefit of people who might think Kevin might find a new line of work. Nope, nope, nope.
Kevin Andrews addresses reporters
It has been a great honour to serve the public as defence minister, Kevin Andrews tells reporters in Melbourne during his pre-Malcolm press conference.
(One notes the tense.)
Andrews is now recapping the highlights of his tenure as defence minister, a tenure which followed the tenure of his predecessor David Johnston, who once observed the Australian Submarine Corporation couldn’t build a canoe.
Andrews is disappointed that Turnbull did not accept his offer to work with him. The former defence minister says this is not about him, it is about what Malcolm is missing out on by not accepting his offer.
Readers who have been tuned in to the leadership change and the aftermath know that there is a certain amount of grief around about the change from Tony Abbott to Malcolm Turnbull.
Alan Jones. Ray Hadley. Andrew Bolt. The anyone-but-Malcolm-faction of the Liberal party. Now, my colleague and co-owner of Politics Live, Gabrielle Chan, has pointed me in the direction of RedBaiter.
Take it away RedBaiter:
I suspect the lowlife in the Liberal party who betrayed Tony Abbot have severely misjudged public sentiment. All the feedback on social media and talkback radio projects a deep rage within the electorate at Malcolm Turnbull and his actions. This rage is not only targeting Turnbull, its directed at Julie Bishop and many of the others who were complicit in betraying Abbot. Even Scott Morrison is receiving flack for not being more outwardly supportive.
RedBaiter is also taking names. Names of the betrayers. Names.
It’s all a bit … well … intense. But all of the huffing and puffing provides the context for today’s reshuffle. I’ve already pointed you in the direction of the formula Turnbull must deploy today (friends + enemies + wimmins) – but the challenges ahead are obvious. Settling a show which has thus far traded in high velocity aggro as a political modus operandi will take quite some magic.
People like Arthur Sinodinos calling for the return of reason is one thing. Delivering it quite another.
Updated
Back to Canning, we know the victor in Saturday’s contest was the Liberal Andrew Hastie. The two party preferred swing against the Liberals according to the latest information from the Australian Electoral Commission was 6.86%.
It’s one of those results which literally has something for everyone. The government can say the swing is less than they expected under Tony Abbott as prime minister – so there’s a modest “Malcolm effect” (probably true), Labor can also say the swing against the government was higher than average (also true).
I gather from reader feedback over the weekend my colleague Nick Evershed’s fantasy federal cabinet interactive has provided at least some folks with a fun diversion. We expect the Turnbull ministry announcement around about 3pm this afternoon, so you still have time to select your own cabinet. Go on, have a go. (Oh no, that was the budget, sorry.)
As we go live Kevin Andrews has just issued an alert that he will address the media in thirty minutes. I fear (but I stress I do not yet know) it won’t be good news, although it is entirely possible the Victorian veteran will be announcing he’ll be nominating for the Liberal leadership. That did happen once before.
Continuing to get our collective eyes in. I gave you a bit of Cory Bernardi’s appearance on television this morning in the opening post. I also need to give you this from Arthur Sinodinos, the Liberal senator. Sinodinos was on Insiders this morning, a warm up act for the rest of the day’s developments.
Q: Is there any room to move on climate change?
Arthur Sinodinos:
Look, in relation to climate change, there was an agreement, and Malcolm was part of the cabinet in that regard, around the targets post-2020. But I think you’ll see that there’ll be a bit of an end to the idea that the environment and development have to be at loggerheads, that somehow it’s a zero sum game. It’s not. Good environmental policies can also be good economic policies and good economic policies give you a capacity to deal with environmental issues. And so I don’t think we should be hung up on the - if you like, the battles of the past, the battles of 2009 and whatever and also to accept that existing resources as well as renewables have their place - forgive the pun - in the sun. It’s very important that we now move on from those battles.
This is not a zero sum game.
I need to share this because it is a most astonishing development. Imagine if we could ditch all the fake counterpoints and absurd populist outbursts and that whole hideous process of legislating a carbon price then unlegislating it and just go back to 2007 and start all over again?
Seriously, I almost dropped my cup of hot herbs at this prospect.
Updated
Good afternoon blogans, bloganistas, and welcome to this special Sunday afternoon edition of Politics Live. Who really wants to mulch their garden beds or sample craft beer in the sun or talk to their children when they can tune into the latest goings on in the nation’s capital?
On my way in to the office I was almost taken out by a peloton speeding around the parliament – part of some very official looking bike race. As a policeman gestured emphatically in my direction with a not entirely friendly gloved fist I wondered, absently – how can these muscled men in lycra fail to be entranced by Bob Baldwin announcing early on Sunday morning that he’d been dumped on Twitter (perhaps confirming for some observers for the first time he had held a minor front bench position); or comprehensively ignore Cory Bernardi’s feeling on the Bolt Report that the Liberal party might now split because conservatives would find themselves out in the cold under the brutal dictatorship of Australia’s most famous unrepentant communist Malcolm Turnbull?
Splitters!
I’m sure our pelotonians are now making up for lost time, reclining in an ice bath with their mobile device of choice, wondering whether or not Christopher Pyne will be given the nuclear codes, pressing refresh, cursing the lack of confirmation.
Sorry I will focus now.
Yes, we have gathered this afternoon for two reasons – firstly to note the Liberal party has successfully defended the WA seat of Canning despite dumping a first term prime minister in the days leading up to Saturday. (Some would say because of dumping the aforementioned prime minister – but they would be rude.)
Our second item of business is what Julia Gillard once termed “moving forward.”™
The new prime minister, Malcolm Turnbull, will this afternoon appoint his new ministry – a delicate quasi scientific procedure requiring the following formula. Friends must be rewarded (but not too much) + foes vanquished (but not too much) + some more wimins to make the ministerial line-up look slightly less like refugees from the set of Mad Men (minus the je ne sais quoi.)
Government types have been finding out their fate over the last couple of hours. Shortly we will all know the full picture. I promise I will spare you nothing.
I’m sure you are keen to dive into the day’s discussion, so do dive away – the comments thread is now open for your business. I’m also open for business on the Twits @murpharoo
Let’s get into it.
