Earlier this week in Paris, Malcolm Turnbull announced that Australia would ratify the Kyoto second stage protocol. Guardian Australia’s that it was “a move that underlines Australia’s change in attitude towards international climate talks but is unlikely to make any practical difference to reductions in emissions.” It is a line that encapsulates the Turnbull Prime Ministership – lots of attitudinal change but not a heck of a lot of practical difference in policy between he and Tony Abbott.
Partly this is because it is early days, but partly as well it is because Turnbull does not have much power to pursue a radically different agenda given the fractured state of the Liberal Party – where supporters of Tony Abbott are happy to throw stones within the glasshouse – and the coalition with the National Party, where any moves on climate change or other progressive measures are met with utter disdain.
Not too many days ago, the Prime Minister would have been sad to see the end of the parliamentary year. Enjoying as he was full blush of his honeymoon period, fronting up to parliament was a joy. Each day was yet one more to proclaim as the greatest day to be an Australian, for truly it was thus for Malcolm Turnbull, and thus it must also be for everyone.
And yet the end of parliament this week hasn’t come quick enough.
Returning from his appearance at the Paris climate change summit, he immediately was pressured to do something about Mal Brough.
That he is in this position is all of the Prime Minister’s own making and also serves to highlight how narrow is his base of support within the parliamentary Liberal Party.
Brough was under attack over events that stretch back to 2012 and his alleged involvement in the procurement of the diary of former speaker Peter Slipper. They also related to an interview he gave on Channel 9’s 60 Minutes in September last year.
When the Prime Minister told parliament that “the facts and the circumstances relating to these events, as you know, have been very well known for some years,” he was certainly speaking the truth. No doubt many in his party were wondering why, given how well known they were, did the Prime Minister believe it was a smart idea to appoint Brough to the position of Special Minister of State?
The position is one which among other things has oversight of Parliamentary entitlements. It’s the type of position you want someone who is seen to be like Caesar’s wife.
But Brough was one of those who helped Turnbull get the Prime Ministership, and thus he got his spot on the front bench – minor though it is.
The affair might have gone away this week except Brough misled the house when he suggested Channel 9 had in effect quoted him out of context. Channel 9 quickly released the full transcript and video footage showing they clearly had not.
No minister since has resigned for misleading the house, and no one really expected Brough to take the high moral route on this either, but his remaining meant the government needed to continue defending him.
Oddly, however, no one in the government is all that eager to defend him. The standard line all week from other MPs and Ministers was to deflect and suggest that the public are more concerned about other things.
Brough didn’t help matters by apologising “to the House if my statement yesterday unwittingly added to the confusion rather than clarifying the matter.”
Whenever the ALP sought to suspend standing orders to censor either Brough or Turnbull, the government shut down debate, which is not something that would occur were the government feeling on surer ground over the issue.
Yet while the sensible thing would be for Turnbull to ask Brough to stand aside while the matter is being investigated by the police, instead he stubbornly has resolved to support Brough for little cause.
You can somewhat understand given the state of the Liberal party room, where already calls are coming for Eric Abetz to replace Brough.
And to top it off on Thursday morning came word that Ian Macfarlane was switching from the Liberal Party to the National Party. Later in the day fellow QLD Liberal MP Scott Buchholz was also considering a move.
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Were Bucholz to switch as well, the Nationals would argue they deserve another ministry spot. This could see Macfarlane, who was dumped by Turnbull from the Ministry, a Minister again – though hardly in circumstances which would suggest Turnbull has a united team behind him.
The moves underscore the problem for Turnbull. His leadership is based on being more popular than Abbott, but not on his pursuit of different policies to those of Abbott. Sure they’re happy for him to dump the knighthoods, but there was a revolt over any moves to change substantive policy – such as the diesel fuel rebate.
A stronger National Party, and the continual rumblings from the conservative core, is all about ensuring that this new Prime Minister realises he can spend his time conveying a different attitude, just so long as he doesn’t make any practical differences.
And until he wins an election in his own right he will struggle to do anything more.
