Tory Shepherd: Frank opinion is ultimate praise for our cunning PM

PRIME Minister Malcolm Turnbull’s rat cunning has been endorsed by none other than House of Cards.

PM Malcolm Turnbull holding a press conference in the Prime Ministers Courtyard, Parliament House in Canberra.

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PRIME Minister Malcolm Turnbull’s rat cunning has been endorsed by none other than House of Cards.

The TV show, which dramatises the labyrinthine politics of Capitol Hill, tweeted that they admired Mr Turnbull’s methodology, and: “If you don’t like how the table is set, turn over the table.”

Mr Turnbull certainly yanked everyone out of their Monday morning funk by announcing the Budget would be a week early on May 3, that the Senate would be recalled for two weeks before that, and that a double dissolution election would be held on July 2 if legislation tackling union corruption did not pass.

The situation in the Senate — as illustrated by last week’s shenanigans — has become untenable.

Mr Turnbull had to throw down the gauntlet and bring the matter to a head. Now he needs six out of the eight crossbenchers to pass the Australian Building and Construction Commission and the Registered Organisation Bills.

House of Cards’ tweet back at Malcolm Turnbull.

He may just get there. If both the crossbenchers and the Government genuinely negotiate over amendments to the Bills, they could go through.

Self interest will play a role for Senators Jacqui Lambie, Glenn Lazarus, David Leyonhjelm, Dio Wang and Ricky Muir.

If they pass the legislation and avoid a double dissolution, they will have another four years of power before they are booted out under the new senate reform voting laws.

If they win concessions from the Government, they can save face as well as their jobs. Then the Government can resume normal programming and announce an election later in the year. This would be the calmer option.

If, however, the Senators stand firm and block the Bills, it’s game on. Election campaign.

As we barrel towards July 2 Mr Turnbull will be hoping he can unite his party against unions and therefore Labor, bringing the antsy backbenchers to heel. He will be hoping the May Budget is sellable and the tax reform package is credible.

His colleagues will be hoping he can sustain momentum through a long, wintry campaign.

For now, Mr Turnbull looks like he’s back in control. But unlike House of Cards protagonist Frank Underwood, he cannot hope to manipulate all those around him to ensure victory.

There are threats without and white-ants within.

Mr Turnbull has constructed a credible way forward, but it could still all come crashing down.