When Liberal Party plotters were moving against Malcolm Turnbull in mid-2018, there were a number of reasons cited. The National Energy Guarantee and fears Turnbull could not win seats in Queensland were among them.

While some of those who turned on Turnbull harboured legitimate concerns, the conservative forces at the core of the push, hell-bent on avenging Turnbull's ousting of Tony Abbott in 2015, were going to keep coming, no matter what.