Opinion: Voters have bigger concerns Turnbull losing 30 Newspolls

TODAY the political class will burst into action to talk endlessly about Malcolm Turnbull losing 30 Newspolls in a row. But most everyday Australians couldn’t care less, writes Renee Viellaris.

TODAY, most everyday Australians will busy themselves preparing for the daily juggle of balancing work and family life.

Lunches will be packed and, like a broken record, parents will tell their kids to eat their breakfast, get dressed, pack their bags and get out the door. It will be another day of the same grind – battling the clock and the traffic.

In the alternative universe, the political class and those addicted to partisan politics will burst back into action to talk endlessly about Malcolm Turnbull losing 30 Newspolls in a row.

The Newspoll results were released last night – the numbers that Labor and Turnbull’s detractors have been waiting for. The Coalition remains behind even though it appears to be starting to climb back (although, its ability to kick goals is becoming almost comical).

But put away the popcorn. Today will be an anti-climax.

There will be no leadership spill, no early election, no prime minister in hiding.

It’s a given that the bunch of political mosquitoes led by Tony Abbott will annoy with their louder-than-usual incessant buzzing.

Like petulant children they will whine that Abbott was booted as captain when he lost 30 Newspolls in a row, one of the benchmarks Turnbull used to roll his predecessor.

Turnbull today again admits he wished he hadn’t used the yardstick – but he did, and now he will wear some momentary political pain.

“The real contest in Australian politics is about the kind of country we want to be,” Turnbull told The Courier-Mail yesterday.

“I certainly regret referring to polling back in 2015. I made my case, however, on a commitment to provide strong economic leadership and restore traditional Cabinet government. I have delivered both.”

Before he fronts the media today at a Sydney daycare centre, his loyalists will be dispatched to put out political fires, no doubt some caused by a former prime minister and volunteer firefighter.

Julie Bishop, Scott Morrison, Mathias Cormann, Christopher Pyne, Simon Birmingham and Peter Dutton will saturate the airwaves to drown out critics and sandbag their leader. Turnbull will not be a prime minister in hiding, he will front the media and maybe do a few radio interviews.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull. Picture: AP/Rod McGuirk

He will tell reporters and listeners about the Government’s plans to make childcare more affordable for low to middle-income workers.

Ask many Australians what they care about and the answer will not be that the Coalition remains behind in opinion polls.

Here is the contrast.

Abbott, on his annual Pollie Pedal fundraiser, will make it about Newspoll because he is still grieving his political death as prime minister.

But so will the media and many other politicians (although the conflict the inner circle thrives on often irritates ordinary voters).

Tomorrow, the Prime Minister will be back in southeast Queensland and will no doubt be asked again about Newspoll results – it will continue for days.

But the Prime Minister will focus on his plan to fix congestion and reach out to those parents sitting in traffic trying to get their kids to school or get to work.

Infrastructure will be a key theme in this year’s Budget, especially in Queensland. Turnbull will unveil a grand vision for long-term infrastructure projects, which create jobs, boost productivity and give families some work-life balance back.

The irony here is that Abbott declared he wanted to be known as the infrastructure prime minister, and started laying the foundation when he was in the top job.

It was also Abbott’s policy to create economic conditions that would create one million jobs in five years and two million in a decade.

Ousted prime minister Tony Abbott has an axe to grind. Picture Kym Smith

When Turnbull is overseas this month, that goal of one million jobs in five years is likely to be realised. Under Turnbull there have been 17 consecutive months of job growth.

It is a worthy achievement. It also offers thought to how effective the Government could be if the pair worked constructively together.

Abbott learned some of his trade from John Howard, who occasionally had to rein in his health minister.

There are stories about how Abbott would turn off his phone so he didn’t have to take a phone call from Howard or someone acting on behalf of him.

While Turnbull also cited slogans as another reason to topple Abbott, many voters still remember them: “Scrap the tax”, “stop the boats” and “end the waste”.

On the policy front, Turnbull wins hands down but if the Prime Minister wants to convince voters to give him another term he still has work to do.

Families need decent tax cuts but the whole tax system needs overhaul.

More work needs to be done on private health insurance – Health Minister Greg Hunt’s big reforms kick in next year but the system is not sustainable.

Premiums cannot keep going up every year without thousands of people dropping out, making the system even more unaffordable.

The blue-rinse brigade, and those preparing for retirement, need certainty about the pension and superannuation.

Women need more help entering and staying in the workforce. While the Government has made it more affordable for low to middle-income workers, higher income families will lose all their entitlement, costing families at least $30,000 a year (after tax) for just one child.

The country desperately needs a comprehensive energy and climate change strategy.

But one of the most necessary reforms is in industrial relations. Australia’s IR laws are not always fit for purpose and, in some cases, encourage business not to hire.

All these issues cut across the political divide. But they require guts and determination.

Turnbull wants to have two more Budgets before heading to an election next year – the poll that counts.

In the meantime, his greatest challenge will be to connect with those voters who this morning are juggling their home and work life, and couldn’t care that the Prime Minister has lost 30 Newspolls in a row.