Federal election 2016: Talk of new election is just crazy

DENNIS ATKINS: In the mad confusion that engulfed the aftermath of the federal election, there was talk of a new poll. But there are several reasons why this won’t happen.

AT one point during the mad confusion that engulfed the political class after Saturday’s election outcome, someone suggested Malcolm Turnbull might ask the Governor General Sir Peter Cosgrove for a new election.

Talk about crazy!

This thesis was based on the small factoid that Turnbull retains the commission to form a government until he surrenders it, Cosgrove takes it off him or has it snatched from him on the floor of the Parliament.

Turnbull could, if the numbers are not in his favour, tell Cosgrove he can’t form a government so the voters should try again.

“Malcolm is a deal maker and if he can’t get the deal he wants, his life story tells us he tries to cut another deal,” said one Coalition insider.

“He’s done that in business and he does it now he’s in politics.”

What a hoot that would be and it won’t happen for a few reasons. The first is that Cosgrove would quite sensibly say he would first have to ask Labor’s Bill Shorten is he could form a government.

That’s another road to go down and could play out in any manner of way.

Also, those people inside the Coalition tent who Turnbull has been refusing to listen to in recent months - to his and his party’s great cost - would slam him up against a wall and tell him not to be so stupid.

If anyone deliberately sent the country back to the polls they might not get a happy reception.

Voters might have given us an uncertain outcome but they don’t want to go through it again.

The message from the result is that people want to be listened to and if refusing to give carte blanche to either major party is the way to get the attention of our leaders, so be it.

Voters want the politicians to work with the parliament they’ve got and not wish for one they haven’t got. It’s that simple.

Don’t miss Dennis Atkins and Malcolm Farr’s election podcast Two Grumpy Hacks, available for free on iTunes or Soundcloud.