Miranda Live: How Malcolm Turnbull can win the next election according to John Howard
EMBATTLED Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull can still win the next election — but only if he focuses on his strengths of border security and a strong economy — former PM John Howard has told Miranda Devine on her groundbreaking new online radio show Miranda Live.
EMBATTLED Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull can still win the next election — but only if he focuses on his strengths of border security and a strong economy — former PM John Howard has told Miranda Devine on her groundbreaking new online radio show Miranda Live.
Mr Turnbull has faced repeated reversals in the recent polls and even copped flak from inside the Coalition for his poor showing.
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Recently, NSW Deputy Premier John Barilaro urged the PM to stand aside for the good of the party and give voters an “early Christmas present” — but Mr Howard said Mr Turnbull could still win the next election.
“I certainly think he can win the next election, but he needs to understand it will be a tough fight,” the longtime Liberal leader told Devine tonight.
LISTEN IN: Miranda Live with AG Christian Porter
“The most important thing is to hammer the strengths of the government — and the strengths of the government is economic management and national security — those are the two things people are most concerned with.”
The 25th Prime Minister of Australia’s own seat of Bennelong was this week the subject of a by election that returned Liberal John Alexander.
Mr Howard spent extensive time in his own seat campaigning for the former tennis ace and said he felt like Opposition Leader Bill Shorten’s power was fading.
“The impression I got from talking to people in Bennelong during the campaign was that the more Bill Shorten turned up, the less likely Kristina Keneally was to win,” he told Devine.
“The next election is going to be hard, he’s (Mr Turnbull) is still behind in the polls, but the government has strong national security credentials and has showed off a robust economy.”
Devine also sat down with incoming Attorney-General Christian Porter tonight on Miranda Live.
• Last night Daily Telegraph columnist Devine sat down with NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian to talk the future of NSW and her controversial bottle recycling scheme.
New NSW Police Force Commissioner Mick Fuller also dropped by to talk law and order and the issue of new M4 carbines to special tactical police officers on patrol across Sydney from this week.
• Miranda Live: Miranda Devine sits down with NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian
Tune in Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday at 5.30pm for Miranda Live.