Sharri Markson: Malcolm’s next crew on the good ship Turnbull

THE Prime Minister has his eye on putting together a top team ready to steer the good ship Turnbull to election victory, says Sharri Markson.

A CABINET reshuffle is the next stage of the government’s “reset” agenda.

A reset in policy, perception and narrative was the play behind Scott Morrison’s populist Budget. That’s phase one: out with the tough cuts and unlegislated zombie measures that would never be passed.

And with it an end to political chaos, where the government — elected with a mandate — had been unable to implement their agenda. (Although you sense it’d come as a shock to people such as Nick Xenophon to learn that Turnbull won the election, squarely).

The federal Budget allowed the government to reset its agenda. And, at least for the moment, it has worked. Turnbull has new political ground to fight on when he’s back in Parliament next week and, instead of reacting to attacks about penalty rate cuts, his war is with wealthy bankers — billionaires, not the millionaires in Shorten’s sights.

Phase two will be a reshuffle to cement the team Turnbull will take to the election. The precise date of the announcement is fluid, and the Prime Minister has given himself flexibility to move it based on when he feels the time is right.

A midwinter July reshuffle is the plan he is working toward. Turnbull has extended Alexander Downer’s term as Australia’s High Commissioner to Britain by six months, ostensibly to see through the UK election.

Artwork: John Tiedemann

Downer agreed to stay on beyond the scheduled end of his term in May, but he may not remain for the full six-month extension, and may return sooner.

As has been well canvassed, Downer is expected to be replaced by George Brandis, who was once close to Turnbull.

Christian Porter or Michaelia Cash could replace Brandis, with Mathias Cormann as the new Senate Leader.

Defence Minister Marise Payne has been speaking to the PM about her future and it’s possible she could be appointed Australia’s Ambassador in Brussels, where Dr Mark Higgie is nearing the end of his term, or she may even go to New York. Bizarrely, there has been a suggestion Peter Dutton could take the defence portfolio.

He has told those close to him that he would prefer the all-powerful, and highly retail, Homeland Security super-portfolio and would even prefer to remain as Immigration Minister than move into the graveyard role of Defence (although of course Christopher Pyne doesn’t see Defence in quite the same way).

Polls have predicted Dutton’s seat of Dickson is under threat, with a 1 per cent margin. Yet he has managed to hold the marginal seat for 16 years. He knows how to campaign and his profile has grown since the election.

The hard line image he has cultivated on both social and immigration issues is playing well in his Queensland electorate.

In other moves, Barnaby Joyce would shift to infrastructure from agriculture and water resources, and Angus Taylor could be in line for a new major projects role focused on IT and urban infrastructure projects.

Surprisingly, Julie Bishop has been drawn into high-level reshuffle conversations. There’s an argument — from her critics, of course — that she has made too many mistakes as Foreign Minister and should be shifted to a different portfolio.

She even nearly caused a nuclear war, they say: North Korean leader Kim Jong-un threatened to blow up Australia after she muscled up to the rogue nation. And there was a new friction in her relationship with the PM when the China extradition treaty fell through.

She has also taken a relatively low profile in recent months, with colleagues describing her as “disengaged” from politics in Australia. Plus designer clothes, a love of emojis and celebrity selfies don’t go down well with dowdy politicians and bureaucrats.

Politics is showbiz for ugly people — unless of course, you’re J-Bish.

Back to the reshuffle. Discussions have also included the question of whether Bishop will run at the next election, with a view that she may retire. If Bishop does not plan to recontest her seat, would it make sense for Turnbull to keep her as Foreign Minister, only to have to do yet another reshuffle down the track?

No points for guessing which ministers are already squawking for her role. Bishop has not indicated publicly or privately to colleagues that she intends to leave Parliament. She says the rumours are false. She also says she has no intention of leaving her position as Foreign Minister. But Turnbull may want to shake things up.

His private views on ministers and policy positions have certainly changed since the election, leaving some ministers heartbroken by the Budget and quietly fuming about the departure from lower-taxing, smaller government Liberal principles. Ministers also are dismayed at Turnbull and Morrison’s boasts that the Budget is pragmatic not ideological.

Despite the lessons of Brexit and Trump, there’s disenchantment that, at the most globalised time in the world’s history, the government has lurched towards nationalism.

But Turnbull has seen off his own leadership rivals and has made Bill Shorten vulnerable to threats from his own party. There’s no question Turnbull has achieved political momentum in recent weeks. He has no intention of losing it now.