Not drowning, waving
THE predictions of Malcolm Turnbull’s demise came thick and fast in 2017. But despite the Chicken Little army, he’s still standing, writes Miranda Devine.
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AS the year ends, at least the Turnbull government can safely echo Mark Twain in saying the reports of its death have been greatly exaggerated.
And, boy, have there been a lot.
Let’s start on January 28, with Ross Fitzgerald in Spectator Australia: “Turnbull is toast… Most people are bemused when I predict that Malcolm Turnbull won’t be prime minister by the end of the year.”
February 1, Ross Cameron, Sky News: Turnbull, “is finished’.
February 9, Andrew Bolt, Herald Sun: “Malcolm Turnbull is finished as Prime Minister and must be replaced”.
March 1, David Flint, Spectator Australia: “If the country is to be saved from impending disaster, Tony Abbott, like General MacArthur, must return.”
March 4, John Stone, Spectator Australia: “First, and sine qua non, both Turnbull and his chief co-conspirator, Julie Bishop must go.”
March 13, Bolt: “Malcolm Turnbull really is finished. If the Prime Minister lasts past May, it will be a miracle.”
April 14, Flint: “The obvious solution is to bring Abbott back.”
April 24, Bolt: “This can’t go on.”
June 15, Bolt: “If Liberal MPs don’t sack this Prime Minister soon they can kiss their party goodbye.”
June 19, Alan Jones, 2GB: “The leadership has got to go. The bedwetters have got to work out whether they hate Abbott more than they hate losing.”
June 22, Bolt: “I give up”.
June 24, John Stone: “Enough is enough.”
June 26, Bolt: “Pyne’s prediction could detonate an explosion that destroys the party and Turnbull’s leadership”.
June 28: Jones: “There’s only one person who can save the Liberal Party… Abbott.”
June 30: Change.org petition, “Malcolm Turnbull must resign”, closes after 12 months, 399 signatures short of its goal of 1000.
July 3, Bill Shorten: Turnbull “should quit… His own party know he’s not up to the job.”
July 3, Bolt: “Malcolm Turnbull, you are finished.”
July 12, James Allan, Spectator Australia: “Turnbull is finished”.
August 1, Alan Jones: “It’s chaos and mutiny in Canberra. I have spoken to senior Cabinet ministers who tell me Turnbull is gone.”
August 2, Peta Credlin, Sky News: “I don’t think that Malcolm Turnbull will be here at the end of the year”.
August 24, Bolt: “Niki Savva’s … hero Malcolm Turnbull is finished.”
September 14, Jones: “His prime ministership is almost finished”.
October 1: Bolt: “Turnbull must produce a miraculous poll recovery by December or be replaced.”
October 9, Rex Jory, Adelaide Advertiser: “Mr Turnbull must go.”
October 21, John Stone: “This can’t go on. Sometime before Parliament rises for the Christmas-New Year recess, this (Turn)bull must be taken by the horns.”
October 27, Graham Richardson, Sky News: Turnbull’s “had it, he’s finished, he’s gone, he’s done and he’s dusted.”
October 27, Bolt: “Turnbull must go — and go next month, when Parliament meets for the last time before Christmas. I’ve gone through the arguments before”.
October 30, Richardson, The Australian: “Turnbull is finished and gone. He is done and he is dusted.”
November 2, John Adams, Spectator Australia: “Cabinet Ministers are now internally conceding that Turnbull’s leadership is terminal and that he will be dispatched”.
November 2, Gary Hardgrave, Sky News: “Malcolm Turnbull knows he’s for the high jump… His days are numbered.”
November 2, Paul Murray, Sky News: “The great conversation at the moment is, of course, who’s going to replace Malcolm Turnbull. They want to pretend it’s not going to happen, but it is.”
November 8, Credlin, The Australian: “the chances of recovery are fading by the minute.”
November 13, Neil Mitchell, 3AW: “Parliament is in chaos — he doesn’t have a majority — he’s finished.”
November 20, Pauline Hanson, Sky News: Turnbull is “dead man walking”.
November 20, Bolt: “Malcolm Turnbull is scared of his own party members plotting against him… I hear his deputy Julie Bishop and Treasurer Scott Morrison are now circling, rumours are on a joint ticket”.
November 21, Bernard Keane, Crikey: “Turnbull just went from fizzer to finished”.
November 29, Bolt: “It’s over and some Coalition MPs are openly challenging Turnbull’s authority as leader”.
December 1, NSW Nationals leader John Barilaro, 2GB: “My view is Turnbull should… go before Christmas.”
December 1, Kevin Rudd: “Malcolm, for the good of your party and the country, just go”.
December 1, Des Moore: “All this suggests at next week’s Party Room meeting Turnbull will be confronted with a motion of no confidence.”
December 2, Stone: “The Coalition now has only one chance: reversion to Abbott… For God’s sake, bring it on!”
December 3, Credlin: “… the demise of Malcolm Turnbull has an air of inevitability”.
December 4, Fitzgerald, The Australian: “The only question is whether the Liberal party room gets in first and terminates the Turnbull prime ministership”.
December 7, Stone, The Australian: “If the Liberals want to hold Bennelong, they should … replace Turnbull immediately”.
December 12, Flint, Spectator Australia: “The Bennelong by-election is likely to lead to a change of leadership in the Liberal Party”.
Well, it’s the end of the year, and Turnbull is still standing, two by-election wins under his belt.
Who knows, if unemployment stays low, the stock market keeps booming and the economy continues to recover in 2018, the Turnbull government might even have a chance of winning the next election.
Happy New Year to all, even the Chicken Littles!