James Campbell: Malcolm Turnbull records 30th Newspoll loss but Liberals are out of alternatives

WILL Malcolm Turnbull make it to losing 31 Newspolls in a row? Almost certainly — but unfortunately for his colleagues, all their leadership options are bad, writes James Campbell.

TWO and a half years after the Liberal party room gave Tony Abbott his marching orders, Malcolm Turnbull has equalled his record of 30 losing Newspolls in a row.

Will he make it to 31? ­Almost certainly.

Will his colleagues stand idly by as he passes 32, 33, 34, 35, 36 and so on until the Shorten government is elected?

Recent history suggests enough of them will decide enough is enough long before then.

Their problem is all the options are bad. Go back to Tony Abbott?

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Nothing in his behaviour since 2015 has convinced anyone he understands why he was a flop as prime minister or that he would be any different next time.

Anyway, from what Peta Credlin has been writing lately, it seems he’s auditioning for the role of Opposition Leader to Bill’s PM. What about the others?

Malcolm Turnbull will almost certainly make it to 31 Newspoll losses in a row. Picture: AP Photo/Rod McGuirk

TURNBULL’S REGRET AHEAD OF 30TH NEWSPOLL LOSS

Julie Bishop is up and about letting it be known through her favourite scribes she still regards herself as foreman material.

There are two problems with that. Internally, most of the Right hate her like poison and would be unlikely to behave if she took over.

Admittedly, she’s popular with the public, but mostly I suspect with people who don’t vote Liberal.

If she ever became PM you can bet that popularity would melt faster than a Sunnyboy on school playground asphalt in February once Labor got to work highlighting the extraordinary number of times her work has taken her to places that just happen to be hosting an A-list social occasion.

Tony Abbott has shown nothing in his behaviour since 2015 to convince anyone he understands why he was a flop as prime minister. Picture: Yuri Kouzmin

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What about Peter Dutton or Scott Morrison?

There is no doubt Dutton is more liked by his colleagues than the Treasurer, who has a Costello-like capacity for rudeness, and while he is certainly the government’s best chance of bringing back voters who have wandered off to Pauline Hanson, doubts linger whether he is up to or ready for the big job.

Recently, a visiting political commentator observed to me how difficult it was getting political parties to admit there was no hope of victory — only ways of reducing the size of the inevitable defeat.

The Coalition is there now. Changing leaders would be grasping at straws. They’ve played that card. The sad fact is that Malcolm is their least worst option.

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