Malcolm Turnbull needs a political agenda makeover if he wants to remain prime minister

MALCOLM Turnbull will need to give himself a makeover if he is to remain leader and prime minister of a Coalition government, writes Ellen Whinnett.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull drives out of Bligh St Gov building after his press conference today. Pic Chris Pavlich

MALCOLM Turnbull will need to give himself a makeover if he is to remain leader and prime minister of a Coalition government.

This campaign was built heavily around Mr Turnbull’s main areas of interest — science, innovation and technology.

But large parts of Australia, including regional Queensland and Tasmania, didn’t want to hear that message, which was aimed at the head and not the heart.

Mr Turnbull has spent the 10 months since he rolled Tony Abbott for the prime ministership spruiking this agenda.

He’s clearly going to have to wind it back, or add some other moves to his repertoire.

But his biggest problem is getting his fractious party united behind him.

Largely, Liberal MPs were showing discipline yesterday and locking in behind their leader, who was visibly shell-shocked when he made his post-midnight appearance at the Liberals’ election party.

But there is profound unhappiness at what is perceived to be Mr Turnbull’s failure to embrace the conservative wing of the party — and failure to chase the conservative vote.

Liberal critics say it was this failure that drove the voters into the arms of Right-wing independents, such as Derryn Hinch, Jacqui Lambie and Pauline Hanson.

This is a more complex issue than just promoting Tony Abbott to the frontbench.

While Mr Abbott would probably make a good contribution, the politics of it would be appalling, and Mr Turnbull would be forever cast as being the puppet of Mr Abbott and the party’s Right wing.

Also, the more conservative Nationals, who ignored the excitement, agility and innovation aspects of Mr Turnbull’s agenda, have done well at this election and even pinched a seat off the Liberals — Murray in Victoria.

They will be demanding an extra seat at the Cabinet table.

A group of young conservatives will be more influential, and some of their supporters suggest Mr Turnbull consider promoting a couple of them to junior frontbench roles — people such as Zed Seselja, the articulate ACT Senator, and Michael Sukkar, the member for Deakin who reversed the national trend to record a more than 2 per cent swing towards the Liberals in his seat.

As well, Mr Turnbull will have to ensure the same-sex marriage debate and plebiscite are handled in a way that allows some conservatives to vote no, and others to abstain.

Labor is watching all this with glee, and some have convinced themselves that even if the Turnbull Coalition hangs on, the Opposition Leader will be the next prime minister.

There’s a downside there for Labor, though: it makes the stakes incredibly high, and, given the new leadership rules, it’s very hard for anyone to challenge Bill Shorten this term — unless they do it now.

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