Blame for Wentworth by-election defeat belongs with Liberals

MALCOLM Turnbull is being blamed for the disastrous result in Wentworth. But the real culprits are getting away scot-free.

COMMENT

MALCOLM Turnbull is being welcomed back home by a strange accusation it was his fault the Liberal Party lost Wentworth.

The former PM and his wife Lucy are back in Sydney for the first time since spending the weeks since his ousting overseas.

The Turnbulls landed at Sydney airport on Monday and avoided reporters by slipping out through the loading dock, the Seven Network reported.

It follows the huge swing against the Liberal party in the by-election for his old electorate of Wentworth on Saturday, with some blaming Mr Turnbull failure to campaign for candidate Dave Sharma for the bad result.

If he had just smiled on the Sharma campaigned and cooed a few supportive words from New York the result would have been a much-needed Government win.

That’s the accusation, but it’s an extraordinary and warped reading of political reality.

It is dangerously close to blaming the victim to excuse the real culprits.

The Liberals lost Wentworth because of a clumsy and inept attempt to replace Mr Turnbull with Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton.

Independent Kerryn Phelps is all but assured of victory over Mr Sharma in Wentworth, robbing the coalition of its majority.

A late run of Liberal postal votes, which briefly reignited the prime minister’s hopes that Mr Sharma could overtake Dr Phelps, now appears unlikely to change the outcome.

If Dr Phelps is confirmed the winner, there will be a cross bench of six members in the House of Representatives, with Labor holding 69 seats and the coalition one short of a majority with 75.

Kerryn Phelps celebrates her win in Wentworth by-election. Picture: AAP Image/Chris Pavlich

The voters rebelled against the seat’s electoral history because they were angry there had been a change of leader without them being consulted.

Yet some of those who had agitated against the Turnbull prime ministership from its inception are now shocked he was a bit miffed at being ousted.

They had considered him a failure in office but through some magical political equation he was the hope of the side as a private citizen — in Wentworth at least.

And, it seems, he was churlish for being a touch resentful towards the treatment dished out by colleagues.

Malcolm Turnbull is not coy about his abilities and self importance and I once described him as a “charming bully”, but the notion he had been unreasonable after losing the PM’s office is strained.

Wentworth result was not great for PM Scott Morrison. Picture: AAP Image/Dan Himbrechts

Liberal candidate Dave Sharma delivers his concession speech. Picture: AAP Image/Dan Himbrechts

There had been months of his authority being undermined and, come the big moment, the plotters saw their plans wrecked when Scott Morrison was elevated to replace him.

Yet there are no sharp accusations against Mr Dutton, and former prime minister Tony Abbott, whose constant criticism of the Turnbull administration helped power the incompetent challenge, is equally innocent.

However, by any reasonable reckoning, they are among the bunch of Liberals who, when it comes to finger pointing, can be blamed for Wentworth.

Anybody associated with that scheme to replace a prime minister — again — less than a year from a general rejection have now learned how daft they were.