Malcolm Turnbull on Q&A: Oh how he missed the applause

The applause. Oh, how he had missed it in the 11 long weeks — to the very day — since the coup had ended his prime ministership.

Malcolm Turnbull on Q&A. Picture: ABC

The applause. Oh, how he had missed it in the 11 long weeks — to the very day — since the coup had ended the prime ministership of Malcolm Bligh Turnbull.

But there he was, back once again, in Studio 22, back on Q&A, the ABC program that had done so much to rehabilitate his political career after his first massive defeat cast him out into the political wilderness.

Tommy, the shaggy haired warm up guy, something of an institution on the ABC panel show, had got the audience and star interviewee in a jocular mood by cannily anticipating the first question about insurgents that cost Turnbull his political career, by yelling out across the studio: “Can you please tell us your secret diplomatic code word for ‘that guy can go and get f**ked’?”

Turnbull on Q&A: How it unfolded live

The former prime minister replied with some vague Malcolmism and the moment was quickly lost as soon the theme tune started up and host Tony Jones leaned across to shake Turnbull’s hand and mouth the words “Welcome back”.

Malcolm Turnbull faced an hour of questioning on QandA. Picture: ABC

In marked contrast to his sometimes snippy performances while prime minister, losing his job appeared to have take a load off. For his 24th appearance, Turnbull was a world removed from the first time he appeared on the ABC panel discussion program as prime minister in 2015, when he shaded Jones by telling him he was a “very good spokesman for the ALP”.

Earlier, executive producer Peter McEvoy had laid out the ground rules of the program, which had over its ten years become both a fixture in the political discourse and ABC schedule.

“The idea is to bring together people who don’t agree and have a civilised discussion. It is really important you treat each other respect.”

And after an hour, of mainly respectful questioning, it had to be said, with very few overt challenges, it was over. The audience applauded and Turnbull rose to his feet, gave a modest bow and placed his hands together in a praylike gesture of thanks.

Then he walked off the Q&A stage and seemingly out of public life, returning he said, to the business world.

In reality he returned to the ABC green room to be met by wife Lucy and daughter Daisy, who had monitored the program from an extra large television. Turnbull checked his phone briefly and there was talk of a celebratory dinner.

Golden Century, that famed Chinese power dining venue abutting Sydney’s Chinatown and scene of many dinners of political intrigue was mentioned. It seemed some habits were hard to break.