‘The delcons were not deluded but rather were on the money’

Bitter harvest: Then PM Malcolm Turnbull in happier times, being sworn in as Agriculture Minister by the Governor-General, Sir Peter Cosgrove.

Welcome to the column where you provide the content. As the Bad Blood boiled over, Paul Kelly blew the roof off with his revelation of how close we came to a full-blown constitutional crisis and Niki Savva lifted the lid on the last crazy days of the Turnbull era. Duncan defended the Delcons:

“The so-called ‘delcons’ (delusional conservatives), so derided by Ms Savva in so many of her commentaries, were not deluded but rather were on the money.”

Karen concurred:

“It appears the Delcons’ opinions on Mr Turnbull were correct. The man cared not about his party, the country, his only worry was about himself.”

Peter pondered:

“Why is Savva unable to say what we all know? That Turnbull’s removal was the catalyst that stopped the inevitability of a Bill Shorten-led Labor government?”

Samuel suggested:

“It was the lie perpetrated by someone else about the retiree tax that did the trick.”

Andrew was angry:

“I wanted Turnbull to remain as PM to deservedly suffer the greatest defeat ever.”

Juliet saw the light:

“ ‘Turnbull was seeking to have his own government sacked.’ YUP! Sums up the attitude of scorched-earth treachery that so many of us recognised was possible with Turnbull when he first set about branch-stacking in the seat of Wentworth to defeat Peter King. How people could not (and still cannot) see through Turnbull’s ‘charm’ mystifies me.”

Paul posited:

“Well if Turnbull wanted the job why did he call a spill? Because as Keating had said years earlier, Turnbull has no judgment.

“And as for his legal ability we all remember ‘And the High Court will so hold’. Everyone thought he could do the job — until he got the job!”

Au contraire, said Claude:

“Only those who voted him in as leader against Tony Abbott thought he could do the job. The rest of the MPs and everyone else out here in the suburbs, including Labor, Greens and Calathumpians knew that Turnbull was a Grade A dud.”

Betty bolted:

“Remember how Q&A used to fawn over this MT leather jacketed, smirking player? Pay Andrew Bolt, who declared Turnbull a political disaster waiting to happen, the very day Turnbull finally pulled Abbott down.

“Bolt matches Porter — courage in adversity. Democracy depends on these rare guys.”

Ghost who tweets: The ex-PM puts forward his view.

Janet’s rejoinder:

“Turnbull obviously saw himself as more important than the party. It’s tempting to say he saw himself as more important than the Coalition remaining in government, but … surely not? No man could have such a gargantuan ego. Could he?”

Likes from Le:

“What high integrity shown by Christian Porter! Australia (politicians, union leaders etc) should have more men/women like him.”

Matthew mused:

“For so long Savva has written of Abbott’s terrible judgment and delusions, yet her man was prepared to plunge the country into a constitutional crisis simply out of spite. Who’s the wrecker?”

Roger let rip:

“How rich for Turnbull to say ‘you and people like you are weak’. He has shown himself to be a cardboard cutout of a prime minister and having judgment so akin to a leaf in the wind. His actions … (and that of his son) have shown that Dutton and ScoMo saved this country from Mr Harbourside Mansion’s mendacity.”

Laraine lashed out:

“Turnbull is a real hypocrite. He believed that he had a right to rule and back stabbed people to get there, including a first term PM.

“However, when he was taken down Turnbull’s reaction was to spread his disbelief both here and at overseas meetings that he was maligned and didn’t deserve what happened to him. Certainly Scott Morrison won the election that would have seen the Liberals destroyed under Turnbull. Yes, we are better of without him in parliament.”

‘Clowns to the left of me, jokers to the right, here I am stuck in the middle with you’. Picture: Kym Smith

Paul praised Paul Kelly:

“An extraordinary revelation. The very fact that Turnbull would resort to such tactics when he clearly did not have the confidence of about half of his party room speaks volumes about his character and personality.”

A ‘wai’ from Wayne:

“Thank you Mr Dutton, Mr Porter and of course Mr Morrison for steering Australia through this terrible episode and saving the Liberal Party.”

More from Meg:

“Thank you also Mathias Cormann, Michaelia Cash and Mitch Fifield for becoming involved. That took guts, but you were correct.”

Russell reiterated:

“An agitated Mr Turnbull told Mr Porter he was only in this position­ ‘because people like you have given in to political terrorism­’. And what was Turnbull’s role when he assassinated Abbott, a benefactor? Australia has dodged two bullets in recent times, Turnbull and Shorten.”

Alexander observed:

“The irony of Malcolm Turnbull, the last Whitlamite, trying to invoke vice-regal reserve powers to save his prime ministership, is not lost on me.”

Murray was amused:

“Yes the idea of Malcolm the Leading Republican hiding behind the G-Gs skirts is not lost!”

Last words to Mac:

“Paul Kelly’s article is complex as one would expect when the finer points of the law are central to the subject. However, one fact stands out to me as a layman. Malcolm Turnbull was happy, one might even suggest desperate to support the notion that Peter Dutton’s legitimacy as a member of parliament was rock solid up to and until it became (In his view) relevant to his eligibility to be Prime Minister.

“In other words he supported him (Dutton) regarding his eligibility to be a ‘mere M’” but chose to stab him in the back when it threatened his hold on the leadership.

“In my opinion that spells hypocrisy on a grand and terrible scale. Two things. First, if Paul Kelly’s account is utterly factual, Malcolm Turnbull thoroughly deserved to lose the Prime Ministership. Second, Christian Porter certainly emerges as a thoroughly honourable and capable Attorney-General.”

And Mick:

“Three things have emerged from this saga. Firstly, Paul Kelly and the Oz were reporting facts and the Canberra ‘bubblegum’ reporters were too lazy to report the real facts.

“Secondly, Shorten’s confected outrage and hypocrisy was the start of his downfall and thirdly, Turnbull was only in parliament for Turnbull. He created and perpetuated the split and thought he could get through with political blundering time after time. Thank you Paul for your accurate reporting without bias.”

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