Malcolm Turnbull is a political carcass in a suit

Malcolm Turnbull has proven time and time again his political skills are lamentable. Picture: Kym Smith

You may be wondering, like I am, who is running the country.

It certainly isn’t the prime minister.

One could pose a forlorn argument that it is the executive, the cabinet calling the shots but that, too, doesn’t pass scrutiny. On Tuesday, Scott Morrison and Malcolm Turnbull were strident in opposition of a Royal Commission into the banks. It would not happen they said. Not on their watch. The commitments lasted less than 48 hours.

Tuesday’s titans have once again become Friday’s flotsam.

So who is running the country?

Sam Dastyari thinks the Chinese might be in charge, if not today then at some point in the not too distant future. Wealthy Chinese businessmen with strong links to the Chinese government imagine Australians as their drinks waiters and golf caddies of the future so with a gleam in his eye, Shanghai Sam has got out of the blocks early.

“The Chinese integrity of its borders is a matter for China. Seven iron, Mr Huang?”

Despite accusations to the contrary, Shanghai Sam is not for sale but it seems he is available for hire on very generous terms, generous for a Chinese billionaire property developer anyway.

It could be the banks are in the box seat. After advocating yesterday for a royal commission designed by the Turnbull cabinet as the third worst option (the Nats inquiry driven by senator Barry O’Sullivan being the second worst with a Labor royal commission the worst of all), the banks have managed to land on their feet with the prospect of a limited commission of inquiry lasting just a year.

The Trade Union Royal Commission ran for two years while the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, due to hand down its final report later this month, has run for three.

Maybe the banks will appoint the commissioner as well. Terry from the home loans desk at the Gympie branch who fills in as teller when Jenny has an RDO. He’s good with people. What do you reckon, Prime Minister, worth a shot?

We might expect the royal commission to be a timid toe in the water of Australia’s financial institutions. It may well be so. The Turnbull government sets the terms of reference and will appoint the commissioner.

But once that’s done, the government loses all control over it. They simply sign the cheques and put them in the mail.

Labor senator Sam Dastyari has found his share of trouble lately. Picture Gary Ramage

The Royal Commission announcement is a proper reflection of where the Prime Minister stands today. He has broken the golden rule of government — never create an inquiry where the outcome is not known in advance.

Perhaps, it’s the National Party running the show. They certainly seem to think so, having chalked up another victory over the Prime Minister yesterday.

The prevailing view is that Billy McMahon is the worst prime minister this country has seen at least in our modern political history but Malcolm Turnbull, not one to be fazed by a challenge, has said, “Hold my Chateau Lafite 1973”, strode to the dais and made a bold claim for the title.

The PM has lost the parliament, lost the government’s coalition partner and that comes after having lost the people for the past 12 months.

He has proven time and time again his political skills are lamentable. Let me provide an example. It was Malcolm Turnbull who committed to same sex marriage being passed by Christmas in the wake of the ABS releasing the results of the same sex marriage postal survey two weeks ago.

Turnbull was at his sanguine best indicating the same sex marriage bill would sail through the parliament.

“It is unequivocal, it is overwhelming. (The people) are our masters, we who were elected to parliament. It is our job now to get on with it, get on with it and get this done. It is fair. The people have voted yes for marriage equality. Now it is our job to deliver it.” By Christmas, he said.

Then the PM suspended sitting of the House of Representatives for a week, fearful that he would lose a vote on the floor of the House and a royal commission of inquiry into the banks would become a reality. The same or similar royal commission of inquiry into the banks Turnbull announced yesterday.

In all probability, the Smith bill will pass through the House next week but what happens if it doesn’t? What will be the political consequences for the PM if the House goes into recess over the Christmas period without having passed the bill Turnbull said would sail through the parliament?

At very least, Malcolm Turnbull will be wearing an omelet on his face. Again.

Push aside your views on the SSM issue for a moment and ponder the political skills of a PM who made the commitment and set the deadline knowing there were elements within his own party who would try to weigh it down with endless amendments.

I appreciate Malcolm Turnbull has particular difficulties within the parliament that we can attribute to problems of the iron law arithmetical variety but the question is, does he?

This is part of a greater problem. Malcolm Turnbull makes predictions for the conduct of government and the parliament that repeatedly have not come to pass. What this does in the broad electorate, even to voters who dip in and out of political news, is the worst thing that can happen to a politician anywhere.

The people stop listening. And when they stop listening, a politician is cooked. “A political carcass in a coat and tie” as Paul Keating so colourfully put it. He or she may as well pull down the shingle, and go home.

That is where Malcolm Turnbull is now. There are no challengers to his job. Not now. But there will be. A government can’t keep trudging along on a death march almost two years out of the next election. Something has to give. Furniture must be saved.