Morrison doing all he can to steady the ship

Prime Minister Scott Morrison. Picture: AAP

Scott Morrison can’t do anything to stop the appearance of rats leaving a sinking ship but he’s doing what he can to ensure the bridge is properly manned and the lifeboats are competently crewed.

The continuing desertions are damaging to the Coalition in the short term but may provide the Liberal Party in the long term with a means of properly healing the deep rifts of the past six years, even if in opposition.

The resignations from politics of Christopher Pyne and Steven Ciobo are further evidence of fears the Coalition is heading to a defeat, especially coming so soon after the announcement that Julie Bishop will not recontest, Kelly O’Dwyer’s resignation and, of course, Malcolm Turnbull’s dramatic departure.

Former minister Craig Laundy is also expected to go and there are a number of backbenchers not contesting the 2019 election. In the words of Bill Shorten yesterday, it shows “the government has given up”.

Putting the best light on a bad look, the Prime Minister has not panicked and attempted to put in place a necessary and politically positive plan to fill gaps without resorting to a meaningless and wide-ranging ministerial shuffle.

In a security sense, Australia could not afford to lose both defence ministers before the election, nor could the Coalition afford to have no continuity if re-elected.

Pyne, who has been engaged as Defence Minister with a series of important global issues, will remain in place until the election, but Ciobo will give way immediately to allow the skyrocketing promotion of Linda Reynolds to cabinet as defence industry minister until the election. She has also been named as defence minister if the Morrison government is re-elected.

In the face of so many departures — Pyne, after all, was the last real ministerial link to the days of the Howard government — it is hard for Morrison to argue stability and continuity.

But with Reynolds he is trying to argue for the future: all the old leadership of the moderates is now gone.

Reynolds, the first woman in the army to be promoted to the rank of brigadier, is a newcomer; competent, hardworking, has done a good job on disaster management in Queensland and is female.

She gives Morrison a chance to offer continuity and renewal. His plan to install her as defence minister if he wins the election avoids the unnecessary need for a complete change of ministers.

Reynolds has been put in charge of a big lifeboat on the Titanic while others have been more concerned about shifting the deck chairs.