Turnbull finally pulls off the gloves after Shorten crosses race line

Malcolm Turnbull’s long pent-up hostility to Bill Shorten on character grounds — originating with the “Medicare privatisation” election issue — erupted yesterday in relation to Peter Dutton and Barnaby Joyce.

“He has no regard for the truth,” Turnbull alleged across the despatch box after a question from Shorten. Turnbull accused Shorten of sustained dishonesty, a sentiment he has nursed since the election. The hostility is rampant on the government frontbench that, Dutton aside, seems unable to lay a glove on Shorten as he goes his merry way.

Turnbull’s fury focused on Shorten’s accusations about Dutton yesterday — over claims Dutton did not make and actually repudiated. Turnbull believes Shorten, not Dutton, is the one “harming the fabric of society” over the Lebanese Muslim row.

“You can’t take it, can you,” Turnbull said to Shorten before being interrupted. He attacked “this consistent, dishonest, misrepresentation by the Leader of the Opposition”. It seemed Turnbull might abandon the Marquess of Queensberry rules by which he operates and which Shorten has effortlessly exploited.

Turnbull was roused to anger by Shorten’s calculated attack during a debate on counter-terrorism when the ALP leader accused Dutton of “loud, lazy disrespect, wholesale labelling of entire communities for the actions of a tiny minority”, saying this would “aid and abet the isolation and resentment that extremists prey upon”. It was a lethal charge, referring to Dutton’s comments on Lebanese Muslims that, if true, would mean Dutton was unfit to be Immigration Minister.

Dutton, in fact, referring to the Lebanese Muslim community, had told parliament this week: “I am not going to allow people who are hardworking, who have done the right thing by this country, who have contributed, who have worked hard and who have educated their children, to be ­defined by those people who have done the wrong thing.”

Turnbull, in effect, said Shorten was guilty of the charge he was laying against Dutton; that his comments would provoke disharmony. He accused Shorten of “recklessness” and “dishonesty,” of “misrepresenting one minister after another” and of being “all reckless to the consequences of what he does other than his own political interest”. This goes to the charge the government is building against Shorten: that his recklessness is a risk for the country, a line spearheaded in recent times by Dutton.

The incident came at the end of question time when Shorten asked Turnbull a question, claiming Agriculture Minister Barnaby Joyce had written to the South Australian government saying the Turnbull government “would abandon” its obligation to deliver 450 gigalitres of water to the Murray-Darling Basin.

Turnbull rejected this as another misrepresentation. In fact, the Joyce letter reflects the provisions of the Act that depends upon agreement among the states. It concludes “the hard conversation has to happen about how we resolve this stalemate”.

This brief eruption at the end of question time has a fuse going back to the election. It originates with Shorten’s Medicare claims, resentment of which has burnt into Turnbull’s brain. The only surprise is the eruption did not occur earlier.