Watch as the wheels fall off this government

Scott Morrison arrives to give his first press conference in the Prime Minister's Courtyard. Picture: Sean Davey.

Today’s Newspoll is interesting in more ways than one. For a start the question who is best to lead the Liberal Party saw Peter Dutton secure the support of … wait for it … six per cent of Australians. Apparently “the base” wanted him, according to those spruiking Dutton last week, but when those who were polled is isolated to Liberal voters only, his support drops to five per cent.

So the government appears to have dodged a bullet with the result of the leadership ballot last Friday, thanks to the incompetence of the Dutton forces being unable to successfully manage the coup. Small mercies.

Then we have the two party result in the wake of the week that was: down to 44 per cent for the government. Keep in mind under Malcolm Turnbull’s leadership there had been four consecutive polls showing the Coalition trailing by just 49-51 per cent.

The last time the Coalition’s two party vote was this bad was when Tony Abbott was PM, fitting really given his role in orchestrating last week’s disaster.

Anyone hopeful that the Coalition can quickly bounce back should think again. Scott Morrison trails Bill Shorten in the preferred PM stakes, by six points. The last PM to trail someone as unpopular as Shorten was, you guessed it, Abbott.

Without a popular leader who voters can use to justify shifting their support it’s hard to see why they might return to the government fold. Especially given that the ministerial ranks of the Liberal Party remain filled with untrustworthy second rate MPs who inflicted the mess of last week on the nation. That includes a conga line of ministers who sullied themselves declaring their support for Turnbull in the parliament immediately after voting against him, and immediately before doing so again.

Most wreckers have been rewarded with promotion or maintaining their roles, in the name of unity. While party strategists might think that’s a necessary move, voters will see it and shake their collective heads.

And the Coalition’s primary vote has sunk to a ten year low, just 33 per cent, with the collapse transferring straight to the Labor Party. That means it can’t and won’t come back via minor party preferences.

Just watch as the wheels fall off this government and the sniping continues from within and amongst the commentariat. All in a week’s work for this bunch of political failures.

Peter van Onselen is a professor at The University of Western Australia and Griffith University.