The fall-out from Utegate
If nothing else, the Ozcar affair has been one of the most metaphoric scandals I've yet to cover. Since a battered old "ute" (a utility vehicle) is at the heart of the controversy, there's been no end to the motoring figures of speech.
Political attacks have "backfired"; politicians have been "caught in the headlights"; the Liberal leader Malcolm Turnbull has shown that he still needs "learner plates". You get the idea.
Now a swathe of bad polls for the Liberal leader have fuelled speculation that Mr Turnbull might be road kill. The Sydney Morning Herald reports that his disapproval rating has soared to 60%. The Australian reports that his personal approval ratings have seen the biggest drop in support in Newspoll's 25-year history - from 44% to 25% in the last fortnight. There's talk that senior Liberal figures could move to oust him within days or weeks (presumably, they would invite him to sit in the ejector seat), although others are urging calm (he should remain the designated driver).
Curiously, one government frontbencher compared Mr Turnbull to Mark Latham, the former Labor leader who so spectacularly self-destructed (or drove off a cliff).
Certainly, Malcolm Turnbull made two major blunders in his handling of the affair: basing his attack on an email that was concocted; and targeting Kevin Rudd at a time when the Treasurer, Wayne Swann, was much more vulnerable (to help understand why read the exchange below). They have reinforced the impression that the Liberal leader lacks judgment and is in far too much of a hurry. (There's a good piece here about Paul Keating's thoughts on the matter).
Turnbull, who is by far the richest man in parliament, has always been easy depict as an out-of-touch snob from the affluent Eastern Suburbs of Sydney, with an over-active sense of his personal entitlement and personal destiny. This has always been a problem for him in the modern-day Liberal Party, since the Howard years were so emphatically anti-elitist.
But my own hunch is that Mr Turnbull will probably survive, for lack of plausible alternatives. Of course, had this all happened two weeks ago, while Peter Costello's intentions were still unclear, it might have been a different story. But there are a number of Liberals who seem to have been impressed that Turnbull kept on fighting last week, even when all seemed lost. When others might have wilted, he proved himself to be an Aussie battler - and the Liberals have always loved a battler.
Tony Abbot, a Howard diehard, has been out defending his beleaguered leader this morning, and has been touting precisely that line. "Just as Malcolm didn't flinch last week it's important that the party doesn't flinch this week," said Abbott, another product of the Eastern Suburbs and former Rhodes scholar.
So I wonder if the Ozcar affair has produced something of a political paradox: that Malcolm Turnbull has turned off a lot of voters for the time being, but endeared himself to elements within his party by showing that he can battle and that he is therefore more like them.
Still, reading the polls this morning he surely must have thought that his hopes of one day being ferried around in the Prime Ministerial white Holden had taken a detour up a dead-end.
PS: Here's the transcription of an interview between the Treasurer, Wayne Swan, and the ABC reporter, Emma Griffiths on ABC's AM programmes from Thursday 25 June. The allegation, remember, is that the Treasurer gave special treatment to a Brisbane car dealer, John Grant, who gave Kevin Rudd the use of a "ute". Mr Swan has claimed that he treated other car dealers the same...
EMMA GRIFFITHS: How many other dealers did you speak to directly on the phone? Even if it is just for two minutes, how many other dealers?
WAYNE SWAN: Well it's a matter of public record that I spoke to Mr Grant.
EMMA GRIFFITHS: How many other dealers?
WAYNE SWAN: Well it's a matter of public record that I spoke to Mr Grant and I spoke to many other people and many other...
EMMA GRIFFITHS: Put it on the public record who else you spoke to. What other car dealers?
WAYNE SWAN: Well I have put it on the public record that I spoke to Mr Grant, Emma, but that is simply irrelevant...
EMMA GRIFFITHS: But you're not answering the question Mr Swan.
WAYNE SWAN: Well it's not exactly the right question.
I'm 
© MMIX~RS~q~RS~~RS~z~RS~57~RS~)
Comments
Sign in or register to comment.
This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the House Rules.
Surprize surprize - a dirty labor man- gee wizz lets get the guiness book of records out. Before we also jump on the "bandwagon" lets just wait for the dust to settle, Im sure it will be worth it. Things just dont come out of thin air, there must be a bit of truth, no matter how distorted it might be. As for Turnbull, well, I think we are heading the way of NSW, until a leader with balls comes along, Labor will rule, unfortunately. And Australia will pay dearly. The Goose (Swan) might finally be cooked. As for Dudd, well, he did have his legals paid by the dealership man. No one will have to dig for dirt, it will surface sooner or later. Long live JH.
Complain about this comment
LOL - Mr Swan is avoiding a question, LOL - whats new. But KRudd should be anwering them, there will more to this saga - stay tuned. But for now, LOL. Meanwhile its taking away the fact that we are stuffed under the current Govt.
Complain about this comment
How can you hope lead a country if 1 dodgy email can lead you to derail your credibility? Would PM Turnbull run the country by reading his spam? At least Swan hasn't tried to quadruple our tax dollars in Nigeria yet.
But I am gobsmacked Labour can tar the Liberals with Latham. Are the Liberals so punch drunk that Labour can offload its worst baggage at will?
Complain about this comment
The "Utegate" affair should really be labelled the "Turnbull" affair. Let us remember that Turnbull tried to force a Prime Minister and his Treasurer to resign in disgrace over a concocted scandal that eventually blew up in the Opposition Leader's face. Australian voters are rightfully furious with Turnbull for misleading them over the veracity of claims based on a fabricated Email. At best, Turnbull looks a stupid buffoon - at worst, an arrogant liar. It will be a long time before ordinary voters again feel they can trust him with the affairs of the nation.
Complain about this comment
At this point it seems like the whole thing was a complete waste of time that used up the last week of Parliament before the June recess. I don't really think too highly of either side of politics right now and the words buffoon and arrogant spring to mind regards politicans in general. Perhaps the 'reported' opinion of Paul Keating that Turnbull lacks judgement "hits the nail right on the head" LOL! There you go, another of those 'silly sayings' to add to your list.
Oh! and while I'm at it, I wish politicans of all parties would quit the popular culture antics and trying too hard to be with it eg. commenting on celebrities and appearing on TV shows - believe me it doesn't take away the nerdy politican image - they just look sad!
Complain about this comment
I love it how the Coalition party supporters on this site try to explain how this is damaging for the Government, when really it just shows so clearly the complete ineptitude of the opposition!
A fake email, calling for a judicial enquiry, then when a parliamentary enquiry is organised, having their own party vote it down as it will show how completely fake this story is.
Complain about this comment
Disappointed with Turnbull, even though I'm not a Liberal voter, I thought he might have offered a bit of fresh air after the stale Howard decade. But he just seems to be attacking Rudd for the sake of it, rather than putting forward intelligent and reasoned policies around small government and fiscal prudence. Seems the lawyer in him can't resist trying top demolish an adversary on technicalities. Bye bye Malcy.
PS Tony Abbott isn't a product of the eastern suburbs is he? Thought he was a north shore boy.
Complain about this comment
As an outsider looking in, it's been quite funny, but it just makes people even more disgusted with politicians.
Complain about this comment
In Australia the Liberal Party are the same as the Tory Party in England. They have a "born to rule" mentality. Unfortunately, any person who have studied Australian history would recognise that any reform has only occurred during the period when the Labor Party was in power. Turnbull recognises that Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has a reforn agenda rthat will be hard to remove. Australian schools are finally having money spent to introducde an environment where children may learn. Under John Howard only the very affluent private schools prospered. The Liberal Party sought to remove Rudd by stealth but their plan backfired and they used a supporter of theirs in the Treasurery. If honesty existed in that party they would realise that Public Servants should be polically neutral. I believe that the conservatives should stay in opposition until all of Howard's people retire, as they sought to introduce conditions for working people, that existed in England under the Tories during the reign of Queen Victoria.
Complain about this comment
I still think Kevin Rudd is not telling the entire truth and has something to hide. I think he will be more careful about anything from now on.
I feel sorry for Malcolm Turnbull, yes he jumped the gun but he was just doing his job in applying much pressure on the government as possible and in a way it worked even if it was at his expense.
Complain about this comment
To any independent observer Malcolm Turnbull must be in an impossible position. He has either been a gullible victim of someone else's hoax, or he has been in on it himself. To put it bluntly, he is either stupid or dishonest, and neither are qualities you would look for in a future leader of the Australian Government.
But political careers depend more on people's support than on proven track records. History is full of more serious offenders than Malcolm Turnbull winning elections. So the Liberals might still give Turnbull a chance, and even the Australian voters may still do so.
That being said it doesn't look as if Utegate has improved his chances.
Complain about this comment
Poor old Malcolm Turnbull, the classic "dumb rich kid".
So voters, faced with choosing between "Tweedledee and Tweedledum" should not pick the dumb one.
Turnbull is now a dead man walking until someone within his party is able to muster the numbers to put him out of his misery.
Complain about this comment
View these comments in RSS