Malcolm Turnbull, you magnificent bastard

The time has come for the Malcolm Turnbull love and appreciation to begin to fully bloom. It can be well argued that the past year under Howard was the autumn year for the Federal Coalition, with Dr Nelson currently presiding over their desolate, barren and, realistically, well-deserved winter period. But like that last zero in the figure of one billion, spring for beleagured Coalition supporters is agonisingly just over the horizon, unsighted at the moment but with the strains of the birds starting to sing, it must be arriving shortly. Turnbull could really add a spring (groan) to the party's step, but will it be enough after the Doctor takes them a couple of kilometres further back first?

At a glance you could mistake Turnbull for being a Labour man, personal friendship with Janet Albrechtson aside (we won't hold that against you Malcolm!): he spearheaded the failed Australian Republic movement; as environment minister in 2007 he personally lobbied Cabinet to ratify the Kyoto Protocol, apparently being the only cabinet member who could grasp the political and symbolic significance that becoming a signatory could deliver; and he seems suspiciously more to the Left than his old Republic debating mate Tony Abbot, whoms ilk and himself seem to regard Turnbull as little more than a rich Labor man in fat cat clothes, particularly given that the word on the street is that eons ago in the 90's Malcolm was lobbying for Labor pre-selection. http://sunday.ninemsn.com.au/sunday/feature_stories/article_1433.asp?s=1

http://www.crikey.com.au/Politics/20071130-Conservative-warriors-unite-to-sink-Turnbull.html