Brendan to Malcolm – only one vote fixed it !

As that pugilist Liberal Tony Abbott put it on the ABC’s Questions and Answers: On Monday, we were all Brendan Nelson’s men. On Tuesday, we were all Malcolms” Or words to that effect - it might have been: “On Monday we were all behind Brendan and on Tuesday we were all behind Malcolm.”

It’s worth keeping in mind the vote that gave Brendan the Leadership followig the defeat of the Howard Govenrment was 45 to 42.. The vote that last week lost him the leadership to Malcolm Turnbull was 45 to 41.

So Turnbull first lost it by THREE votes (after Tony Abbot withdrew from the race) and then last week won it by FOUR.

Now that’s what you call decisive. That’s what you call a United Party. However, the party having been captivated by Peter Costello’s games, at last seems delighted to be led by someone – Malcolm - who has long hankered after the top job and has no doubt whatsoever that he both deserves it and will do it superbly.

Strap on your seat belts – this is going to be a rough ride. Kevin knows he’s got a fight on his hands with a man who has both advicsed and then stood up to Kerry Packer and who took on Britain’s MI5.

The Sydney Morning Herald’s Annabelle Crabb wrote this nice little epitaph for Brendan who, she said, managed to lose his job this week with a striking degree of dignity.

“Nelson has always had a keen eye for the misfortunes of others; the more graphic the tragedy, the greater the chance an account of it will appear as part of the good doctor's oral tradition.

“But on the question of his own misfortune, Nelson remained stoically mute this week. He must have smiled to himself as the war of the log cabin stories unfolded and we all tried to work out whether growing up in a flat, a la Turnbull, was worse than sleeping in a car like the young Kevin Rudd.

“Brendan Nelson, you see, actually lives in a shed. When in Canberra, he sleeps in the unheated garage of the house belonging to Joe Hockey, manager of Opposition business.

“He remains the Member for Bradfield and when the next election comes around, he says, he'll recontest. No ifs. No buts. No drum rolls.”

The first opinion polls to be published in coming days will show Mr Turnbull's elevation to Opposition Leader earns a positive bounce. The Sydney Daily Telegraph at the weekend had 73% of poll respondents going for Turnbull and only 26 % going to Rudd. But that was only out of 436 votes from Telegraph readers.

So what exactly has Turnbull changed so far? He’s hanging on to the 5c excise stunt, he’s hanging on to supporting pension increases but ONLY for Singles, and he’s continuing to block legislation in the Senate. He’s also offered bi-partizan consultation on the economy. I’d rather consult with a White Pointer.