Don’t worry, Kevin! Julia took over without a hitch.

Julia Gillard, as Acting Prime Minister. took Kevin Rudd’s place in Question Time last week without a single blip and not a sign of nerves. She was her usual articulate well-informed self as she served ace after ace at the Opposition and at Malcolm Turnbull in particular.
The big serve came with this single accusation – “There is a stench of hypocrisy from those opposite.”
Gillard was zeroing in on Turnbull’s copycat of Brendan Nelson’s populist pensions campaign, his meaningless promise to reduce petrol excise, and his obstructive tactics in the Senate, aimed purely at destroying the process of orderly government..
On the ABC’s Questions and Answers program last week which starred the new Opposition Leader, Malcolm’s shifting and sliding and his ruthless gimlet eyes belied his charm and practiced confidence and humour. He seemed at times on the point of a temper tantrum and even the ABC’s urbane anchor man Tony Jones looked wary.
There is no doubt that Turnbull has plenty of “social ease” – it was clearly on display - and no doubt also that he has also a history of savage retribution. As he pointed out - about his undermining of Kerry Packer in the battle for the Sydney Morning Herald some years - ago “Kerry started it!”
Turnbull claimed on the ABC he was disturbed at how unruly and discorderfy Question Time had become and railed at the Government’s behaviour. He of course is blind to the ugly continuing mockery generated by his own Front Bench. Never has any Prime Minister been subjected to the prolonged tirade of suspicion and abuse levelled at Rudd by the Opposition parties.
Turnbull offers “bi-partizan” diaglue with the Government – as I wrote last week I would rather dialogue with a White Pointer.
Turnbull is a highly successfufl Merchant Banker He would be familiar with the Oxford Concise Dictionary’s definition of “mortgage” The word comes from Middle English and Old French usage meaning “dead pledge” – from the Latin “mortuus” meaning dead and the French “gage” bit meaning pledge.
“Dead Pledge” has a terminal ring to it! Merchant bankers are expert at