Turnbull targets Gillard – two against one

In his shadow cabinet, reshuffle, Malcolm Turnbull is clearly trying to rattle Gillard. Some hope! So far in her parliamentary career in Opposition , she has stood up to and wounded Immigration Mininster Phillip Ruddock and Health Minister Tony Abbot.

Now Turnbull has given two relatively junior Shadows responsibility for attacking Gillard’s mega-portfolio - Chris Pyne, that South Australian dux of the school debating team in education and training and Michael Keenan in employment and workplace relations.

Turnbull’s bounce in two opinion polls shows that by nothing more than personality he has lifted the Liberals’ sagging rating in just a few days. His backers will be hoping that his new ministry will pick up some of that enthusiasm.

Julie Bishop might be the shadow treasurer after exercising her right as Deputy Liberal Leader to pick a port folio. But it should be accepted that Turnbull himself will take a big role in the shadow treasurer’s job. Julie looks almost an unsettled and uncomfortable by-stander as the Oppositon staggers from stunt to stunt.

Undoubtedly the star member of the Shadow Cabinet is the carefully-spoken and thoughtful Andrew Robb, Nelson’s former foreign affairs spokesman, who now will look after the critical emerging issues of the economy - the emissions trading scheme, which will bring a generational change to the economy; the efficiencies of federal-state co-operation through dealings of the Council of Australian Government; and the massive infrastructure program the Rudd government will launch.

Robb will be working with finance spokesman Joe Hockey, the former health spokesman, and shadow environment minister Greg Hunt.

As Canberra commentator Malcolm Farr observes …“Anybody could recognise that these days there is still relevance in the phrase, “"It’s the economy, stupid.’’ Turnbull has deconstructed this to specifics: "It’s the ETS, COAG and infrastructure, stupid.’’