Of course, Gold Walkley winning Journalist Peter Hartcher is not the first political analyst to have asserted that Malcolm Turnbull has betrayed his political principles, become morally bankrupt, and is now a spent force in Federal Politics.
His Easter message accusing Malcolm Turnbull of dispensing hypocritical homilies on political issues however, was replete with mocking ecclesiastical imagery, calculated to damage his standing.
Peter Hartcher is a Prince of Australian Journalism, but I very much doubt that he now has a God-like gift of prophecy. One can only presume that he is privy to, and perhaps complicit with, initiatives to destabilize and unseat Turnbull from the leadership in the coming year, at the risk of the Coalition loosing office at the next election.
Peter Hartcher has a track record of fomenting leadership discord. I understand that he played an important role in undermining Julia Gillard as Prime Minister. and promoted her replacement with former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd. More than any other issue, it was division within Labor’s ranks that resulted in the Coalition’s landslide victory in the 2013 election that swept Tony Abbott to power.
Although this Easter Magnum Opus could be interpreted as a move to assist Tony Abbott regain the Prime Ministership, Peter Hartcher entertains the possibility, perhaps the probability, that Labor will win office as a result of Turnbull’s de-stabilization. He goes so far as to consider “authentic” Anthony Albanese would make a better Labor leader to win office at the next election than the current incumbent Bill Shorten.
I believe the Australian people should vote for the party of their choice according to the merits of their policies. The Media has a responsibility to inform the electorate of the issues, rather than to just manipulate public opinion in the direction of their own preferred outcome.
Both Turnbull and Shelton are morally bankrupt. We are desperately short of leafders.