Should Turnbull resign?

[village_person]

Dutton plays down swing in NSydney vote

The federal government has played down a swing of about 13 per cent against the Liberals in the North Sydney by-election.

The morning after Trent Zimmerman held the seat vacated by former treasurer Joe Hockey, frontbencher Peter Dutton said a backlash at by-elections is to be expected.

"Joe was a very long serving and popular local member, so that personal vote is lost as well," Mr Dutton told Sky News on Sunday.

Labor frontbencher Brendan O'Connor said the government was always going to win the seat, but Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull can take little comfort from the result.

"It's the bluest of blue ribbon seats and therefore I think it's a disappointing result for Malcolm Turnbull," Mr O'Connor told ABC television.

Labor did not field a candidate in Saturday's by-election.

http://www.news.com.au/national/breaking-news/liberals-declare-victory-in-north-sydney/news-story/3a...

I'm sure if Tony Um-Er-Ah Abbott was still leading the Libs and a 13% swing against his party was the result of a by-election the media would be telling him to go. Why aren't the headlines calling for Turnbull to resign?

[moonflyte]

Because if he was to resign we would be faced with a Shorten victory and nobody wants that.

[bluecat*dancing]

I think that Dutton should resign. I'm undecided about Turnbull but prefer him to Abbott.

[debra9275]

I don't think he should resign- that would really show instability within the party and considering that his poll numbers as PM are so high in comparison to  abbott and shorten- but I don't think his preferred PM numbers are going to convert to votes

"Joe was a very long serving and popular local member, so that personal vote is lost as well," Mr Dutton told Sky News on Sunday.

I think Dutton is way off the mark- i think more likely the electorate were disappointed in Hockey and his budgets/policies

[the_great_she_elephant]

Who would replace him? Would we get Abbott back again?  A 13% swing is pretty significant, but I suspect it had more to do with Hockey than Turnbull.

[moonflyte]

I agree, Hockey was a total failure as treasurer and his many gaffes didn't help.

[village_person]

It was Joseph Benedict  Hockey who was at the controls when HIH Insurance went belly up. Big avuncular Joe had carriage of the portfolio which oversaw HIH but I'll bet Joe was decorating his office and didn't read the file marked "HIH Urgent".

[village_person]

The media lacks consistency.

Canning by-election: Tony Abbott hoses down suggestion his fate is linked to poll result

Prime Minister Tony Abbott has dismissed suggestions that a bad showing for the Liberal Party in next weekend's Canning by-election could cost him his job.

Federal Opposition Leader Bill Shorten told a rally in Perth on Saturday that a strong swing away from the Liberal Party in the traditionally conservative federal seat could inflame leadership tensions in the Coalition party room.

A poll last month showed the Government could face a 10 per cent swing against it, pointing to a close contest, and some Coalition MPs have previously said they believe the result will be a test of Mr Abbott's leadership.

[...]

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-09-12/abbott-hoses-down-suggestions-his-fate-depends-on-canning/6771...

Is the federal Liberal Party a tinderbox today? Is unrest by nervous Lib MPs putting pressure on Malcolm to stand down? If, as reported by the ABC, a 10% swing against the Libs would put pressure on its leader why no pressure on Malcolm who has just presided over a 13% swing? 

[moonflyte]

I don't want to see Abbott back in the PM's position. He may have been a good politician but he was woeful at politics. 

Turnbull is like a Prius, you feel smug about it and Turnbull comes off as being smug but the trouble with the Prius is that they run out of power in the end. Just saying.

[donnashuggy]

Don't be silly