Like a used nappy, is it time to toss out Blocker and Liberal Lite?

Making Turnbull NSW Liberal Leader over Barry O'Farrell would give both these strugglers a dignified exit

In another era, Malcolm Turnbull would have been Liberal premier of NSW. He would have been a good one, very possibly exceptional. He would have combined the reforming zeal of the last decent premier, Nick Greiner, with a studied expertise around complex urban issues which successive Labor premiers have so spectacularly failed to grasp.

Anyone who has heard Turnbull speak passionately and with vision about the future of Sydney will understand that Australia’s only global city and the country’s economic engine room demands knowledge and leadership of that quality.

Instead, Malcolm’s in the middle of the federal Liberal party muddle that has contrived to comprehensively stuff up what should have been an orderly transition to Peter Costello.  Turnbull has quickly been found wanting in Canberra, his flaws and foibles stripped bare by Utegate.

So back at Macquarie Street we have the unprincipled Barry “Blocker” O’Farrell and his brand of Liberal Lite.

No-one seems to know what that brand stands for, given O’Farrell is happy to side with the Labor left and unions (power sell-off), and even the Greens (school rankings, lotteries’ sale) purely for political expediency.

State Liberal MPs, aptly dubbed the Other Mob by Janet Albrechtsen of The Australian, must wonder which Barry is going to turn up for work week by week.  Even former Prime Minister John Howard seems to think Blocker has lost the plot.

The reason Turnbull would have made a good premier is that the job these days essentially requires a manager not a politician; a CEO rather than a premier.

State governments deliver front-line services, not ideology.

It’s Turnbull’s political nous which so badly lets him down, but that is not as relevant or harmful at state level.

Voters in NSW largely regard the parliamentary bear pit and its infrequent gatherings as a joke and I suspect they would readily trade a great parliamentary performer for a sound economic manager (Costello combined the two wonderfully).

But Blocker shows all the signs of failing on both fronts. He is relatively weak and ineffective taking the argument to the government (not a sacking offence), but his rejection of Labor’s attempt to privatise the electricity industry stands as an act of economic vandalism and tells us all we need to know about the would-be manager. 

State Labor should have been turfed out at the last election. When Bob Carr shifted into cruise control half-way through his premiership and gave up the fight against the left and its union power base, Labor began the slide towards the C team that now mis-governs NSW.

The few competent ministers of Carr’s era headed for the exit one by one, making way for a conga line of jumped-up mayors and councillors, spiv-like networkers taking care of their mates, party hacks and union puppets.

And then there’s the Other Mob, just as mediocre (with a few exceptions, notably the promising Manly MP Mike Baird.)

State politics on both sides has become a low-rent, low-horizon occupation in which those prepared to navigate the banality of the branch system have fallen on to the vacant front benches, armed only with a modicum of talent and delusions of adequacy.

Clearly the gene pool is small and as David Penberthy pointed out in his Punch column in The Weekend Australian, things are made worse by fixed terms which reward self-interest and incompetence. 

But that does at least give the Liberals until March 2011 to get their house in order (and yes, the election is still there to be lost by the Coalition). Blocker O’Farrell may be a “hard-nosed political operator,” as Imre Salusinszky of The Australian described him, but NSW needs much more than just another opportunist, given the immense rebuilding task ahead.  For this reason, he may yet go the way of South Australian Liberal leader Martin Hamilton-Smith before the next poll.

As someone once said: politicians are like nappies – they need changing regularly and for the same reason.

So if things don’t work out in Canberra, Malcolm…….

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26 comments

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    • realto says:

      06:29am | 09/07/09

      OBO’F - Anyone But O’Farrell. I never thought it would be possible to have a worse premier than Nathan Rees until I had a closer look at BO’F.

    • watty says:

      07:33am | 09/07/09

      O’Farrell must be the pits if it is suggested Turnbull could have done a better job,  Both do seem to tack too quickly if a sudden squall arises but fail to inform the crew.

      As you sugest the Libs could well snatch defeat in 2011.

    • YT says:

      08:03am | 09/07/09

      Is it too late for the Libs to put Mike Baird in?  His dad was well respected and he seems to follow suit.  Unfortunately, the Libs seem to think they can’t lose… As far as I can see, the only ones losing appear to be the NSW citizenry.

    • Paul says:

      08:07am | 09/07/09

      Agreed, Barry O’Farrell is another waterboy brand of Nathan Rees. Clearly the political machine or factory is only capable of producing defective robots, unlike Mr Turnball. Not.

    • Nathan says:

      08:36am | 09/07/09

      Bring back Peter Debnam and his budgie smugglers. At least he made the premier look good. The used nappy does not offer an alternative.

    • Lobes says:

      09:41am | 09/07/09

      This article suffers from a case of having its cake and wanting to eat it too. Early in the piece BOF is crticised for reacting to the diverging views of the electorate:

      “No-one seems to know what that brand stands for, given O’Farrell is happy to side with the Labor left and unions (power sell-off), and even the Greens (school rankings, lotteries’ sale) purely for political expediency.”

      Yet barely a few lines later this is offered:

      “State governments deliver front-line services, not ideology. “

      Quite a bizarre thought process there. If you really believe Ideology is is trumped by ability to deliver services then you are being a hypocrite to criticise BOF for his readiness to make deals outside party lines.

      What if BOF never sided with Greens, Labour etc in anything? Well then I’m sure you’d be here having a meltdown about how BOFs zeal and ideological purity is alienating moderates.

    • Andrew says:

      10:07am | 09/07/09

      “Anyone who has heard Turnbull speak passionately and with vision about the future of Sydney will understand that Australia’s only global city and the country’s economic engine room demands knowledge and leadership of that quality.”

      This is the point I stopped reading.

    • D says:

      10:30am | 09/07/09

      Sydney as Australia’s economic engine room? And only global city? Give me a break, Jesus!

    • LR says:

      11:54am | 09/07/09

      Australia’s only global city hey? Is that a good thing really? Perhaps cities can be asessed not only on looks (nice Harbour but it fits into our bay 5 times) but on how it serves its people?

      So may I venture 1 or 2 reasons why your statement is poor journalistically.

      Melbourne has these advantages:
      - we have laneways that live 24 hours a day
      - Better restaurants and more of them and cheaper food
      - Has an arts and entertainment culture (Sydney just doesn’t)
      - Is one of a couple of World Heritage Cities of Literature
      - hosts true International festivals such as the International Melbourne Comedy Festival, the Melbourne Cup Spring Racing Festival, the Australian Open and Kooyong Classic and F1 Grand Prix
      - Our CBD is easier to navigate
      - does not have a bankrupt City Council or State
      - We have trams that cover an entire metro area of 4 million people and not a limited lightrail
      - Our universities rank higher than those in Sydney - the University of Melbourne, ranked 22 in the world! (NOW BEFORE ANYONE DISPUTES THIS, PLEASE REFER http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_Melbourne) Link below.
      - People come down to Melbourne to actually shop
      - We hosted the World Swimming Championships
      - AFL comes from Melbourne - much better than that NRL crap
      - Sydney is the most polluted capital city in Australia! (Source: “What’s good for you”)
      - Traffic flow is better in Melbourne
      - Melbourne has more markets for getting fresh fruit, produce and other cool stuff. There’s Queen Victoria, Preston, Prahran, South Melbourne and many more!
      - Melbourne is a grid layout, north east south west. Sydney is a nauseating rollercoaster.
      - Fashionable, friendly. funky, fun, vibe, bars, parks, basically how ugly is George St? How beautiful is Collins St? How cool is Chapel St? Brunswick St? Lygon St? Adds to our AWESOME nightlife
      - We don’t have ugly beach riots like Cronulla!
      - We also have the national champion soccer (Melbourne Victory) club.
      - Better and more consistent architecture over a greater area (rather than relying on the Harbour and Opera House for everything!)
      - We have the biggest shopping complex in the southern hemisphere - Chadstone
      - Crown Casino kicks Star City’ - truly
      - FASHION capital of Australia
      - We have the Eureka Tower - tallest residential building in the world!
      - Real actors like Oscar winner Cate Blanchett comes from Melbourne! (and MLC) and Geoffrey Rush
      - Public transport is so much damn cheaper!
      - Best coffee culture in the country
      - More expensive accommodation in Sydney and property in general
      - The Greatest Sports Stadium in the world the MCG which is home to the greatest real football final - the AFL - which seats over 100,000 and hosts the crucial Boxing Day Test which seats over 100,000!
      - Really great bars
      - Melbourne also has the tallest office building in australia - depending on who you believe - either 120 Collins, Rialto or 101 Collins - they are all taller than any buildings in Sydney
      - 7 out of the top 10 top listed companies have their HQ in Melbourne….BHP, Telstra, ANZ, Coles, Myer, NAB, FOSTERS
      - Melbourne had the first ever cricket test match
      - Bigger agricultural show
      - Bigger Fashion Festivals (Melbourne International)
      - Australia’s only Worl Heritage listed building - the beautiful Exhibition Building
      - Melbourne hosted the first sitting of the Commonealth parliament,
      - Melbourne was a real capital city of Australia formally until 1927 and then until the end of the Fraser years. Some place called Canberra exists somewhere now with the title.
      - Melbourne is the sporting capital, all the best sporting people from around the world come to our city
      - We hosted the Olympic Games which restored the world’s hopes and expectations after a world war and Cold War
      - People go to Sydney to visit, but to Melbourne to Live
      - Melbourne is the fastest growing city in the nation and will outstrip Sydney by 2050
      - Sydney was designed by criminals,
      - Melbourne was designed by Engineers and Architects
      - Melbourne, - , the world’s most livable city.
      - We have distinctive seasons in Melbourne and get to wear real clothes as the seasons dictate.
      - Melbourne didn’t produce Lara Bingle - so where the bloody hell is she now?
      - we have no Tollgates on freeways - we invented the etag

    • Ben says:

      12:06pm | 09/07/09

      Like a few before me, I’d like to know how you arrived at the conclusion that Sydney is the only global city here, or that it’s the country’s economic engine room?

    • iansand says:

      12:23pm | 09/07/09

      The reason that Sydney is a truly global city is that we could not give a rats what another city thinks of us.  Unlike, apparently, people from Melbourne.

      Now can you all get over your inferiority complexes and deal with the article?

    • Darren says:

      01:20pm | 09/07/09

      O’Farrell is a dud - but the suggestion to put in the son of Bruce Baird is beyond comprehension - he has fallen in with David Clarke becuase they share the same view on abortion - and has anybody asked him how old he thinks the earth is?

    • D West says:

      01:35pm | 09/07/09

      If you know anything about Baird he would be a distracted police state advocate like Rees & O’Farrell. Not an option sadly. We need a canditate with a focus on the economy and the people doing it tough - not making narsissitic headlines for themselves.

    • JJ says:

      01:39pm | 09/07/09

      LR if you melbournians have so much to do, I can’t believe you managed to find the time to write the drivel that is your commentl!

    • Mark B says:

      01:39pm | 09/07/09

      Alan you got stinging endorsement for Mr Turnbull, not.

      Dear, oh dear, he really screwed up big, didn’t he.

    • Richard Tuffin says:

      02:18pm | 09/07/09

      Good article - provocative and may well get a few brain cells working a little harder in both the NSW and Canberra Liberal party rooms about the future of someone who genuinely seems to have a bit of quality about him (rest quietly gentle reader, yes, I’m talking about Turnbull!)

      I’d looove to have him over in the Labor camp - either federally or at State level!  He’d be awesome!

      And yeh, you have to give Melbourne a fair amount of credit for it’s International accreditation if you want to call it that.  For example, where are you more that Jason Button’s been hanging out??  Darling Harbour or Crowne Casino???

    • Alan says:

      03:22pm | 09/07/09

      “The reason Turnbull would have made a good premier is that the job these days essentially requires a manager not a politician; a CEO rather than a premier.”


      Umm…. No.

    • Julie Coker-Godson says:

      03:29pm | 09/07/09

      OMG! Not Turnbull, Nor O"Farrell for that matter.  Don’t like the analogy with used nappies eeeewwwwwhhhhh!  All this long suffering NSW voter wants is a competent government and hopes are not high with this lot of current incumbents and those wannabes. (Sigh)

    • masealake says:

      11:12pm | 29/08/10

      Why needs a new election that cost another $170 millions from people’s money for the good payment to all politician?

      $170 millions will create a wonderful “Health Olympic Australia” that directly benefits everyone in Australia within 3 years in their health creation, and wealth creation, and then benefit to everyone globally afterward?

      People demands fairer resources supported of lives today, not tomorrow, and not another 3 years on and on?

      There are at least five economic productivity outcomes will resulting significant GDP progressing from a “Health Olympic Australia” as follow:

      1. Reductions in Australian Health Workforce cost;
      2. Reduction in Healthcare cost;
      3. Reduction in lost productivity cost;
      4. Increase from agriculture outcome;
      5. Increase from “Health Olympic Australia” creation in goods/products exportation.
      Australia people will fill the miss opportunity to them should it exist today.

      Ma kee wai
      (Member of Inventor Association Queensland since 1993)

    • masealake says:

      02:41pm | 31/08/10

      Why Coalition steams ahead in Australia federal election?

      Australia now enters a challenging political era for 70 years; voters in crying for a change with anger to share fairer resources supplied lives from the first term of government?

      Voters looking for action to have improved resources support lives that suppose lead by government in the following eight commitments:

      1. What vision of prosperity voters seen?

      2. Why action not enough in the past 3 years?

      3. How many election promises has been fulfilling?

      4. Where productivity motivation to voters?

      5. What materials to speed up election promises processing?

      6. Why some election promises powerless process? 

      7. How far transparency in each department service voters wanted ?

      8. Where prioritized direction to empowerment the nation?

      A “Health Olympic Australia” project will direct benefits to Australia within 3 years, for everyone’s health creation, and wealth creation regardless of gender, age, and or race,  then benefit to everyone globally afterward?

      Australia people will fill the miss opportunity to them should it exist today, but yet to discover the value by government.


      Ma kee wai
      (Member of Inventor Association Queensland since 1993)

    • masealake says:

      10:58am | 14/09/10

      1.  What time bombs will rock Australia democratic society? 

      The Australia historical hung parliament demonstrated the big gap of inequality society between the small educated elite groups who get highest pay by talk feast used mouth work controlling live essential resources of the country in every social platforms against the biggest less educated groups who get lowest pay by hands work squeezed by discriminative policies that sucking live blood from poor/less wealth off?

      Voters’ voices do not hear?
      Voters’ pains do not ease?
      Voters’ cries do not care?

      1.  Poverty will not be phase out if no fairer resources to share;
      2.  Illness will not be reducing if no preventive measurement in real action;
      3.  Agriculture will not be revitalize if urbanization continuing its path;
      4.  Housing affordability will not be reach for young generation if government continues cashing from young generation debt by eating out the whole cake of education export revenue without plough back;
      5.  Manufacture industry will shrink smaller and smaller if no new elements there to power up to survive;
      6.  Employability will not in the sustainable mode for so long as manufacture and agriculture not going to boost.

      Ma kee wai
      (Member of Inventor Association Queensland since 1993)

    • masealake says:

      12:21pm | 26/09/10

      What democratic societies should learn lessen from Australia election 2010:
      1.  What productive action Gillard Labor government 5 billions to UN buys ousted PM Kevin Rudd’s face?
      Voter’s pains did not link to high income Politicians and Bureaucracy. 
      The Australia historical hung parliament demonstrated the big gap of inequality society between the small educated elite groups who get highest pay by talk feast used mouth work controlling live essential resources of the country in every social platforms against the biggest less educated groups who get lowest pay by hands work squeezed by discriminative policies that sucking live blood from individual poor/less wealth off?

      Voters’ voices do not hear?
      Voters’ pains do not ease?
      Voters’ cries do not care?

      1.  Poverty will not be phase out if no fairer resources to share;
      2.  Illness will not be reducing if no preventive measurement in real action;
      3.  Agriculture will not be revitalize if urbanization continuing its path;
      4.  Housing affordability will not be reach for young generation if government continues cashing from young generation debt by eating out the whole cake of education export revenue without plough back;
      5.  Manufacture industry will shrink smaller and smaller if no new elements there to power up to survive;
      6.  Employability will not in the sustainable mode for so long as manufacture and agriculture not going to boost.

      Ma kee wai
      (Member of Inventor Association Queensland since 1993)

    • masealake says:

      09:40am | 24/03/11

      Why believe coalition Supporting Local Communities?
      It’s all about power and money most Politicians and parties wanted above all and after all election?
      Just listen how Barry O’Farrell convincing voters: “Over the last four years I announced positive and practical policies which will help support local communities……..”  .
      Take a look below the link subject: “Time for Action” in “Healthy Active Life” program that convert Broken hill into a Healthy Las Vergas Broken Hill economy? Link with http://www.streetcorner.com.au/news/showPost.cfm?bid=20747&mycomm=ES
      ... , will you then still believe Barry O’Farrell’s announced positive and practical policies which will help support local communities……..”  ?
      Will you also believe there were only 1-2 Politicians responding to this greatest “Healthy Las Vergas Broken Hill economy model”?
      Why the most Politicians do fail their own test in support community health/economic development who with$1.65 million Tax payer’s money each annual spending for?
      Masealake (Member of Inventor Association QLD)

    • masealake says:

      04:21pm | 25/03/11

      Why believe coalition economic plan works without revitalize agriculture and manufacture industries??
      It’s all about power and money most Politicians and parties wanted above all and after all election?
      Just listen how Barry O’Farrell convincing voters: “People are our asset. They are our greatest wealth and they should be given the opportunity to pursue their dreams?” On the issue of economic management, Mr O’Farrell was asked what he thought was the state’s greatest source of wealth, given NSW lacked a resources industry.
      Take a look below the link subject: “Time for Action” in “Healthy Active Life” program that convert Broken hill into a Healthy Las Vergas Broken Hill economy? Link with http://www.streetcorner.com.au/news/showPost.cfm?bid=20747&mycomm=ES
      ... .
      When we look at what today’s shrinking industries, such of agriculture (34% of fruit and 19% of vegetables imported); manufacture (10.5% by 2005–6) destructed by John Howard’s coalition government.
      Will you then still believe Mr Barry O’Farrell’s coalition opposition announced positive and practical policies which will help revitalize agriculture and manufacture industries for create more sustainable jobs, and innovative export products?
      Remember, it’s not one person to construct or destruct the whole lots of industries, it’s the matter of whole political party/government? 
      Will you also believe there were only 1-2 Politicians responding to this greatest “Healthy Las Vergas Broken Hill economy model”?
      Why the most Politicians do fail their own test in spend little brain work to revitalize agriculture and manufacture industries who with $1.65 million Tax payer’s money each annual spending for?
      Masealake (Member of Inventor Association QLD)

    • masealake says:

      05:09pm | 29/03/11

      Why believe Premier Barry O’Farrell able to deliver commitments meeting NSW $4.5 billion black hole not to explore a Health Olympic?
      Although Premier Barry O’Farrell has signed a contract to the people of NSW to deliver commitments, and that contract will be honoured. An honourable government is importantly to advancing the state, to create more opportunities for people to work on, and to ease the cost of their life that in happy to stay such state.
      But the true story is any Politician still sits for four years until the beat down by doing little, regardless deliver commitments on time, they still enjoyed all retired benefits
      Why a Health Olympic guarantee NSW back to number one state?
      •  Inventing health improvement patterns;
      •  Growing high antioxidant healthy grains and plants;
      •  Manufacturing high antioxidant healthy grain powder products;
      •  Exporting its health improvement knowledge and pattern; and
      •  Exporting health improvement resources (including human resources).

      More detail linked to http://www.streetcorner.com.au/news/showPost.cfm?bid=20747&mycomm=ES

      Masealake
      (Member of the Queensland Inventor Association since 1993).

    • Elva says:

      12:22pm | 31/05/12

      This is what they say on the ALP site: The NSW Government has supported amedmnents to the Election Funding and Disclosures Amendment Bill banning donations from tobacco companies and profit-driven liquor or gambling business entities.  profit-driven liquor or gambling business entities is obviously all of them, so that’s pretty good. This is a great thing for NSW and the country, good work by the politicians responsable.  I really don’t see why is isn’t a criminal offence in our day to sell tobacco products. A medicine or a food equaly leathal would be withdrawn from the market immediately it was seen to be so defective, and tobacco is a product blatantly defective for the use of man. Trouble is it is a legal drug and part of our culture, and a big money maker in the world, and the people profiting from it will argue that not to have it legal is taking away smoker’s freedom to chose. I don’t think it is smoker’s freedom that needs addressing, but rather any person’s ability to profit from the sale of tobacco. Because profiting from tobacco’s sale is morally wrong, they are making profit from hurting people. People should be looking out for people not having an involvement in an industry that can measure profits by the millions of deaths it causes in the world each year. Just to qualify this there is a difference between a poison that will harm everyone who uses it, and say selling someone a pushbike which has the ability to lead to a rider’s death, which so long as the pushbike wasn’t seriously defective would be missadventure, cannot ban everything that may be dangerous, people need to be able to live life, but people shouldn’t be allowed to sell others addictive poison, knowing how harmfull it is, just because they value money more.

 

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