This was published 7 years ago
Colleagues dump on Josh Frydenberg but Malcolm Turnbull comes out most damaged
Every Monday to Friday I'll be delivering a personally-curated newsletter. Call it the double espresso of news – the morning news kickstart for busy people who want to know what they need to know before they get going.
By Latika Bourke
1. Hit on Frydenberg but the real damage is to Turnbull
This sort of article, where politicians gripe freely about one of their colleagues without having to put their name to it, is called a political hit. And this attack on Josh Frydenberg is a giant one. [Dennis Shannahan/The Australian]
Frydenberg would have expected this. He is earmarked for big things and often talked about as a future Liberal Prime Minister, and in some circles, the next Liberal Prime Minister.
He is openly ambitious, a shameless media tart and and an extremely prodigious networker and has enjoyed but also deserved a rapid rise through the ranks into Cabinet. This also makes him a bit target to his envious colleagues. But they have been unable to land a blow on him because he has not faltered, until this week. Nice recap of the week by Laura Tingle. [Financial Review]
Frydenberg certainly cocked-up but in the scheme of things, by no means fatally. The damage here is really to Malcolm Turnbull.
Take a look at this brutal ad Labor whipped up late Thursday.
And Graham Richardson hits on something a Labor frontbencher texted me - did you notice the way Malcolm Turnbull hung Frydenberg out to dry? Hardly the sort of behaviour that inspires loyalty. [The Australian]
The policy implications of this? Official advice says the emissions intensity scheme which Turnbull ruled out this week would save $15 billion on electricity bills over the next decade. Worryingly, Chief Scientist Alan Finkel says there is no clear path to achieving Australia's 2030 26-28 per cent emissions reduction target. [Adam Morton/Fairfax] [Julia Holman/ABC]
Senator Pauline Hanson, Senator Eric Abetz and Senator Cory Bernardi.Credit: Alex Ellinghausen
Which brings us to one conclusion at the end of this week. When Malcolm Turnbull was given advice by experts and advice by his right-wing, who did he follow? Telling and damming.
Final word goes to Michelle Grattan. She writes that this has been one of Turnbull's worst weeks as PM and rightly points out the difference between being a political pragmatist and buckling. Grattan doubts Turnbull can improve in 2017. [The Conversation]
2. Aus politics - the rest of
Kristina Photios at Rose Bay in Sydney.Credit: Kate Geraghty
The wife of the New South Wales Liberal party powerbroker Kristina Photios has quit the party and delivered an almighty spray on the way out. She says it's madness the government is being run by hard-right conservatives like Cory Bernardi and Tony Abbott.
Tony Abbott attending the NSW Liberal Party council meeting, Four Seasons Hotel 22nd October 2016. Credit: Louise Kennerley
Abbott is Photios' state factional rival and the recent reforms he was trying to get through to change the way candidates are preselected was about reducing Photios' internal power. A great story by Heath Aston. [The Sydney Morning Herald]
Labor Leader Bill Shorten wants to continue the protectionist policy that makes books in Australia so much more expensive. [Fergus Hunter/Fairfax]
Ken Henry, the former Treasury boss who helped craft Kevin Rudd and Wayne Swan's stimulus package has blasted Australia's political class for talking cheap on fixing the "fiscal mess." Really worth reading. [Clancy Yeates/Fairfax]
Former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, with Labor MP Wayne Swan, former Prime Minister Julia Gillard and the Labor frontbencher Anthony Albanese in 2008.Credit: Andrew Meares
That stimulus package was a "misconceived" waste of money, a review commissioned by the current Treasury boss John Fraser (an Abbott appointee) has found. [Simon Benson/The Australian]
The government will announce $117 million in funding to reduce homelessness. [Stephanie Peatling/Fairfax]
The former CEO of the Commonwealth Bank David Murray says Australia's property market is overvalued and has likened the bubble to the Dutch tulips. Economic speak for "speculative insanity." [Jackson Stiles/The New Daily]
Cory Bernardi and George Christensen are attending a fundraising dinner for an anti-Islam organisation. [Chip le Grand/The Australian]
3. Solomons quake
A massive earthquake measuring 7.7 on the Richter scale has been recorded 70 kilometres off the Solomon Islands. A tsunami warning has been issued. [Fairfax]
ACEH, INDONESIA - DECEMBER 8: People walk on the debris of a collapsed building as the search and rescue works continue after a strong earthquake shook the north of Indonesia's Sumatra island Wednesday morning, killing at least 92 people and causing dozens of buildings to collapse, at Merdu village, Pidie Jaya, Indonesia, on December 8, 2016 Photo Jefri Tarigan.Credit: JEFRI TARIGAN
In Indonesia, the death toll from the tremor that struck Aceh on Wednesday has killed more than 100 people. [Jewel Topsfield/Fairfax]
4. NSW test case
There's a really interesting court case taking place in New South Wales, where the wife of a convicted Islamic State recruiter could be the first person to be charged for refusing to stand in court. The state Attorney-General Gabrielle Upton has written to the Solicitor-General urging a decision on whether Moutia Elzahed should be charged. Elzahed has already refused to remove her face veil and is refusing to stand for anyone but Allah, Sarah Crawford reports. [The Daily Telegraph]
5. "Hybrid warfare"
Alex Younger has warned of the threat of 'hybrid warfare'.
A rare speech from Britain's top spy Alex Younger. [Full speech]
The MI6 boss has identified the spread of fake news and cyber-attacks, including hacking, as the a "dangerous new phenomenon" threatening British sovereignty. [My report/Fairfax]
Although he did not name Russia, it comes after the White House accused Moscow of interfering in the recent US elections by spreading fake news stories about Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton and hacking the emails of her campaign chairman John Podesta.
Also a funny line about James Bond having to change his ways if he were to try and join the spy agency today.
Facebook doesn't think fake news swayed the US election. [Politico]
6. Gaffe or truth
Boris Johnson.Credit: Peter Nicholls / Reuters
Boris Johnson has done an extremely undiplomatic thing and identified Saudi Arabia's "abuse" of Islam and role as a "puppeteer" in proxy wars in the Middle East in public. [The Guardian]
Saudi Arabia is an ally of Britain, so even though Johnson's observation is a little closer to the truth than some might want to admit, it's a problem that as Britain's chief diplomat that he's saying it aloud.
At least, 10 Downing thinks so. Prime Minister Theresa May often pokes fun at Boris in public to the point where it verges on open ridicule, but today's response was a straight out slap down.
FILE - This is a Wednesday, Nov. 2, 2016 file photo of Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May speaks during a press statement with Colombia's President Juan Manuel Santos at 10 Downing Street in London. Britain?s High Court brought government plans for leaving the European Union screeching to a halt Thursday, Nov. 3, 2016 ruling that the prime minister can?t trigger the U.K.'s exit from the bloc without approval from Parliament. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth, pool, File)Credit: AP
The Foreign Secretary's views are not those of the government, the Prime Minister's office said. [BBC]
But Melanie McDonagh says on this one Boris is right and May is wrong. [The Spectator]
The Supreme Court Brexit case hearing the Government's appeal against the High Court's decision that MPs must approve the triggering of Article 50 finished today. A decision is expected in the new year. [BBC]
And that's it from me today, you can follow me on Facebook for more. Have a great weekend.
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