# The Soap Opera That Is Australian Politics, 2015 **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [February 4, 2015, 10:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-soap-opera-that-is-australian-politics-2015/711793 "2015-02-04T10:10:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Lobot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ce7236/32.png) [@Lobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobot)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2015, 11:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-soap-opera-that-is-australian-politics-2015/711793/81 "2015-09-14T11:49:45Z")
Turnbull has won. ---
**Author:** ![Napkin\_Sandwich](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/8dc957/32.png) [@Napkin\_Sandwich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Napkin_Sandwich)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2015, 11:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-soap-opera-that-is-australian-politics-2015/711793/82 "2015-09-14T11:49:52Z")
Holy shit ---
**Author:** ![Onyerbike](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/onyerbike/32/5402_2.png) [@Onyerbike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Onyerbike)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2015, 11:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-soap-opera-that-is-australian-politics-2015/711793/83 "2015-09-14T11:50:13Z")
Holy parliament house batman. Wow. ---
**Author:** ![tavalla](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tavalla/32/89_2.png) [@tavalla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tavalla)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2015, 11:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-soap-opera-that-is-australian-politics-2015/711793/84 "2015-09-14T11:51:15Z")
Bill Shorten’s life expectancy as Labor leader just shortened considerably. Labor could afford him while Abbott was scoring own-goals left, right and centre; now they can’t. ---
**Author:** ![tavalla](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tavalla/32/89_2.png) [@tavalla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tavalla)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2015, 11:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-soap-opera-that-is-australian-politics-2015/711793/85 "2015-09-14T11:53:35Z")
And Tones’ Wikipedia page has already been updated. Bless. ---
**Author:** ![Lobot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ce7236/32.png) [@Lobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobot)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2015, 11:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-soap-opera-that-is-australian-politics-2015/711793/86 "2015-09-14T11:54:59Z")
Bishop beat Andrews for deputy 70-30. ---
**Author:** ![Cazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cazzle/32/75_2.png) [@Cazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cazzle)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2015, 11:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-soap-opera-that-is-australian-politics-2015/711793/87 "2015-09-14T11:56:43Z")
Suck it, Abbott. Worst Prime Minister ever. ---
**Author:** ![Princhester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2015, 11:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-soap-opera-that-is-australian-politics-2015/711793/88 "2015-09-14T11:58:30Z")
> [@tavalla](#): > > Bill Shorten’s life expectancy as Labor leader just shortened considerably. Labor could afford him while Abbott was scoring own-goals left, right and centre; now they can’t. But who else? I don’t think that Albanese is very charismatic and I’m not sure who else has the profile. I met Albanese in person once under admittedly strained circumstances but it wasn’t a pleasant experience so perhaps I’m biased. ---
**Author:** ![Napkin\_Sandwich](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/8dc957/32.png) [@Napkin\_Sandwich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Napkin_Sandwich)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2015, 11:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-soap-opera-that-is-australian-politics-2015/711793/89 "2015-09-14T11:59:17Z")
#qanda ratings are really going to suck tonight. ---
**Author:** ![Lobot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ce7236/32.png) [@Lobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobot)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2015, 12:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-soap-opera-that-is-australian-politics-2015/711793/90 "2015-09-14T12:02:57Z")
Abbott was only ever PM by pure luck, never due to his own abilities. He was installed because a couple of Lib MPs couldn’t stand the thought of an ETS, and then he happened to still be the leader when the ALP imploded. He was always destined for complete mediocrity. ---
**Author:** ![Lobot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ce7236/32.png) [@Lobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobot)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2015, 12:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-soap-opera-that-is-australian-politics-2015/711793/91 "2015-09-14T12:04:18Z")
> [@Princhester](#): > > But who else? I don’t think that Albanese is very charismatic and I’m not sure who else has the profile. Plibersek? ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2015, 12:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-soap-opera-that-is-australian-politics-2015/711793/92 "2015-09-14T12:07:49Z")
Both Abbott and Hockey totally muffed it, by being so thoroughly incompetent and out of their depth. At least that comedy of errors has passed. ---
**Author:** ![tavalla](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tavalla/32/89_2.png) [@tavalla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tavalla)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2015, 12:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-soap-opera-that-is-australian-politics-2015/711793/93 "2015-09-14T12:11:09Z")
Albanese is the anti-Shorten in many ways. Shorten has no convictions, save that he should be PM one day, but Albanese is one of the true believers who still has a scrap of spine, and he’s a natural sell as the opposite of Turnbull–blue collar vs blue blood. Tanya Plibersek is also a possible candidate, but more likely deputy, IMHO. Which is a shame, she’s smart. ---
**Author:** ![Aspidistra](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspidistra/32/3894_2.png) [@Aspidistra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspidistra)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2015, 12:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-soap-opera-that-is-australian-politics-2015/711793/94 "2015-09-14T12:16:26Z")
Noticeable that both the “Abbott entering the meeting with his backers” and “Turnbull entering the meeting with \*his \*backers” pics were absolutely stuffed with people I’ve never seen before in my life. Wyatt Roy was the only one I recognised - all the cabinet were laying way low. I guess no-one was career-riskingly certain enough to be seen in public with either of them Julie Bishop’s doing a rousing chorus of “The Vicar of Bray”, I see… ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2015, 12:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-soap-opera-that-is-australian-politics-2015/711793/95 "2015-09-14T12:23:48Z")
> [@GuanoLad](#): > > Both Abbott and Hockey totally muffed it, by being so thoroughly incompetent and out of their depth. At least that comedy of errors has passed. But who knows what is next? The current trend in Australian politics isn’t good. I think since 2007 we have had the 3 worst prime ministers of my adult life, each worse than the one before, and I wouldn’t want to bet that the downward trend is going to be stopped by any prospective leader of either of the two major parties. ---
**Author:** ![Grumman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/43a26b/32.png) [@Grumman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grumman)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2015, 12:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-soap-opera-that-is-australian-politics-2015/711793/96 "2015-09-14T12:38:06Z")
Good. Fucking. Riddance. ---
**Author:** ![Asimovian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asimovian/32/172_2.png) [@Asimovian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asimovian)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2015, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-soap-opera-that-is-australian-politics-2015/711793/97 "2015-09-14T13:00:52Z")
I missed this the first time around, but this thread is better suited to Elections. Off it goes. ---
**Author:** ![penultima\_thule](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/penultima_thule/32/3833_2.png) [@penultima\_thule](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/penultima_thule)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2015, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-soap-opera-that-is-australian-politics-2015/711793/98 "2015-09-14T13:52:47Z")
About 6 hours from launching the challenge to the press conference of the new leadership team. Well played son. Now knuckle down and demonstrate that you’ve learned from your first attempt. He’s going to struggle to constrain his zeal for reform on issues like gay marriage, climate change and the republic as the a leader to the left of a centre right party with a nasty socially conservative rump. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2015, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-soap-opera-that-is-australian-politics-2015/711793/99 "2015-09-14T14:07:01Z")
> [@penultima\_thule](#): > > About 6 hours from launching the challenge to the press conference of the new leadership team. I find this amazing. Have there been strange rumblings, or did Turnbull simply spot an opportunity and seize it? ---
**Author:** ![Count\_Blucher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Count\_Blucher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Count_Blucher)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2015, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-soap-opera-that-is-australian-politics-2015/711793/100 "2015-09-14T14:18:23Z")
I didn’t see this thread; I honestly didn’t know it was here when I made my thread. I’m very very sorry. (…and thats one Hell of a lot more than Tony Abbott will ever say…) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-soap-opera-that-is-australian-politics-2015/711793.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-soap-opera-that-is-australian-politics-2015/711793.md?page=6)