Malcolm Turnbull
Federal Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull, a millionaire lawyer and former investment banker, walks out of a government party room meeting in Canberra's Parliament House February 9, 2015. Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott survived a challenge to his leadership after his ruling Liberal Party on Monday voted down an attempt to unseat him after weeks of infighting. A secret party room ballot to declare the positions of party leader and deputy leader vacant was voted down 61 votes to 39, chief party whip Philip Ruddock told reporters. Reuters/Sean Davey

Former chairman of the PM’s business advisory council Maurice Newman has criticised Malcolm Turnbull, describing him as a "postmodern" kind of man with a soft liberal personality.

Newman called Turnbull a man with soft liberal beliefs, referring to his take on tax increases for the richer section of the society and his attempt to bring fresh attention to the policies of climate change. “Unlike conservative Abbott, Turnbull appeals to the fashionable Left. He is a postmodern kind of guy, more at home in inner-city cafes than in budgie smugglers and firefighting uniforms,” he wrote in The Australian on Tuesday.

The Renewable Energy Finance Corporation has enjoyed another chance to prove its credibility with a new set of board members and novel ideas of wasting monetary resources, Newman added. He also stressed on the freedom given to the Bureau of Meteorology of working without any accountability.

Turnbull had advocated a softer approach to dealing with the Islamic community and aimed at having a UN Human Rights Council from 2018 after taking office. A UN Security Council seat is another target of the Turnbull government in 2029-30.

“Now, both major parties are guilty of Machiavellian plotting and behaviour unbefitting of high office,” Newman said.

Newman took aim at Turnbull and the slowing Australian economy, diminishing standard of living, unbalanced payment deficits, rising debt lower investments. The former business advisor also pointed out the PM's casual reaction to such big issues by asking the public to accept the situation with all optimism.

Newman also targeted the recent mini-summit of the PM with business leaders in Canberra, where the present prime minister followed the infrastructure initiatives Abbott had earlier spearheaded. The summit had focused on planning new job opportunities and improving productivity. Abbott’s policies will be continued with reduced business cost and diminished wastage.

Newman claimed that the change in Liberal leadership is a blow to the reliability and integrity of the leaders, and which hampered the trust and bonding between the government and the masses.

Read Maurice Newman’s opinion piece in The Australian.

Newman is an ex-chairman of the Abbott’s Business Advisory Council who also served as the chairperson of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation and former chairholder of the Australian Stock Exchange until March 2012. He was Chancellor at Macquarie University till 2008.

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