Unifying the Liberal party: A challenge for Malcolm Turnbull

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull assumed office on Tuesday, giving new hope not only to the nation, but also to his own party. Turnbull is the respite his party has been seeking after Abbott failed to meet the ends as the head of the state. This is the opportunity for Turnbull to lead the party from the centre, something his immediate predecessor was unable to do.

If one has noticed closely, it would not be difficult to identify the blue tie Abbott wore even while serving as the prime minister of the nation. He was in fact the first head of the state who wore partisan colours, according to Sydney Morning Herald. Abbott could never achieve what he himself preached as the foremost task of a soon-to-be prime minister, that is, morph from “tribal chief to national leader.”

As a result the centre of the electorate, which determines who rules the nation, withdrew its support from Abbott. The 18 months under his leadership the government remained in a highly unsettling position in polls. To most liberals, it seemed like a permanent condition which forced them to turn to Turnbull.

Turnbull has always enjoyed huge popularity and he was more popular amongst the electorate of the Greens and the Labor than with the Liberals.

He is preparing to run the nation from what he calls a “sensible centre,” a standing that is socially progressive but economically conservative.

The more difficult part for Turnbull would be to prove himself capable of unifying the party. Turnbull’s plan to support the then-prime minister of Australia Kevin Rudd’s emission trading scheme had cost him his party leadership in 2009. For the angry Liberals then, Scott John Morrison was a better choice for a leader.

Morrison though resisted all approaches as he realised he is not ready for the leadership then. He voted for Abbott instead and at present he is also expected to work with a successful Turnbull bid. Morrison can be expected to act as a bridge between the right wing and Turnbull and allow the new prime minister to unify the party.

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