Voters feel locked out

This idea also deflects attention away from Labor’s campaign in Victoria and the question as to why the Medicare campaign was effective in other states but not Victoria.

The claim relies on arguments about the variation of votes within different parts of the same electorate and especially in two electorates - Corangamite and La Trobe.

However, Labor obtained a swing of almost 8 per cent to it in its most marginal seat McEwan - a seat in which all the fire stations are CFA stations. It also obtained a swing of 2.5 per cent to it in its second most marginal seat Bendigo - another seat in which all the fire stations are CFA stations. There also was swing of 5 per cent against the Liberals in McMillan which has a popular local member. Again all the fire stations are CFA stations.

Mr. Andrews’ decision not to wait until after the federal elections to bring the dispute between the firefighters’ union and the CFA Board and the volunteers to a head is strange, if not bizarre. However there is no evidence that it had a decisive influence in the outcome which does not augur well for those Liberals who think that it will be an issue in the state elections in 2½ years’ time.

Malcolm Turnbull’s petulant speech in the early hours of the Sunday morning after the closing of the polls brought back memories of his reaction to the result of the republic referendum in 1999.

He was the victim. Then the fault laid with a tricky John Howard. This time it laid with a devious and unscrupulous Labor Party and the dim-witted voters who fell for their lies. Not a thought was spared for those who had lost their jobs.

The following Tuesday Deputy Leader Julie Bishop’s performance on the 7.30 Report reinforced the perception that the Liberal leadership was in denial despite Mr. Turnbull’s finally delivering a mea culpa earlier that day.

Since then nothing appears to have changed. There were media reports after the Liberal Party’s meeting last week that the threatened revolt over the leadership’s dismissal of the significance of proposed changes to superannuation fizzled out. However, it appears that serious discussion of the Liberals’ campaign was deferred on the basis that there will be a comprehensive review.

Since then any doubts about the level of angst over the superannuation changes have been removed by the intention of George Christensen, the Member for Dawson which is based on Mackay, to vote against the proposed changes. This threat is an early reminder of the fragility of the Coalition’s position.

Then there is the suggestion promoted by Malcolm Turnbull supporters that the effectiveness of Labor’s Medicare campaign is really Tony Abbott’s fault because two years ago he sought to introduce a Medicare co-payment.

The impression that Mr. Turnbull is determined that it will be his way or the highway has been reinforced by his not seeking to make a peace offering to his internal critics. Time will tell if this act of defiance rebounds on him.

It may have limited Mr. Turnbull’s ability to make changes to the Cabinet and the outer ministry, both of which have seen marginal changes only and increases to accommodate the demands of the Nationals. Unlike the Liberals, the Nationals had a successful campaign re-gaining the Victorian seat Murray from the Liberals and holding all their current seats including the Queensland seat Capricornia which is essentially a Labor seat.