For the Coalition, holding on means no more alienating the progressive vote
Internally, the prevailing view was to not to rush to an election like Gillard and be stomped, but to spend some time defining himself and his new policy agenda. So he hesitated and spent the summer and the new year formulating an innovation agenda and dithering over big ideas for tax reform, including increasing the GST and giving the states income taxing powers. None of the tax ideas came to pass. In the end, there was a messy process involving a prorogued Parliament, a double dissolution election called on the back of a contentious budget and an arduous eight-week campaign. The government was reduced to a one-seat majority and Turnbull’s authority was forever diminished. The election was to be this Saturday Last year, Turnbull resisted any overtures to call an election before Christmas. He felt he should go as near to a full term as possible. First, he needed time and, second, he feared the public would punish him for going early. Turnbull, as we now know, had settled on March...
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