Former Liberal Opposition leader John Hewson says Malcolm Turnbull has been forced to shelve topics that made him popular with the public and now faces a "close contest" in the upcoming federal election.

Mr Turnbull threatened a double dissolution election on July 2 if the Senate failed to pass industrial relations bills and on Monday it was voted down.

While an election is yet to be officially called, many expect the campaign to begin now, and Mr Turnbull's performance in the top job was the main talking point on Monday night's Q&A.

Mr Hewson, an economist, said Mr Turnbull should have called a snap election shortly after he defeated Tony Abbott in September's leadership spill.

"I think he could have said, 'Look, I don't have a mandate', set some broad directions and I think he would have done very well in that election," he said.

"Since [taking office] of course his popularity has waned, his net satisfaction rating is now negative."



John Hewson says Bill Shorten's confidence is increasing.© ABCTV John Hewson says Bill Shorten's confidence is increasing.  Mr Hewson said the party machine forced Mr Turnbull to play down issues like gay marriage and climate change — topics that had made him popular before he became leader.

"Look, obviously Malcolm did a deal to get there and the deal he did actually compromised some of the basic positions that he'd previously held and held publicly," Mr Hewson said.

"I think it's a close contest. I think Shorten is a person who runs on confidence, he's had a bit of a boost to his confidence in recent days so he's looking slightly better while Turnbull's been struggling."

'Market testing' policy comes under fire

Award-winning journalist and author Caroline Overington said Mr Turnbull's tenure had been disappointing.

"He has a tendency to float out a policy and quickly withdraw it. It is an interesting tactic he uses, almost like market testing," she said.

Advertising expert Jane Caro said Mr Turnbull's tendancy to float ideas publicly "terrifies people".

"We haven't had a strong solid narrative from a leader for a very long time," she said.

"That's why we keep tossing them out because we don't know who they are or what they stands for, and they scare us."



Ewen Jones said Mr Turnbull wanted to include the states in the tax reform discussion.© ABC TV Ewen Jones said Mr Turnbull wanted to include the states in the tax reform discussion.  States to blame on tax reform: Liberal MP

However Liberal MP Ewen Jones backed the Prime Minister, jokingly saying the Government didn't look at opinion polls.

He cited Mr Turnbull's proposal to raise the GST, and subsequent rejection by the state premiers, as evidence the Prime Minister was dealing with an imbalanced system.

"The problem we have in this country is the balance - the government that spends the money doesn't raise the money," he said.

"I think the federation, as we see it, just isn't working."

Outgoing WA Labor MP Alannah MacTiernan said she expected Mr Turnbull to have performed better on the economic front.

"I have been astounded by how he just has not been able to grasp this economic stuff," she said.

The panel also discussed the 60 Minutes Beirut child abduction saga, the collapse of Queensland Nickel and whether public schools should receive more funding at the expense of their private counterparts.

On the topic of assisted suicide, Mr Hewson and Mr Jones said they wanted the Liberal Party to have a conscience vote.

Ms MacTiernan, who convenes the Parliament Dying with Dignity group, said more than 70 per cent of Australians supported the practise for the terminally ill.

"I just think it is time that we got up there and we were prepared to legislate," she said.

http://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/qanda-malcolm-turnbull-compromised-after-striking-deal-to-become-leader-john-hewson-says/ar-BBrUhIR?ocid=spartandhp

Which election did Hewson win?

miketrees wrote on Apr 19^th, 2016 at 6:14am:

Which election did Hewson win?

Which election did you win?

Hewson was psychologically damaged by losing the unloseable election.

he had always been a man who derived "ego" from external things.

I believe he had a ferrari??

He now appears to be "drawing state' from seeking the applause of the chattering classes.
This is very very low status and "validation seeking"

A true man, a real man, is on his mission in life and he is oblivious to the opinions of the "chattering classes"

Once you make "appeasement' your "lifes purpose" you are entering the realms of the "wandering ghosts",
You are, in fact, creating a living hell for yourself.

No one can ever "give" you something by their applause.
Not really.

John needs to re examine what it means to be a "superior male"

Trying to get jane Caro to approve of you is about as low as a man could get

miketrees wrote on Apr 19^th, 2016 at 6:14am:

Which election did Hewson win?

thats a tough one mike.

I think it was called THE UNLOSEABEL ONE. ;D ;D ;D ;D


and i am not sure WHY but they drag him out of hibernation every so often as if his opinion counts for anything .. but lefties like him...they like losers..

and hes good at beating up the Libs... that makes him even better.....a nasty loser.. :) :) :)

hes not too good in the marriage stakes either.. another thing lefties dont mind... ;D ;D ;D

Hewson is just like every other former lib ... once they leave the party they develop a conscience and start to make some sense.

It's bad when all Liberal and Labor can offer is Turnbull and Shorten. Both are not PM material.

Let's hope both parties still have the labor disease and assassinate their leader in the next term.

____ wrote on Apr 19^th, 2016 at 8:36am:

It's bad when all Liberal and Labor can offer is Turnbull and Shorten. Both are not PM material. Let's hope both parties still have the labor disease and assassinate their leader in the next term.

ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh


oh no.. I am agreeing with greenwhine..

no wait I think hes agreeing with me..

I have been saying it since Malc took over..


hes tainted..........we are stuck even worse than America....with two people who are not worthy of such a position....and we both know one of them will be crowned...it will be a crown of thorns but it will also be a COSTLY one...

they  may as well be robots the way they flock to give someone totally un worthy. the highest honor  in the land..

cods wrote on Apr 19^th, 2016 at 7:47am:

hes not too good in the marriage stakes either.. another thing lefties dont mind... ;D ;D ;D

Settle down cods, you are always on about that.

Nearly every family has a brother or sister divorced, it has nothing to do with left or right.

We should all consider ourselves lucky if ours survived.

Redmond Neck wrote on Apr 19^th, 2016 at 9:18am:

Settle down cods, you are always on about that.

it's because they have nothing on the policy front so the only options to them are to scrape the bottom of the barrel

cods wrote on Apr 19^th, 2016 at 7:45am:

miketrees wrote on Apr 19th, 2016 at 6:14am: Which election did Hewson win? and i am not sure WHY but they drag him out of hibernation every so often as if his opinion counts for anything ..

Was there anything in particular that you disagree with him on?

greggerypeccary wrote on Apr 19^th, 2016 at 9:46am:

cods wrote on Apr 19th, 2016 at 7:45am: miketrees wrote on Apr 19th, 2016 at 6:14am: Which election did Hewson win? and i am not sure WHY but they drag him out of hibernation every so often as if his opinion counts for anything .. Was there anything in particular that you disagree with him on?

She doesnt like him because he is a traitor that criticises the Libs.

(Did you only think lefties thought like that?)

greggerypeccary wrote on Apr 19^th, 2016 at 9:46am:

cods wrote on Apr 19th, 2016 at 7:45am: miketrees wrote on Apr 19th, 2016 at 6:14am: Which election did Hewson win? and i am not sure WHY but they drag him out of hibernation every so often as if his opinion counts for anything .. Was there anything in particular that you disagree with him on?

Only the fact he commented on Libs awful performance , truth hurts

John Smith wrote on Apr 19^th, 2016 at 8:21am:

Hewson is just like every other former lib ... once they leave the party they develop a conscience and start to make some sense.

Very true.