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Its time
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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.
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