So Malcolm the Money has finally gained the Liberal leadership from Brendan the Brief. This will be interesting. I've always admired Malcolm Turnbull: he has combined conventional success with public-mindedness (to wit, his leading the failed charge towards an Australian republic in 1999); his clear intellect and small-l liberal inclinations (a strongly correlated pair of qualities, in my opinion); his failure, so far, to sound like an overly conventional politician.
There's a meme out there that he has a large ego. Annabel Crabb was hilarious in the SMH recently, writing:
Accounts of the Turnbull ego do differ across the broad church of the Liberal Party.
Some argue it is Milky Way-sized, while his intimate admirers and defenders (whose ranks are fast swelling with opportunists) argue it could probably be squeezed into Wembley Stadium.
I don't doubt it for a minute, but I do doubt that he proclaims his own wisdom to the exclusion of all others. I imagine he seeks a contest of ideas from his colleagues, rather than a chorus of yes-men. Anyway, we'll see...
One thing's for sure, Rudd's going to find the going a bit tougher now. He's had an easy ride since the election; too easy. A competent, ambitious Opposition Leader can only be good for the country.