"All babies are created equal !" as I heard em mimic him on Insiders.
Nelson won't be there next election you'd think - He's more like when you "open" with a "nightwatchman" in cricket, i.e. when #10 or #11 is elevated up the batting order in risky conditions - rather than lose a good player before things get a chance to settle down.
But no point in bringing in your best batsmen so early. Wait till the ball gets a bit bruised.
Who knows, Brendan might score a few runs and/or get a few kicks in.
What are the options - just thinking aloud - Costello ? - was interested to see Tim Costello (Peter's brother) saying Peter won't be sticking around - also saying it's a shame as he would have showed himself to be "a different kind of PM".
Mr People Skills Abbott?.
It has to be Turnbull, but I reckon he'd be saying "what's the rush?".
Brendan has the ability to be a complete chameleon - which can be handy. - whereas Turnbull was clear and precise on where he stood on "sorry", on "republic" etc
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malcolm_Turnbull
1. Turnbull says it straight
Turnbull retained his NSW division at the 2007 election with a 1.5% swing towards him[13], despite a 4.2% swing against his party nationwide[14]. Following the defeat of John Howard in his electorate of Bennelong and the decision by deputy leader Peter Costello to not contest the leadership of the Liberal Party, there was widespread speculation that Turnbull would be the new Opposition Leader after his announcement on 25 November that he would contest the Liberal leadership[15] but he was defeated by Brendan Nelson in a 45 to 42 vote.
Brendan Nelson in turn appointed him Shadow Treasurer. [1] Shortly afterwards, fellow Opposition front bencher Nick Minchin suggested that Turnbull's failure to consult with party colleagues before declaring his opinion to the media on such issues as an apology to the Stolen Generations cost him the leadership.[16] This led to a disagreement between the two and culminated in Minchin privately telling Turnbull that he was "too fu**ing sensitive"[17]
Turnbull attacked Treasurer Wayne Swan as being "clueless" about the NAIRU economic indicator, after the Treasurer failed to answer Turnbull's question about it during Question Time on 18 February 2008.[18][19]
2. Like Rudd, he (and his wife) are rich enough not to worry about the financial rewards of being in politics.
3. Like Rudd he was Dux of his school (private school, Sydney Grammar School, in his case of course).
On an unrelated matter, generous as it is, still ironic that the scholarship he set up in his father's name is means-tested - (he publicly says that means-testing of eg baby bonus costs more to administer than it saves).
ahh now I'm being unfair - I take it back.
In 1987, in memory of his late father, he set up the Bruce Turnbull means-tested scholarship at Sydney Grammar School, which offers full remission of fees to a student who is unable to pay the school's fees.
4. Like Hawke he was a Rhodes Scholar, studied (further) law at Oxford.
5. Like Geoffrey Robinson, he has done some interesting legal stuff
He rose to the public's attention as the successful advocate in the Spycatcher trial (he blocked the British Government's attempts to suppress the memoirs of a former MI5 agent), and later wrote a book on the trial
From 1993 to 2000, Turnbull was the chairman of the Australian Republican Movement. He was an elected delegate at the Constitutional Convention in Canberra in February, 1998, and in 1999 published a book on the subject, called Fighting for the Republic. Following the unsuccessful 1999 referendum campaign to establish an Australian republic, in 2000 Turnbull retired as chairman of the Australian Republican Movement. Turnbull left the board of Ausflag in 1994 after being asked for his resignation and in 2004 joined the Australian National Flag Association
6. Turnbull handles the Chaser boys better than anyone - but anyone! Like he has the wit and charisma to comment or simply to smile back