At The Oz: Minor parties demand price for support. And don’t think Malcolm wouldn’t give them what they ask to save his miserable hide.

Malcolm Turnbull has opened talks with the new kingmakers in federal parliament to save his government after a savage swing against him in a federal election that has fuelled dissent over his leadership and thrown the nation into political turmoil.

The Prime Minister insisted he was “quietly confident” of holding power as he pledged to work with the independents who could ­decide his fate, clearing the way for days of talks while Australians wait to learn the outcome of an election that remains too close to call.

Bill Shorten vowed to seek a “consensus” in the new parliament and dismissed the idea of going back to the polls, but stopped short of outlining a plan to form a minority Labor government. . . .

The Australian learned last night that Mr Turnbull had spoken yesterday to three crucial crossbenchers, Nick Xenophon, Andrew Wilkie and Cathy McGowan, and is hoping to talk to other influential players in coming days to shore up support without striking a formal alliance.

“I have spoken to a number of the crossbenchers and what I’ve said to them is what I say to you now — that we will be able to form a majority government,” Mr Turnbull said yesterday. “And in those circumstances, and indeed in any circumstances, we always seek to work constructively with all the members of the parliament, as we have done in the past.”

The fact is that each of the minor parties comes with a shopping list a mile long. A genuine party of restraint which was the party John Howard and Tony Abbott led, would not go near any such thing. Malcolm, on the other hand, cares only about Malcolm, with his own political survival all he has in mind. What won’t he agree to? What will he agree to? We shall soon see.

And there is a second article worth a look at The Oz as well: ‘Liberals pay price for ousting Abbott’. Nothing in the article you won’t find mentioned here on Catallaxy, but the comments thread is a lesson and a half. A sample:

Abbott is the most underestimated politician in Australia’s history.He is Australian working class and middle class combined ,humble and unique but most of all his has no fear and confronts issues with a strong desire to fix them whatever the cost to his own popularity.I disagree with him on some issues but have never doubted his courage.A brave heart.

It would be petty to gloat at Malcolm’s failure. Let me be the first to do so.

Turnbull believes in nothing and the voting public know it. He purports to be an economic genius and inspirational leader but has shown he is clueless and indifferent. He thought that the Conservative base had to vote Liberal because they had nowhere else to go – WRONG! He has to resign and the new PM must call a fresh election.

Forget that excuse about similarities to 1998. Bill Shorten is no Kim Beasley, Turnbull is no John Howard. Mr Howard was attempting to implement a huge reform package while Turnbull was attempting a trickle down micro- reform package. Howard had a united party, Turnbull does not. Howard was conservative, Turnbull is not. Howard earned his right to be the leader, Turnbull did not. Howard believed the right mattered so he he spoke to all conservative journalists, Turnbull did not. Finally, Howard showed humility and respect.

Turnbull promised everything and delivered nothing. He must resign!

MARK STEYN ADDITION: Mark has taken time off from his summer of research to discuss The Blunder Down Under. Naturally you must read it all, but here is the relevant bit so far as this post is concerned.

The Oz Liberal Party is liberal in the classical-liberal sense – ie, it’s the right-of-center party. Last year’s Prime Minister, Tony Abbott, a conservative, was toppled by Malcolm Turnbull, who isn’t in the least bit conservative but rather a modish technocrat know-it-all of consuming personal ambition. I rank him higher than an outright poseur such as David Cameron on the grounds that, when it comes to, say, climate change, Turnbull is a genuine believer whereas Cameron is just going with the flow. At any rate, here’s what I said about Turnbull on the ABC’s Q&A back in February:

TONY JONES: Mark Steyn, what do you think? How does this look from a distance? I know you were, as a conservative, you were quite a – well, you were a supporter of Tony Abbott.

MARK STEYN: Yeah, yeah. Tony was more congenial to me than his usurper but Lenore, I thought, put it very well. You know, he came to power because of the bad polls – because there had been, like, 137 lousy polls for Tony Abbott. So he staged his coup. If the polls head south for Malcolm Turnbull, that destroys the rationale for his prime ministership… The deal was that nothing would change except his face where Tony Abbott’s face used to be and I think he’s caught in a trap of his own making there. If the poll numbers reach Tony Abbott levels, what was the point of the switch? You’re in Kevin-and-Julia territory then.

The ultimate poll – Saturday’s election – proved to be far worse. But it did, as I said on the telly that night, utterly destroy the rationale for Turnbull’s coup.