Fear drives Liberals bid to placate angry voters

Scott Morrison has burst his own Canberra bubble.

Ever since he assumed the leadership, the Prime Minister has argued the events of August were in the past. Anyone who sought to rake through the coals of the end of Malcolm Turnbull’s term as leader was dismissed as part of the bubble, of not looking forward.

But Morrison’s sudden move to get backbench support for a new rule requiring a two-thirds majority to roll a future Liberal prime minister shows the shallowness of that argument.

It’s an admission by Morrison that voters are really sick and tired of the leadership issue. Morrison couldn’t even go to Argentina without being asked why he was Prime Minister rather than Turnbull.

By showing voters he understands their anger about the leadership revolving door, Morrison has sought to draw a line under the entire issue.

It also goes to his plan to make the next election a direct fight between him and Bill Shorten.

Voters will have a simple choice — whomever they elect, they will get that man for the next three years.

Morrison is backing himself, the Government’s economic message, and the mother of all scare campaigns against Labor.

That’s the appearance.

However, while the leadership can’t be changed unless there is a two-thirds majority, that rule can be changed with a simple majority.

It gives the illusion of stability and strength. But it’s coming from a position of weakness and fear.

The other problem is that this deals with the leadership — but it doesn’t address the problems that are at the heart of the Government.

It’s policy, it’s personality, it’s the very soul of the Liberal Party that is being pulled this way and that.

And some within the Government fear it means the Prime Minister can ignore the concerns of a big minority of backbenchers.

Staying in power means mollifying just over one-third of the party room rather than the majority.

That’s not mob rule. That’s rule by focus group.

He has come up with a plan he hopes will reassure voters that he is listening.

The question is whether this solution will solve the problem voters clearly have with the Liberal Party.