Did Malcolm Turnbull lie about the real reason for changing his mind about his decision to quit politics, barely two weeks after announcing it?
From ABC’s Sunday Profile, May 28 2010:
Mr Turnbull is my guest on Sunday Profile. Welcome to the show. I’m Monica Attard.
When he rescinded that much publicised resignation from parliament Malcolm Turnbull says it was Prime Minister Rudd’s decision to shelve the ETS (emissions trading scheme) until at least 2013 which spurred him on.
Got that?
It was Rudd’s decision to delay the ETS that spurred Malcolm to go back on his decision to quit politics.
So, when exactly did Kevin Rudd announce his decision?
From ABC News, May 4 2010:
Rudd confirms ETS delay
Prime Minister Kevin Rudd says the Government’s emissions trading scheme is being delayed until 2011.
He has also cut the price of carbon from $40 to $10 for the first year of the scheme.
From Nine News, May 4, 2010:
The federal government will delay the start of its carbon pollution reduction scheme by a year and could seek deeper cuts to emissions than originally planned.
Prime Minister Kevin Rudd cited the recession, a need to give certainty to business and a chance to negotiate a global agreement in December as the reasons for the decision.
This decision was a momentous decision for Australian politics.
Careers have risen and fallen as a result. More will.
Now consider.
Kevin Rudd’s big decision was kept so secret, that not even Peter Garrett, the government’s own Environmental Protection Minister, was told about it in advance.
From ABC News, June 5 2010:
Peter Garrett has admitted he was kept in the dark over the scrapping of the Federal Government’s Emissions Trading Scheme.
The Environmental Protection Minister told Sky News today he found out the scheme had been dropped when he read about it in a newspaper report.
Now, let’s review the dates of news reports concerning Malcolm Turnbull’s announcement of (1) his decision to retire, and (2) his rapid change of mind.
From the SMH, April 16 2010:
From the Herald Sun, April 25 2010:
Former Liberals leader Malcolm Turnbull is seriously reconsidering his decision to quit politics.
From the SMH, May 1 2010:
Former Liberal leader Malcolm Turnbull has made a dramatic return to politics, sparking a rethink on leadership and climate change within his party.
Hang on.
Didn’t Rudd announce the oh-so-secret decision to delay the ETS three days later, on May 4?
Even the Environment Protection Minister Peter Garrett says he didn’t know about the decision until he read about it in the newspaper on May 4.
So, how could Malcolm Turnbull possibly have known about it before April 26, in order for the Herald Sun to publish their story saying that he was “seriously reconsidering” his retirement decision?
Malcolm allegedly changed his mind sometime in April … while “overseas” … because he was “spurred on” by Rudd’s decision to delay the ETS.
A secret decision, announced on May 4th.
I think it is abundantly clear what the real reason is for Malcolm’s change of mind:
The Australian, March 13 2009 –
HIH score settled for Malcolm
Opposition Leader Malcolm Turnbull looks set to emerge from his long court case over HIH Insurance with his former employer, the Goldman Sachs merchant bank, making a confidential settlement on his behalf.
Learn more about Malcolm Turnbull’s real motives here – “Compassion For Malcolm: He Just Wants His Balls Back”.
Finally, it is interesting to note that many on the left of politics admire Malcolm Turnbull as a man of integrity, precisely because of his consistent strong stand on emissions trading. Malcolm Turnbull consistently polls better with Labor/Green voters on the question of Preferred PM, than he does with conservative voters.
In the interview mentioned above, Malcolm Turnbull was questioned about Tony Abbott’s famous Kerry O’Brien interview, where it is said that he “gaffed” regarding politicians and truth-telling.
This is what Malcolm had to say about it:
MONICA ATTARD: Have you ever in an unscripted moment said something that wasn’t the entire truth?
MALCOLM TURNBULL: I believe that politicians should speak the truth all the time. Invariably there will be occasions when you make statements that are factually incorrect due to an error…
But then there’s the occasion when politicians will say things that are simply not true … That is something that I think should not happen. That’s a no-no. That’s a third rail that you shouldn’t touch.
MONICA ATTARD: And that’s not what Tony Abbott was doing though in relation to the taxation that he was being questioned upon?
MALCOLM TURNBULL: I believe politicians and everybody for that matter should aim to be accurate and truthful in what they say at all times.
Now you can be truthful and inaccurate but what you shouldn’t be doing at any time is saying things that are untrue…
Barnaby Is Right 
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