On the same night, by contrast, something to really celebrate:

The Brumbies have clung on for a dramatic 14-12 victory over the British and Irish Lions in Canberra to become the first provincial team to beat the touring side in 16 years.

The win in front of a crowd of 21,655 makes the Brumbies the first provincial side to beat the Lions since South Africa’s Northern Transvaal in 1997, now known as the Bulls.

And it was the first loss to an Australian provincial side for the Lions since Queensland were victorious in 1971.

The Coalition enjoys a 43 per cent to 34 per cent lead over Labor among women voters.

Enrolment data shows the government share of secondary students in NSW fell from 65.41 per cent in 2000 to 61.07 per cent last year.

On Monday night, senate candidate Julian Assange tried to badmouth the Australian government on ABC TV’s Lateline program.

Unfortunately, what he did instead was pick on Canberra. Not cool.

“Canberra is a corrupt little mini-state. We all know that. There’s a corruption of purpose,” he said, in response to a question on his senate bid.

1. Canberra controlling local government through a change to the Constitution;
2. Taxpayers to pay for the administrative costs of running a political campaign (he changed his stance today, under public and party pressure);
3. Sweet heart deals, mandates and tax-payer subsidies for the ‘renewable energy’ industry, even though the industry continues to drive up the cost of power (already the highest in the world);
4. The substantive parts of Gillard’s draconian (against small business) workplace laws;
5. Constitutional recognition of a particular group based solely on race and a rather distorted view of history – handing them special access to tax, land and other rights and privileges above and beyond the rest of the nation;
6. The raising of an environmental ‘Green Army’;
7. Maintaining the SBS and ABC in their current form (no privatisation or market pressure of any kind);
8. The raising of the Medicare Levy to pay for a massive new welfare programme;
9. The raising of the corporate tax rate on big business to pay for a massive new welfare payment; and
10. Apparently, the pseudo-science behind big bad human caused global warming.

…and the election has not even officially started yet. If Abbott is unwilling to listen to his own back bench and rank and file party members, then how can Abbott expect loyalty?

Let’s face it, Abbott has never been popular with the electorate and given the 2PP lead, a drovers dog could lead the Coalition to victory in September. So let’s find someone else who is not so compromised before Abbott becomes Prime Minister.

UPDATE

If Abbott can change his mind on taxpayer funds going towards paying for the administrative costs of political campaigns, then he can change his mind on a host of other policies which are against the wishes of his party. Abbott’s awkward explanations here.

Constitutional change to create a republic shouldn’t be ranked against other issues, like the recognition of indigenous Australians, Mr Turnbull added.

But, he said, “I’d rank it slightly ahead of the recognition of local government.”

Gee…the trifecta of constitutional tyranny explained in so few words. Remarkable that anyone on the front bench of the Liberal Party could hold such views.

So far Abbott believes in at least two of the three constitutional issues mentioned by Turnbull: Canberra taking control of local government and the creation of an aboriginal aristocracy. From Abbott today.

“The Aboriginal dimension is as much a part of Australia as our law, our language and our democracy. That is why it must finally be acknowledged in our national Constitution.

“I see acknowledging Aboriginal people in our Constitution not as changing it, but as completing it.

Okay….changing it, but not changing it????

Does anyone seriously think that the rank and file of the Coalition of centre-right parties believe in any of this? Unlikely. Seems Abbott is happy to take his base for granted, like David Cameron in the UK.

If Abbott continues down this path, then the same fury that has seen Gillard become unpopular will be turned on Abbott and he will not last. It will start in the blogs, social media, then make its way into talk back radio and then finally The Australian, Sky News and the rest of the main stream media.

Mr Abbott was dismissive in Brisbane this morning of the push from the Victorian party branch, which will this weekend vote on a motion encouraging the federal Coalition to conduct an “operational review” of the ABC and SBS and consider the feasibility of full or partial privatisation.

Asked whether he was feeling pressure from the Victorians, Mr Abbott said: “The short answer is no”.

“Everyone understands that in the Coalition, it’s the parliamentary party which sets the policy and we have no policy to go down that path, we have no intention of going down that path, and we won’t go down that path,” he said.

So apparently Abbott is now a-okay with the ABC and SBS. Privatising the SBS, at least, would be an easy policy decision to make because hardly anyone watches the channel(s) and those that do are unlikely to ever vote for the Coalition. It would save the Federal budget $200 million annually and generate about the same amount in capital sales. So what’s stopping Abbott?!?

I think the evidence is building: the rank and file of the Liberal Party are at odds with the career politicians who sit on the Liberal front bench. Similar, although not as pronounced, in the way the Cameroons in the UK despise their own Conservative Party. Think of any number of issues from wind farms, to the Green Army, to Abbott’s PPL policy, and the Liberal Party rank and file get no say what so ever.

One thing that is clear, the Liberal rank and file are closer to Liberal Party principles than the Liberal front bench.

UPDATE

Bolt has picked up on Abbott’s swing to the left:

…for all his rhetoric, Abbott is campaigning as Labor-lite – without the stuff-ups.

Radio discussion here.

Timely given Ford’ announcement to end production in Australia. So what’s Abbott’s response? Cut the cost of doing business by abolishing renewable energy mandates, lowering corporate taxes and improving workplace flexibility? No, Abbott’s response is more industry subsidies, just like the ALP.