The Echidna | Political floaters : Why leaders wont flush away | Newcastle Herald

newcastleherald.com.au · Feb 16, 2026 · Collected from GDELT

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Most of us have felt the embarrassment when two, three, even four, flushes don't send it on its way. Subscribe now for unlimited access. or signup to continue readingSave 30%All articles from our website & appThe digital version of Today's PaperCrosswords, Sudoku and TriviaAll other in your areaIt's even worse if it happens in a public setting. You're in the cubicle wondering what it will take to be rid of the troublesome thing when you hear the toilet door open. Do you sit it out and hope the person goes away? Or do you dash for the exit, a quick rinse and run, hoping they won't connect you with what you've left behind?The shame of the floater is real. For ordinary people anyway.But in politics, that realm in which shame is in short supply, it's a different matter. Failed elections or internal party coups should have flushed them away but years later, for some reason, old leaders still float to the surface. Tony Abbott is particularly stubborn. So is Malcolm Turnbull. Both appeared in the lead-up to Sussan Ley's forced departure and both stuck around after it, Abbott to back Angus Taylor, Turnbull to dismiss him as the "best qualified idiot" to lead the party through its existential crisis. Of course, they're not the only ones. Scott Morrison floated a few weeks ago to deliver a speech in Jerusalem in which he suggested preachers ought to be licensed. Muslim preachers, that is, not pentecostal Christians like those mired in scandal at Hillsong. Licensing applied to all preachers regardless of faith, however? Scotty might be onto something.Keating and Howard are serial offenders, even if only occasionally.What's mystifying is that people pay them any heed. All of them ultimately failed in politics' most important job - staying in power. Keating lost by a landslide in 1996. Howard lost his blue ribbon seat in 2007. Abbott didn't see out a whole term when he was knifed by his own party - then lost his seat. Turnbull almost lost to Labor before he was ousted by Morrison. Morrison's miracle win in 2019 turned to dust by 2022.Somehow, failure does not preclude party elders from holding a peculiar sway long after it should have been flushed away. Just recently, a pair of Tony Abbott's red budgie smugglers fetched $700 at a national Young Liberals (an oxymoron) convention in Melbourne. Even Scott Morrison's memoir, Plans for Your Good: A Prime Minister's Testimony of God's Faithfulness, sold at auction - which is remarkable for a tome that made it to the remainder bin faster than Dad's Favourite Fishing Jokes.At every election - and odds-on favourite for the Farrer by-election - we see John Howard wheeled out in a ritual which at his advanced age surely borders on elder abuse. Apart from Keating, whose appearances are generally to chastise the party, Labor seems less in thrall of its past leaders. Bill Shorten's forays into public commentary run to very occasional good-humoured comic turns with Christopher Pyne on 7.30. Julia Gillard has perfected the art of stepping away from public life with grace.The floaters you and I occasionally struggle with are mostly caused by high-fibre diets or artificial sweeteners, which can put too much gas in the system. They can also reflect more serious digestive issues. But the floaters in conservative politics are caused by a pathological clinging to the past. And the failure to flush them imperils the future.HAVE YOUR SAY: Should former party leaders and PMs keep their opinions to themselves once they leave politics? Does wheeling out John Howard at every election help the Liberal cause? Does conservative politics focus so much on the past that it loses sight of the future? Email us: echidna@theechidna.com.auFormer prime ministers Tony Abbot, left, John Howard, and Malcolm Turnbull. Pictures by Sitthixay Ditthavong, supplied, Andrew MearesIN CASE YOU MISSED IT:- Coles has been accused of artificially increasing prices before reducing them and claiming it as a discount. Australia's consumer watchdog is pursuing the supermarket chain through the Federal Court for allegedly misleading consumers with its "down down, prices are down" campaign.- Thousands of new apprentices could help bring down the cost of construction, but land has been identified as the biggest hurdle to getting more homes built.- Angus Taylor's new-look Liberal front bench is set to be unveiled on the back of a small boost in voter support following the change in leader.THEY SAID IT: "Too often we ... enjoy the comfort of opinion without the discomfort of thought." - John F. KennedyYOU SAID IT: Energy Minister Chris Bowen keeps telling us wholesale power prices are falling. The trouble is, the savings aren't passed on to consumers.Rob, who struggled financially 20 years ago after being retrenched at a time of soaring electricity prices, writes: "The Coalition's failure to replace lost generation capacity during their nine years of government is a root cause of our high energy costs today. Labor stupidity promised a $275 reduction in electricity bills, giving the opposition unlimited free kicks to criticise and cloud the arguments against renewables. Without the impact of lower renewable energy costs I hate to think where our bills would be now.""Home owners have to pay (capital) the upfront cost for installation and maintenance of panels, inverters and batteries," writes Susan. "Nearly 10 years to get return on investment from using less power from the grid. Yes the kit is cheaper now but home owners will have to pay to refresh or replace it and it takes up a lot of space."Elaine writes: "It is great that solar and wind is proving successful however why are consumers not benefiting from this windfall? Australians listened and invested. Surely it is time we saw those benefits. An important question in need of an honest answer.""The 'new' Liberal leadership wants nuclear energy, lower taxes, and fewer migrants, but of a higher standard who better align with Australian values," writes Daniel. "Sounds like they want Snowy 3.0, but with the energy coming from nuclear decay instead of water flowing downhill and built by an existing local construction workforce instead of migrants. Oh well, no new style of cappuccino then. I'm looking forward to the new nuclear power plants paid by no one, supplying free energy. QED! Can't wait!"Sue writes: "I own my own house - almost - but in spite of all the encouragement I cannot, on a pension, afford to purchase the batteries or extra panels. I made the effort to go solar some years ago even though finances were tight, but the long-term benefits are diminishing rapidly. With multiple charge rates for different times of the day you need a maths degree to calculate when is the most cost effective time to do anything but would need meters on all your electrical equipment to be able to monitor them. I don't think the prospect of nuclear from the opposition is sound either whether in terms of safety or cost."More from NationalDailyYour morning newsToday's top stories curated by our news team. Also includes evening update.