The Coalition is going to rue the day that it decided against replacing Tony Abbott as Prime Minister.
After Abbott’s failed ‘captain’s calls’ on the flawed Paid Parental Leave, Prince Philip’s knighthood, and the dumping of chief whip Phillip Ruddock (amongst others), it has been revealed that the decision to rule-out any reform of superannuation was not based on sound policy-making processes, but rather a “strategic” decision from the Prime Minister. From The AFR:
Senator Sinodinos told Sky News that Mr Abbott was looking for a point of differentiation from Labor by trying to brand it a high-taxing, high-spending party, and Labor’s announcement three weeks ago to change super taxes at the top end provided the trigger.
“It’s a strategic decision,” he said.
Asked if the policy change was run through the party processes, Senator Sinodinos said: “I think it’s really something that has come from the leadership.”
The Coalition should have pulled the trigger on Abbott when it had the chance. Instead, it now finds itself against the wall with a fiscally unsustainable superannuation policy that has been universally condemned by seniors groups, the superannuation industry, economists, and policy experts alike, which will severely damage its economic/Budget credentials for as long as it remains in office.
