This election has gone badly wrong for Malcolm Turnbull and now extreme hardship awaits him, writes Carol Johnson.
Whatever the final seat count, the 2016 election has gone badly wrong for Malcolm Turnbull. This was meant to be the election that would award him a resounding mandate and provide sufficient numbers in the combined House of Representatives and Senate to pass key legislation easily.
But, at best, Turnbull will be forming a government with only a narrow majority, which is looking increasingly likely.
The Liberal Party could reasonably have expected the outcome to be better than this. Turnbull remained disciplined and on-message during an (excessively) long campaign, with no more false starts such as the debacles over floating ill-considered GST or state taxation ideas.
The impact of Brexit on economic markets should have reinforced Turnbulls narrative of needing a stable, responsible and business-friendly government in uncertain times.
That simple message of stability should have cut through more easily than Labor leader Bill Shortens more complex argument that Brexit showed the dangers that can arise when conservative leaders give in to the right of their parties, as well as the need for government policies that protect workers wages and benefits.
So how did things go so wrong? And what are the implications for Turnbulls leadership?
