Advice worth taking
It is advice the Opposition Leader would do well to keep in mind as he ponders his reaction to tonight's budget.Voting against legislation makes the Opposition Leader, Malcolm Turnbull, look negative. It also brings the Greens and the independent senators into the mainstream of the political debate since any or all of them only have a balance-of-power position if the Coalition opposes Labor's legislation. Giving additional prominence to the Greens and independents is not in the long-term interests of the Coalition or Labor.
To show that they disagree with Labor, all Turnbull and his colleagues have to do is to abstain. This serves as a reminder to electors that they voted for the likes of Kevin Rudd and Julia Gillard to govern the nation. There is no obvious reason why an opposition should attempt to protect voters from the consequences of their electoral decision.
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