You may be interested in this repost. John Menadue

Be careful what you wish for.

With the Victorian election result the Labor Party may be hoping to see the demise of Tony Abbott in the New Year. But it should be careful what it hopes for.

Gough Whitlam successfully crippled Billy Snedden as the leader of the Liberal Party in 1974 and got Malcolm Fraser in his place, a much more substantial leader.

Paul Keating pulled the rug from under Alexander Downer and got John Howard instead. We know that John Howard proved to be a much more formidable opponent than Alexander Downer.

What if Tony Abbott was deposed or stood aside and a new leader, after a brief honeymoon, went to an early election?

What is not clear at this stage is when Rupert Murdoch will tap Tony Abbott on the shoulder and tell him that he is no longer marketable and that a new leader would be easier to sell!

Sitting behind the serious problems of the Liberal Party is a nagging concern, what does the Labor Party stand for?