The right-wing Liberal Party protagonists who caused the leadership spill that installed Scott Morrison as Australia's new Prime Minister displayed appalling behaviour for all to see this week.

The Liberals (and Nationals) were elected to be grown-ups and lead, but instead, they acted like a bunch of spoilt brats in a sandpit at a pre-school. 

No wonder the people are losing faith in politicians from the major parties. It seems all politicians care about is securing their very high paying jobs and the perks that come with it at the expense of the people that voted for them to lead and make decisions for the greater good.

Tony Abbott, Peter Dutton and the rabid right-wing commentators that agitated for this spill now have egg on their faces and should take a good hard look at themselves.

The right wingers have been fond of saying all week that ‘mainstream’ Australia is behind them and they are the only ones that understand the electorate.

What rubbish! The ‘mainstream’ Australia that I live in abhors racism and sexism and believes that the right-wing pontification over energy policy for the past ten years has led to higher electricity prices. Thank goodness the fanatical right wingers did not get their way on Friday.

The vote for the leader was 45 to 40, that means 45 party room members did not want Peter Dutton as their leader, that means the Liberal Party is hopelessly divided and indeed not overwhelmingly behind a move to the hard right. The question needs to be asked that if the likes of Dutton and Abbott can misread their own party so severely how could they possibly know or speak for the broader electorate? Dutton is not a vote winner; he holds a very tenuous hold on his seat in Queensland. What gave those who backed him the idea he could lead the Libs to election victory?  Dutton made his reputation detaining women and children indefinitely on Islands. He took the stop the boats mantra as a green light to be obstinate and inhumane. He would have been a terrible Prime Minister.

The right-wing cretins who brought the leadership change on have given Bill Shorten a free kick which will most probably result in a Labor government after the next general election. If that is to be the case, let’s hope they have learnt from the past and give Australia the stability it needs from its federal government.- Craig Thomson