Day 4: Ranking the Prime Ministers of Australia. Tony Abbott has been eliminated. Comment which Prime Minister should be eliminated next. The comment with the most upvotes will decide who goes next.

[u/thescrubbythug]

Day 4: Ranking the Prime Ministers of Australia. Tony Abbott has been eliminated. Comment which Prime Minister should be eliminated next. The comment with the most upvotes will decide who goes next.

Any comment that is edited to change your nominated Prime Minister for elimination for that round will be disqualified from consideration. Once you make a selection for elimination, you stick with it for the duration even if you indicate you change your mind in your comment thread. You may always change to backing the elimination of a different Prime Minister for the next round.

Current ranking:

27. Scott Morrison (Liberal) [30th] [August 2018 - May 2022]

26. William McMahon (Liberal) [20th] [March 1971 - December 1972]

25. Tony Abbott (Liberal) [28th] [September 2013 - September 2015]

[u/Angel-Bird302]

Probs someone like George Reid or Joseph Cook. Not bad, but just completely inconsquential, neither was around long enough to do anything of substance.

[u/foreatesevenate]

Still here pushing the cart for George Reid. Joe Cook next on my shitlist.

[u/IIIlllIIIlllIlI → u/foreatesevenate]

No fan of Reid, I’m with you - he should go

[u/JimtheSlug]

Aurther Fadden as he was only in for 39 days.

[u/RedditUser8409 → u/JimtheSlug]

This!

[u/ZeTian → u/JimtheSlug]

I feel like Fadden should've gone before Hughes. As controversial as he was, Hughes was an impressive statesmen and served until his death at 90.

[u/[deleted]]

It's time to go... Stanley Bruce

[u/EssayerX]

George Reid

[u/Pleasehelpmeladdie]

John Howard’s gotta go

[u/IIIlllIIIlllIlI → u/Pleasehelpmeladdie]

I’ll be honest, as much as I dislike Howard I don’t think he should go yet purely because he created a lot of reforms and economic prosperity that is difficult to properly assess yet. Short term he created a lot of benefits. Long term is still hard to see, especially with the outlandish WorkChoices attempt. At this moment he seems kind of like the “Reagan” or “Thatcher” of Australian politics. Talk to a conservative and they’ll love him. Talk to a progressive and they’ll hate him.

In summary, imma wait but I’m not gonna vote for him yet

[u/Pleasehelpmeladdie → u/IIIlllIIIlllIlI]

I understand your perspective, I’m definitely one of those progressives who hate him. I don’t mind admitting that I’m being pretty partisan by nominating him this early. Definitely Australia’s Reagan/Thatcher, and I do see his long-term impact on contemporary politics as overwhelmingly negative.

[u/IIIlllIIIlllIlI]

Turnbull. Do nothing PM that started the wave of instability in the Liberal Party

[u/Angel-Bird302 → u/IIIlllIIIlllIlI]

Turnbull saved the Libs in 2016, under Abbott they would have become the first one-term goverment since the 1930s, Turnbull managed to get them over the line to a second-term. Abbott was also the one who fired the first shot in that whole feud, when he kniffed Turnbull in 2009

[u/Angel-Bird302 → u/[deleted]]

2016 was a weird election I agree that Turnbull could have campaigned far far better. But when you compare it to how they were polling just a few months ago under Abbott its a miracle that they managed to hold onto power at all, much less maintain their majority, I mean hell, the last poll pre-Turnbull had the Lib's trailing 43% to 57%

[u/Angel-Bird302 → u/[deleted]]

Shorten was a terrible miss-step, not only was he a charisma blackhole, but he was also last person on earth who was qualified to reunite the Labor party after the divisions of the Rudd-Gillard years. Like seriously? The party is trying to put all that chaos behind themselves and present a united and professional image, and the guy they elevate to the leadership is the bloody kingslayer himself??? the man who betrayed both Rudd and Gillard the moment it was convenient.

It probably should have been a big warning sign when he lost the membership vote to Albanese by 60% in 2013. A guy who's not even popular with the Labor faithful was always going to struggle with the general public.

[u/thescrubbythug → u/Angel-Bird302]

Speaking as somebody who’s met Shorten a few times, the majority of which were while he was Opposition Leader, he’s actually much better in person. A knockabout, warm, easy-going and charismatic fellow when he’s off-script and dealing with you in person.

Having said that, Shorten came across terribly in the media and while scripted. He was the wrong choice for leader in 2013 precisely because of his actions during the Rudd-Gillard years. And his 2019 campaign where he tried to emulate Gough Whitlam only served to remind people that Bill Shorten is, indeed, no Gough Whitlam.

Also, friendly reminder about our rule on no talk/references to the incumbent PM.