After the exhibition of the Prime Minister's spectacularly failed attempt to reset and pitch clearly to voters this week, Australian politics suddenly finds itself at the point where Scott Morrison's leadership is an active question, even outside Canberra. He was asked on Brisbane FM radio B105 on Thursday, if he believed he had the confidence of his colleagues. "Oh, totally," Mr Morrison quickly responded. "And I have no doubt about them at all." There is usually only one way for this to now go. But this close to an election, it is said by Liberal Party insiders, there is little appetite for change. This is despite parliamentary and party members keenly, but privately debating how the Prime Minister is lurching from one disaster to another. Rapid antigen tests, the Hawaii holiday, Grace Tame, Monday's Newspoll and far too many ministers in trouble. The phrase "dumpster fire" is being used. The leaked text messages describing the Prime Minister as "horrible, horrible person," a "fraud" and a "complete psycho", blurted out at and startling Mr Morrison at the National Press Club this week, are the tip of the iceberg which is the NSW branch of the Liberal Party. The very act of giving air to the purported messages between former Liberal premier Gladys Berejiklian and an unnamed federal cabinet minister was grubby and yet again proved there is very little love lost in Liberal ranks. Although it is noted, ministers are lining up to deny they are the author of the "psycho" message and Ms Berejiklian has "no recollection" of the texts. But there is something else. The NSW branch is imploding and Mr Morrison will have a hard time wrestling back control. He is being urged to intervene. Sources say the only reason Australia is heading towards the last possible date for an election to be held is because of NSW. READ MORE: Far too close now to an election date, there's a preselection power struggle going on over who will represent the government for federal NSW seats. To date, there is no deal between the factions and there is no way forward in sight. Some Morrison ministers are not locked in to their seats. Federal minister, and Morrison representative Alex Hawke, is accused of delaying matters and trying to override the branches. Mr Morrison, himself, is said to be personally turning up to various branch meetings. The mess has upset long-time Liberals, even Morrison supporters. It is ruining the Liberals' chances in the very seats the Prime Minister is targeting for victory. Labor candidates have a clear run and it is affecting fundraising. For example, no one has yet been chosen to run in former prime minister John Howard's old seat of Bennelong to replace John Alexander. Hughes, Dobell, Parramatta and Warringah are all awaiting an endorsed candidate. Mr Morrison is considering federal intervention. He threatened it earlier in the week, but it risks upsetting branch members further. It is now a matter of watch this space. One piece of advice Mr Howard gave to other Liberal prime ministers is the first responsibility is to keep the Coalition together. Mr Howard was extremely deft at keeping the Coalition and the NSW Liberal branch together. NSW looks like it is falling apart. Do most people care about Mr Morrison being called a "complete psycho" by one of his own? It is a bit of a sideshow when scores of people are dying of COVID right now and the aged care system lets down older Australians. It is all a terrible look, but it is always going to be tough for the Coalition to get a fourth term in office. It would be more than Mr Morrison's 2019 "miracle" win. It would be historic. He also wants to be the first Prime Minister since Mr Howard to serve a full term. Whoever leaked the alleged messages, which The Canberra Times has not seen, got what they wanted; NSW Liberal infighting is in the national spotlight. It seems like some sort of neat payback for the Prime Minister's office leaking the text messages of French President Emmanuel Macron last year. A laser-like focus is back on Scott Morrison's leadership and, as the next few months play out, it will be his to lose. I don't think. I know.
