Why I support Malcolm Turnbull as leader of the Liberal party

I stood awaiting Andrew Hastie and co last Thursday at a Business community event his team had organised. I had not been informed it was cancelled, neither had the caretaker of the venue and others who rocked up. 

As we stood outside waiting and chatting, one gentlemen chimed in with what his thoughts on what he wanted out of his elected public servants. "They need to sit down, together, and work out a plan for Australia's future," he said. The "us vs them" narrative in politics was tiring and had to stop, it was argued. 

As Turnbull today sets his sights on wrestling back leadership of the Liberal party, I am reminded of what actually led to his original demise... that he negotiated in good faith with Kevin Rudd regarding a carbon emission trading scheme. 

I watched first hand as concerned, yet ill informed, citizens lobbied their MPs to tell them climate change wasn't real and how they needed to ditch Turnbull. At the time I was gobsmacked. Here, in what seemed to me a happy, albeit rare, occurrence, the leaders of the most powerful political parties in Australia were negotiating on legislation that could benefit our planet for generations to come. 

Turnbull's leadership was challenged by the far right wing of the party, and Abbott won by a solitary vote.

Much has already been said about Abbott's decline in popularity since coming to power, I need not reiterate. 

But whether you support a Liberal government, a Labor government, or something else entirely, it seems to me that Turnbull has far more respect from those who won't vote Liberal, and a lot more ability and desire to work with those on the other side of the aisle. 

We cannot vote for our head of state. So instead the closest thing we have to a chosen leader will be decided this evening by some men and women behind closed doors.