I followed a twitter link to this story thinking it was current. In fact its a Daily Telegraph item from August 2009. Which raises the obvious question, what is this guy doing still in the Australian Liberal Party?
MALCOLM Turnbull wanted to become Kim Beazley’s shadow finance minister during the second term of the Howard Government. The Sunday Telegraph has confirmed Mr Turnbull approached at least six senior ALP figures, including former Prime Minister Bob Hawke, actively seeking their endorsement to join the ALP at the time of the republic referendum.
Speaking for the first time on the issue, Mr Hawke said Mr Turnbull approached him on November 6, 1999, at Sydney’s Marriott Hotel following the referendum’s defeat. Mr Hawke said yesterday he remembered the conversation clearly. Mr Turnbull told him: “Bob, the only thing I can do now is join the Labor Party.”
Mr Hawke said he replied by telling Mr Turnbull “he could be accommodated” and that “the Labor Party was a broad church”.
The former senior ALP staffer David Britton, who founded the Labor lobbying firm HawkerBritton, said Mr Turnbull told him at the time of the referendum he was “deeply p….. off with Howard” – and that he had a “very different social agenda” to the then prime minister. Mr Turnbull told Mr Britton: “Don’t you think Kim Beazley would like somebody like me as his finance spokesman?”
Another senior figure in the republican movement told The Sunday Telegraph he also talked to Mr Turnbull about his Labor ambitions. Tony Pooley, who now works for NSW Minister Kristina Keneally, said Mr Turnbull “had reflected on the fact he had some general discussions with Paul Keating about representing Labor federally”.
Former Labor powerbroker Graham Richardson revealed in October, 2003, that Mr Turnbull had sought a safe Senate seat from him. Mr Turnbull, seeking Liberal pre-selection for the seat of Wentworth at the time, labelled the claim a “lie”.
However, Mr Richardson this week told The Sunday Telegraph he stood by the claim. He said there were “a string of witnesses” to the half-hour meeting with Mr Turnbull, which took place in his office.
Shocking stuff. If true, why wasn’t Turnbull kicked out at the time this story broke? There’s more at the link.
TrueblueNZ 
4 responses to “Strange story- Malcolm Turnbull tried to join Labor Party”
[…] Strange story- Malcolm Turnbull tried to join Labor Party […]
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[…] people that they cannot get the point that the political weakling Turnbull, who is reported to have once tried to join the Labor party, will not ever be accepted by the hard core Liberal supporters. His previous stint at leader was a […]
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I will never vote for a disloyal sneaky traitor. We voted for a decent hard working man who loves our Country. He was not there for glory but are people that shallow that because he doesn’t have that fake’s silver tongue they complained and constantly picked on his flaws. Unlike Tony Abbott Turncoat is there for the prestige and power. why do you think he rejoined politics. Tony Abbott has done more in 2 years than anyone in the last 6 years and yet he gets no recognition but Turncoat takes credit and gets accolades. It is truly disgraceful and I am so disappointed that people are so fickle.
So Mr Turncoat I will not vote for Labor or the greens but I most certainly will not vote for the liberals again while you and sneaky Julie are there. I believe there is talk of another party being set up so that will do me, if not I will put in a donkey vote.
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Well said Carol. Turnbull & his traitors have not only betrayed Tony Abbott, they have betrayed the Liberal Party, the people who voted for the liberal party, and they have betrayed the democratic process.
Now they say there must be unity and loyalty to MT to keep Labor out of power. Apparently this didn’t apply before they white anted and betrayed Abbott. Hypocrites and slimebags.
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