The Coalition has embarked upon a risky Labor-style experiment, hoping Mr Turnbull’s sugar hit in the polls will see them all safely across the line. The wiser approach would have been to stick with Mr Abbott, and allow the voters to judge on policy achievements, not on the illusion of personal popularity. Editorial, 19 Sept 2015

Almost everything [Turnbull] has touched in his political career has been a failure. David Flint, 19 Sept 2015

It is undeniably true that Malcolm is better than Bill. But it’s better sometimes to blow the whole thing up and – let’s be honest – lose to the other team. Why? Because you’ll have sent a message that loyalty… is the price [they] have to pay. James Allan, 26 Sept 2015

What the trendies on the Right haven’t realised is that this is likely to make it even harder to achieve economic reform. Those on the Right dancing on Abbott’s political grave should be careful what they wish for. Jeremy Sammut, 3 Oct 2015

Already, with ‘nothing off the table’ it looks like a Labor-like raid on superannuation is clearly ‘on the table’. Let’s instead hope that Mr Morrison concentrates on applying the same single-minded focus to cutting our bloated health and welfare spending that he applied to Mr Abbott’s brief to stop the boats, but the omens are not good. Editorial, Oct 10 2015

So, let me put it on the record and say that the overthrow of Abbott was wrong, unprincipled and unnecessary. Neil Brown, 17 Oct 2015

The real danger for the Coalition is not that the honeymoon wears off, but rather, that this government fails to take advantage of such unprecedented political capital and to invest it wisely. Editorial, 24 Oct 2015

Malcolm Turnbull appears determined to further alienate both conservatives and libertarians in the Liberal Party. Hal G.P. Colebatch, 31 Oct 2015

Canberra’s press gallery can opine as much as it likes; the Australian electorate is basically conservative.Yet the Liberal Party is now led by a man without a conservative bone in his body. The National Party is in coalition with a man of whom its own members are deeply, and rightly, suspicious. John Stone, 5 Dec 2015

Malcolm Turnbull has abandoned any claim to the economic leadership of the nation. Flint, 27 Feb 2016

I’m a long-time volunteer for the Libs at elections, handing out bumpf. I’ve made it clear since the Abbott coup that I won’t be lifting a finger for them. Now of course it’s possible that a bevy of ABC employees will be happy handing out Liberal fliers come the election. Then again, maybe not. Allan, 27 Feb 2016

Does Mr Turnbull have [Abbott’s] substance? On the evidence, I doubt it. There is increasing bemusement as to what the government stands for, other than punishing investors and stealing their superannuation. Brown, 27 Feb 2016

We have a supposedly right-of-centre Prime Minister who won’t appear on any conservative radio show or face an interview from a known righty. He’s relying on the ABC-types to carry him over the hump. All my friends keep telling me Turnbull can’t lose. (I think he can, and will.) Allan, 27 Feb 2015

Mr Turnbull should… focus on policy hard yakka before going to the polls around September. A long, Seinfeldian, winter campaign about nothing? No thanks. Terry Barnes, 5 Mar 2016

As the government searches for a narrative to take to the election, it needs to return to its Liberal roots and proudly support, not punish, people who work, save and invest. Rebecca Weisser, 5 Mar 2016

In six months, Mr Turnbull’s team, aided by Ms Savva’s no doubt more demure husband and ‘unabused’ co-staffers, has achieved what precisely? Editorial, 12 Mar 2016

After six months of dithering, one thing is clear: Turnbull, having seized power, has no idea what to do with it, other than to appear smiling beatifically before the TV cameras, or grinning into those aptly-named ‘selfies’.

There may be an alternative which, depending on how the electoral cards fall, would administer much the same medicine while not (quite) electing Labor. Suppose that they lost only 15 seats; post-election the Coalition would be reduced to 76 members, facing a 70-member Labor Party and four others – a bare majority. Imagine that Liberal party room on its first meeting. Would those lucky ones still there flock to re-elect Turnbull as their leader?

In the Senate, I will easily be able to find six (or twelve) choices below the line while ignoring not merely the Liberals but also Labor and the Greens. I look forward to it. Stone, 12 Mar 2016

Turnbull is a disappointment to many supporters; unlikely to offer, even through the budget, the promised economic leadership. Flint, 2 Apr 2016

Given that this is not going to be the easy win he assumed, why do Turnbull and the party go out of their way to provoke the conservative heartland? Flint, 9 Apr 2016

Will the Liberal Party forgive Malcolm Turnbull for this election if Tony Abbott’s hard-won gains are lost for no good purpose? Flint, 28 May 2016.