Malcolm Turnbull should surrender his passport and never again be allowed to leave these shores, at least while he is prime minister. For the simple reason that every time he travels, he costs the already over-burdened Australian taxpayer an absolute fortune.

It is not the costs involved in the overseas trips per se, although these are usually no more than a series of pointless photo opportunities, with even press releases agreed in advance.

Nor is it the cost of his already bloated carbon footprint, which sits in embarrassing contrast to his obsessive commitment to reducing the impact of man-made global warming because he believes, along with the Labor party and his own ‘bed-wetters’, that ‘the science is settled’ – a phrase that is about as accurate and honest as another of the Left’s favourite phrases concerning a certain ‘religion of peace’.

No, the real reason why Mr Turnbull should be kept at home and the door firmly locked is that whenever we let him loose, he exhibits an irresistible need to demonstrate his moral superiority in a manner that costs billions of dollars. Worse, his extravagance may well be endangering not only our safety but also our security.

Just before Christmas, it was the Prime Minister’s trip to Paris, accompanied by his ever-loyal deputy leader, that saw Australians splurge a billion dollars to reward small islands and atolls for prostrating themselves before the gods of Climate Change and Rising Sea Levels.

(As we go to press, the worship of Gaia has seen the shut down of the entire state of South Australia in a blackout.)

This time, in New York, when it was the Prime Minister’s turn to speak at the United Nations, he revealed to a swooning commentariat and bored foreign heads of government that our already large annual refugee intake would soon be increased by over a third to just under 19,000. Indefintely. Furthermore, this would be in addition to the 12,000 extra Iraqi and Syrian refugees Tony Abbott had already committed to on compassionate grounds, and in spite of the fact that the FBI have warned Obama of the risks in doing so.

Refugee resettlement these days is a far cry from our highly successful and widely-lauded post-WW2 program. In those halcyon days, refugees went straight to work, often in major construction programs, and looked after themselves and their families, just like any other Australians. They were rarely criminals and never terrorists.

Politicians today choose to provide refugees with extravagant welfare (long term is optional), housing, English lessons, iPads and so on, at the expense of those many Australians already suffering hardship and in need. Indeed, a quick stroll through central Sydney or Melbourne reveals the rampant extent of homelessness, as our own ‘refugees’ from society and employment pitch their makeshift tents in doorways and under arches. Moreover, as Tanveer Ahmed writes, a chief cause of Australian antipathy towards Muslim migration is the failure and reluctance of many Muslims – unlike previous waves of migrants – to integrate successfully.

Mr Turnbull’s generosity with other people’s money will cost Australian taxpayers dearly, apart from the likelihood of increased crime and even terrorism. Cancel his passport, please.

Robber socialists

The government has recently been in an unjustified state of excitement over the success of the omnibus bill which it is claimed will achieve a $6 billion saving. But over the current term, the government plans to increase borrowings by over 30 per cent, that is by $152 billion. This means that total borrowings will rise from an already overlarge 28.6 per cent of GDP to an eye-watering 31.4 per cent. We’ll be paying $1.5 billion monthly interest.

Disappointingly, Malcolm Turnbull has failed to provide the economic leadership he promised a year ago. Now, the GST reform which was the subject of his recent address to the Liberal party in Perth has again been whisked off the table. If the GST is to be the state tax it was supposed to replace, why is it to a formula that could have only been dreamt up by a band of robber socialists?

Coalition governments seem intent on attacking their conservative base and on breaching the fundamental principles which led to the foundation of the Liberal party. Closing down the NSW greyhound racing industry is the latest example, along with Mr Turnbull’s assault on self-funded retirees. The latest super version, whilst containing commendable changes, is still significantly harsher on SFRs than Labor’s, while the politicians’ platinum-plated superannuation and its gold plated successor remain completely untouched.

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