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Posted: 2016-09-16 02:08:00

LNP MP George Christensen during Question Time in the House of Representatives this week. Picture: AAP/Mick Tsikas

IT’S presumed, perhaps rashly, that when Labor MPs cheekily refer to George Christensen as “prime minister” he knows it is a joke.

Mr Christensen, a LNP member from North Queensland, has been one of the more prominent Coalition spotlight hogs dimming the glow of the Turnbull Government’s week of achievement.

Malcolm Turnbull and Scott Morrison this week gave the government the appearance of a functioning entity with progress on key economic measures.

Arguably it was the first sighting of this creature for at least three months.

The things-to-do items ticked included passage of $6.3 billion in spending cuts negotiated with Labor, a superannuation package negotiated with Coalition MPs, and progress towards income tax cuts.

However, the Prime Minister and the Treasurer also appeared to have been pushed around by elements of the Coalition’s hard right and were derided by Labor for changing “iron clad” election promises.

That was their own fault.

Budgets often are altered after-party room discussions held soon after the economic statement is presented.

When you hold an election between delivering a Budget and attempting to legislate it, you present yourself as a hostage to internal grandstanders and make yourself a target for Opposition jibes you cannot implement the strict detail of election promises.

However, the dominant performance feature of the week for many voters will be the spectacle of a government getting things done.

Further, it has been a government prepared to deal with opposing forces — in the case of the omnibus bill reducing spending it was Labor — to get those things done.

Labor also will be marked up for this.

It was a display of constructive pragmatism as opposed to wishy-washy debate or stubborn political trench warfare.

It will bolster the authority of Mr Turnbull and his Treasurer, an improvement he has been in need of.

Even so, there were elements within the government itself determined to deny them that

increased regard.

Mr Christensen held a press conference to announce he had approved the new superannuation packager, and presumably a nation breathed more easily.

This fired up Labor’s “PM George” taunts.

Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull enjoyed a good week. Picture: AAP/Mick Tsikas

Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull enjoyed a good week. Picture: AAP/Mick TsikasSource:AAP

Mr Christensen has been a fierce fighter for the tax-free cosines off millionaires’ superannuation savings. He has not been as vigorous defending the tax concessions for low income families who will lose annual supplements under the Family Tax Benefits program.

Perhaps he sees a difference between one welfare tax relief scheme and another.

Perhaps it’s a donor thing.

Senator Eric Abetz was another claiming victory. He issued a press release saluting “a win for principle and common sense”, which means he thought Mr Morrison’s original superannuation proposal was unprincipled and senseless.

Mr Abetz claims a knowledge of what voters want, even though during his dominance of the Tasmanian Liberal Party the party lost all House of Reps seats in that state.

There will be further policy contests to come.

Mr Christensen on Thursday evening established in Parliament he is not as big a fan of Australia’s multiculturalism as Mr Turnbull.

He accused those contesting his warnings of “Islamism” of being “shackled to rabid political correctness”.

Mr Turnbull’s only counter to the public displays of disrespect is more achievement.

He next will have to push through his proposed $50 billion in company tax cuts, and on this contentious matter will not want attacks from both Labor and his own side.

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