Asked about the Coalition’s polling numbers, Dan Tehan says that 12 months ago the polling numbers had the Coalition winning the last election “none of us thought from then, we would be hear where we are now”.
Except that is not entirely the case. The polling numbers were close for the Coalition leading up to the election, but when you drilled down in the numbers, particularly when it got closer to the election, it was hard to see where the Coalition was going to win the 18 seats it needed (then) to claim the election (which is one of the questions I was asking at the time – where are the seats).

My view is what all of us need to do is just to be focussing on the Australian people and getting our policies right for the Australian people and then being able to coherently put them to the next election with plenty of time to spare and that is what I am focussed on doing in the energy and emissions reductions space”.

(You get the feeling that he has had to give a lecture on this very topic multiple times over the last few weeks the way those words came out)

So does Dan Tehan think that Sussan Ley is still the best person for the job?

Well, as I said, if you looked at the polls this time last year and you said that we would be now in the situation that you are, I think most people would say will focusing on polls and start focussing on getting your policy settings right. Do that very early in your term and then get out and sell, sell, sell because that’s the best way to be a political movement that actually gets back into government and changes the future of this nation.