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The Australian on April 17:

MALCOLM Turnbull is mulling over his decision to quit politics after a groundswell of support from community and party members asking him to reconsider.

Considering. Phillip Coorey in The Sydney Morning Herald on Friday:

THE preselection process for the federal Sydney eastern suburbs seat of Wentworth is in effect on hold while Malcolm Turnbull considers requests to reverse his decision to retire at the election this year.

Reconsidering. Jennifer Hewett in The Australian on Saturday:

SINCE he announced via Twitter just after Easter that he would quit, he has been fielding calls and conversations from many supporters asking him to reconsider. He is doing so.


Now it's serious. The Sunday Telegraph yesterday:

FORMER Liberals leader Malcolm Turnbull is seriously reconsidering his decision to quit politics. The Sunday Telegraph can reveal Mr Turnbull is genuinely contemplating running again.

Dear Timothy,

I am writing to let you know that I have announced today I will be once again running for the federal electorate of Wentworth at the general election later this year.

When I recently announced that I would not stand at the election, I said it was the most difficult decision I had ever made.

Since then I have been overwhelmed by the many local residents and members of the Liberal Party who have urged me personally and via hundreds of emails and letters to reconsider my decision and run again.

I have carefully reconsidered my decision, as my Party and many of my constituents have asked me to do. I have taken the decision to re-contest the seat fully understanding the commitment required of those who seek election to public office.

The most important service I can render is to continue to represent the people of Wentworth with the commitment, the conviction and the energy which I have always sought to bring to the last five and half years of my parliamentary service. I am determined again to earn the support of the people of Wentworth and in doing so, contribute to the election of a Coalition Government.

The Rudd Government has shown itself to lack both competence and commitment. Its financial mismanagement surpasses even the recklessness of the Whitlam years and the Prime Minister’s abandonment of the central element in his climate change policy – measures which he said were necessary to combat the greatest moral challenge of our times – constitutes an extraordinary act of political cowardice.

Over the last two terms of Parliament, whether as a backbencher, a Minister or as Leader of the Opposition, I have always stood up for my political convictions. And I will continue to do so.

Above all I am committed to continuing effective representation for Wentworth, ensuring that our area, which I believe is surely the best part of the best country in the world, has a strong voice in the Parliament and that it secures the services and the support from the Federal Government that it deserves.