Trying in vain to reimagine Tony Abbott

He may as well have added , and our emissions will have risen. According to the latest science, global warming will have continued on its alarming upward trend. A recently leaked IPCC report warns that, sea levelscould rise by three feet, by the end of the century, if emissions continue to increase at current levels.

But the fate of the earth, is not on the agenda of our new PM and his team of climate deniers.

Meanwhile we [the people] seem to be in the grip of a Stockholm like syndrome. This syndrome is a psychological adjustment, whereby those held captive, identify ally join with or defend those to whom they are held hostage. This syndrome has also been thought to occur in people in abusive relationships. They declare their love for the abuser despite all maltreatment.

This is less mysterious than it seems. It is a primal survival mechanism. When someone, for example a child or partner, perceives themselves to be dependent on or impotent against a powerful person they surrender to the need to be looked after or not harmed.

We are stuck with this new old regime for at least three years, so we are setting out to make the best of it.

The commentators are hastening to look for the silver lining gild the lily or at least to talk up Tony. Paula Mathewson boldly asks, could Tony Abbott be our most successful Prime Minister? But has this man on the brink changed more than his image, from that of a man photographed in red speedoes to a man in lycra bicycle shorts .

As an older woman I could do without all those tight lycra groin shots: I resent the slightly sexualized warrior scenes of a 58 year old man frantically demonstrating that he still has it. A PM in waiting " turning commando", and leaping over tires, to show he is at one with defense forces on training exercises.

The image makers have instructed him to say "careful and methodical," carefully and methodically, and to try to look interested in babies instead of seeming to want to plant a kiss on their mother's shiny hair This is no honey moon period, instead its more like the curate and his egg.

Bishop: "I'm afraid you've got a bad egg, Mr Jones"; Curate: "Oh, no, my Lord, I assure you that parts of it are excellent!"

"True Humility" by George du Maurier, originally published in Punch, 1895.

So now that we have him we might as well try to be positive about him. Will he do better than expected, or than his behavior and words until now have indicated?

No change is evident yet. His first actions are to attend to preparing legislation to repeal the carbon tax. He has had immediate consultations to design this legislation and has declared that the minor parties in the senate , should come to heel.