If it is possible to have a fantasy government, this is mine. Bearing little relationship to reality, it adopts one of the few advantages American politics has over ours – that the cabinet doesn't have to come from government MPs or the legislature at all. A leader can, within reason, pick who she likes.

If it were complete fantasy, and the Prime Minister didn't have to be Australian, on the shortlist would be the progressives Barack Obama, Helen Clark, and Justin Trudeau. Obama is a proven and inspirational leader in the face is implacable opposition, and is almost out of a job. Clark is straightforwardly effective, yet unlikely to get the job she deserves as UN Secretary-General. Trudeau is a more successful example of multilingual progressive leader than Australia's recent disastrous foray into that genre.

But a leader needs some connection to the country, so for prime minister, I pick the incumbent. In spite of his disappointing first six months in the job, I still hope Malcolm Turnbull can become the leader Australia craves after years of political infighting. His potential remains unrealised and constrained by the hard right, but PM he can stay.

His modest move to limit superannuation rorts shows he can move against vested interests in favour of the national one. He is no national embarrassment, and that is an improvement on the two men who proceeded him.