Exclusive interview: The former PM is in no mood to retreat from public life, or return to politics

Malcolm Turnbull is pleased he no longer is a politician but is in no mood to retreat from a public life.

He now sees himself in part in the role of an “activist” citizen commentating on his policy passions.

His autobiography A Bigger Picture – officially released Monday – has given him a profile and a platform greater than those he had as simply another former prime minister.

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And while he has left parliament, Turnbull hasn’t abandoned his sharp-edged views on Australian politics.

In an interview with Guardian Australia he says of Scott Morrison’s 2019 election victory: “It’s a little bit like jumping out of a speeding car at 100mph and by some miracle landing on your feet and not killing yourself and saying, ‘Oh well, that was a good move.’”

Guardian Australia understands the book’s attacks on the hard right of the Liberal party has encouraged some moderates to consult Turnbull on reform of the ideological balance federally. Whether he will respond in public is not clear but Turnbull has confirmed the contacts: “Oh plenty. Tonnes of them.”

The dangling uncertainty is whether Turnbull will comment on those matters further than he has, in savage fashion, in his memoir. He makes clear in the book he is not looking for a political rebirth.

In one telling passage, he recalls with a sense of humiliation his last departure from Canberra on the August 2018 Sunday after Scott Morrison replaced him.

He couldn’t use “the big plane” to fly back to Sydney as his successor was using that RAAF flight, and he had to carry his luggage across the tarmac, in the full view of news photographers, to a smaller aircraft.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Malcolm Turnbull and wife Lucy leave after his farewell press conference on 24 August 2018. Photograph: Mick Tsikas/EPA

There clearly was a loss of status felt then, but Turnbull now believes he has a more important role.

“I said in the book that I’m out of politics, certainly out of parliamentary politics,” Turnbull says.

“But, I am an Australian citizen. And that is the most important office in the country, that of Australian citizen. The most important title.”

He says he isn’t going to keep quiet.

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“I will continue to express my views on public issues.

“Not every public issue but certainly I am a committed republican, I’m very committed to effective global action to address climate change.”

And where might he present his views?

“The pages of the Guardian, social media. There is no shortage of fora to get your views across nowadays.”

It won’t be aimless use of the Turnbull profile.

“Power without purpose is pointless, right?

“And a lot of people, as you know, whether it’s in politics or elsewhere, pursue power for its own sake.

“I’m an activist. I’ve always wanted to be doing things for worthwhile purposes – achieving reform, all of that good stuff.”

Politics is covered far too much as a football game Malcolm Turnbull

And he knows from reaction to the book some of his former Liberal colleagues will be looking closely at his topics as a commentator.

“What [members of the Liberal party] say publicly of course varies but it’s hardly a revelation what I said [in the book] about the tactics of the insurgents,” says Turnbull, referring to rightwing MPs he believes were devoted to wrecking his government.

“They were determined to blow the government up and they stood over people until they got the support they needed.

“That basically has resulted in the majority being intimidated by the minority.”

Turnbull says Liberal moderates “are much more responsible. The right – I think because they have the backing of that rightwing media with the shock jocks, and with Sky [News]. And much of News Corp – not all of them – that gives them a sort of legitimacy where they monster anyone who doesn’t belong to them.”

Turnbull certainly has strong views on political reporting and commentary, not limited to the bellowing of shock jocks.

“I think the [press] gallery and the media’s general approach to politics is overwhelmingly on the game of politics. There’s not a lot of attention paid to policy,” he says.

“It’s all about personalities, who’s up and who’s down. And you see that in the discussion about my book, frankly.

“Everyone’s fixated on what I’ve said about ScoMo and Dutton. There’s not a lot of interest in the discussion about energy or schools policy or foreign policy.”

When broadcaster Alan Jones’s suggestion that Tony Abbott be the next World Health Organisation chief comes up, Turnbull can’t help commenting with a grin.

If everything is seen through a political prism then you do run the risk that … national interest objectives get cast aside Malcolm Turnbull

“But as we know, Alan Jones loves Tony Abbott. He said that to me – ‘I love Tony Abbott’. There is quite a neat little passage in my diary there. Quite funny really,” he said.

But he has more to say on media coverage: “Politics is covered far too much as a football game. And you see this in the way in which the ‘Mediscare’ was covered. A good example.”

He is referring to the claim by Labor’s Bill Shorten during the 2018 election campaign that a returned Turnbull government would privatise Medicare. He was returned and it didn‘t happened.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Copies of former Australian prime minister Malcolm Turnbull autobiography are placed on the shelf after its Australian release. Photograph: William West/AFP via Getty Images

“There were as many people praising Shorten for his cleverness as there were – and there weren’t that many – criticising him for the big lie,” says Turnbull.

“If everything is seen through a political prism then you do run the risk that policy, national interest objectives get cast aside, overlooked.”

Turnbull says he didn’t write A Bigger Picture with any ulterior purpose. It was simply meant to be the story of his life.

“A wise editor of books once told me they were like highlight reels,” he says.

“There are things you just don’t have space for, even in a big book.”

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But he had enough space to anger many political and media voices, and even have an unauthorised email distribution of the book by a Morrison adviser before its offical release.

“Doesn’t surprise me,” he says dryly.

“While I was very disappointed that the copies hadn’t been lawfully acquired it was interesting to see that the prime minister’s office was so busy ensuring as many people read the book as possible.

“It clearly has the endorsement of the prime minister’s office.”