How to play Goon of Fortune It struck me, however, that Abbott could do worse than enlarge the above photograph, stick it on his office wall and, before he makes his next "captain's pick", ask himself what the people in the picture would think of his decision? While no politician would publicly admit they aim to appeal to the lowest common denominator, it's the reality of leadership you have to bring some of these folk with you or you'll not get the numbers to govern. This is why politicians and commentators talk so frequently about policies passing "the pub test" - a casual, half-pissed version of the legal system's "standard of the reasonable person". The irony of this saying is that once someone becomes prime minister, it's almost impossible for them to have a relaxed beer with your "average Australian".

While sketching economic reforms on the back of a coaster with four slaughtered tradies is probably not a good way to formulate public policy, the inability to even attempt this is symptomatic of how insulated you become as leader of a country. We've all seen the stage-managed trips to RSL clubs or nursing homes where a political leader meets "the people" to hear their concerns, but these are often as illuminating as kids sitting on Santa's knee, telling him what they want for Christmas. People suggesting Abbott is "out of touch" and his views "anachronistic" might do to reflect that it is a problem faced by all modern political leaders, cocooned as they are by careerist political colleagues, pollsters, aides and staffers, not to mention security details and bodyguards. Listening to many of our political elite - even commentators and journalists - you wonder how often they get out of Canberra or the office and talk to actual people, who don't tweet or read four daily newspapers. One of the main criticisms of Abbott – and before him, Gillard and Rudd – is he refuses to confer with his cabinet and too often relies on a tiny inner circle to make far-reaching decisions.

This, of course, assumes running resolutions by a room full of ex-lawyers, unionists, business executives, consultants and lobbyists will give you a better bead on what the electorate is thinking. As imperfect a system as this is, though, it is the essence of a politician's job, and it's why we voted them in as our local member - to represent our voices. Any political leader who doesn't listen to their MPs is effectively saying they don't want to listen to us, the electorate. The PM has now admitted there needs to be "wider consultation" about knighthoods in the future but many in his party would argue the spirit of dialogue should extend to all of his government's policies. If Abbott continues in the vein he has, he might as well spin a wine bag attached to a clothes line to make decisions; he'll just be guessing what we want. He'll truly have become a goon of fortune.

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