I get – no, really – that in order to placate the hard-liners in his own party, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has to hide his progressive light under a bushel somewhat. And we all know he says things that would make the Malcolm Turnbull of just five years ago blush to think they could come out his mouth. But even I was gobsmacked this week to hear him say, effectively, that the Australian flag will remain as it is for decades to come, if not forever, his specific words being: "So, I think – I think the Australian flag will be flying over Parliament House long after all of us have shuffled off the stage of history."

This, from a founding director of Ausflag – upon whose board I sit – who was a director there for six years, 'til 1994? And yes, I know he later joined the Australian National Flag Association, which takes the exact opposite view, and says we should keep the flag of another nation on our flag forever, but still.

Malcolm Turnbull expects the flag to fly over Parliament House for a long time. Credit:AAP Image/Dan Peled

It would be elucidating to know how one who once put a huge wad of money up to sponsor a hundred of Australia's leading artists in a competition to come up with the design of a new flag, has so radically altered his view.

The strength of John Howard as a prime minister it seemed to me, was that he stuck to his convictions – win, lose or draw, popular or unpopular – and though he might alter his views on evidence, he never did a U-turn for expedience. Who can say the same of Malcolm Turnbull?