On energy policy, Malcolm Turnbull is cornered. In 2009 the green-tinged Liberal saw the leadership torn from his grasp over his defiant support for an emissions trading scheme.

The consensus was that he'd strayed too far ahead of conservative sentiment in his party room. Climate recalcitrants pounced.

The wildcard winner, Tony Abbott, went on to be such an effective opposition leader that he became prime minister.

This he was less good at and, before long, Turnbull was back. Happily, by 2015, the leadership came with the big prize already attached.