Malcolm Turnbull is this week summoning up that good old “we acted on good faith” defence to distance himself and the Liberal Party from the Godwin Grech/OzCar scandal. There is a small problem with the defence, however. Acting on good faith is no indication of competence. Maybe in this particular case Turnbull should have gone for a little more due diligence and a little less faith. In fact, faith is a pretty ordinary basis for any action in politics, not just attempts to discredit your opposition.

“The Prime Minister and the Treasurer have used their offices and taxpayers’ resources to seek advantage for one of their mates and then lied about it to Parliament” was the claim made by Turnbull following a Senate hearing in which Eric Abetz questioned Grech on the email. Malcolm is certainly regretting these words following the discovery that not only was the email in question Grech’s handiwork but so were the questions asked of him in the Senate hearing.

As the week rolls on you can bet that “we acted on good faith” will continue to be Turnbull’s defence. But come the next election, “faith” may have to double as his offence. It will now take a leap of faith for voters to trust Malcolm with the keys to Kirribilli.