Australia had a recession later than many other parts of the world. The need to make harsh economic decisions coincided with two very ambitious individuals on the front bench in each of the two main political parties.
This led to destabilisation and consequently bad poll numbers for both the Rudd/Gillard Labor Govenments and the Liberals under Abbott. Abbott had replaced Turnbull as Oppposition leader but Malcom Turnbull has been biding his time. I don't approve of it, as I believe an elected Prime Minister should have a full term in office to prove himself. It's increasingly poll driven, IMO.
Thank you for the summary Curryong. We typically do not receive much news regarding Australian politics in the U.S.