In question time, Turnbull frequently checks his Blackberry and, of course, he tweets in micro-blogging site Twitter. His dog has a blog and he is all over Facebook, MySpace, YouTube and Flickr. He told his Twitter ''followers'' yesterday he was in Launceston and would be closing down his Facebook account.

All this tech talk means Rudd's announcement poses a political challenge for Turnbull. Will he be ''Mr Negative'' again? How would that look to farmers and small-business people, core constituents of the Coalition's support base?

An Opposition Leader routinely opposes Government plans on ideological and practical grounds. Turnbull opposed the cash bonuses which are due to begin flowing next week if the High Court gives the green light today.

He earned credit in his party for following the Coalition's philosophy and making an unpopular decision, saying the billions to be paid to every taxpayer was a ''cash splash''.

Then he opposed the alcopops tax, deriding it as a tax grab that did nothing to stop binge drinking. Then he opposed the replacement for Work Choices, despite saying earlier the Coalition's policy was dead.

What about the Government's proposal for an internet filter? Once again he opposed it, but left the heaving lifting to Nick Minchin.

Now, the national broadband network is such a big project that Turnbull will be pressured to give a personal view. Already the Opposition is questioning whether the network can achieve any of its aims, but if Turnbull opposes it outright, the Government will accuse him of ''betraying'' rural and regional Australia.

Minchin has made a pre-emptive strike there, slating Conroy for cancelling the former government's project to improve telecommunications services in the bush.

After that, Turnbull has to decide his attitude to the Building Australia Fund projects and the third stimulus package expected in the budget.

Yesterday, he was making his view very clear about another economic stimulus. ''It was apparent from the retail sales figures yesterday that the cash splash did not work, that some of it was spent but the vast majority of it was saved ... so [Rudd] is going to go back to the bank, borrow more money on the nation's credit card, put our children in deeper and deeper hock and spray more money around. The fact is that you cannot borrow your money out of an economic problem caused by too much debt.''

For all the negativity, Turnbull looks and sounds more like a leader than the one he replaced, Brendan Nelson. Yet, Turnbull's leadership is ''embattled'', his poll numbers ''terminal''. This week, two more opinion polls showed high dissatisfaction with his performance. And it was no surprise that Rudd's support is touching the record levels achieved by Bob Hawke.

Now the budget is just weeks away, when the Government will try to obscure the bad news for the public service with the billions being poured into the next stimulus package.

Turnbull's budget reply speech gives him an opportunity to present a positive policy platform instead of being seen as carping all the time. Last night he was being positive, releasing a small-business plan.

However, one senior Liberal pointed out yesterday it was a good time to batten down and let the storm blow itself out, that any positives will be overshadowed by the constant speculation about Peter Costello.

Indeed, Turnbull's poor poll results are partly due to incessant speculation about Costello's intentions. (Renominating for Higgins and sitting tight until the next election would seem an obvious life plan at the moment.)

Turnbull's woes pose a question would Costello pop up again at a high-profile function about him which would instantly bring the speculation to fever pitch, again? Surely not.

But, believe it or not, he is or at least, that is how it will be interpreted in sections of the media. We know this because an invitation to a book launch by Costello arrived yesterday.

To The Bitter End has been written by distinguished Sydney Morning Herald commentator Peter Hartcher. The publicity blurb says it is an explosive expose{aac} revealing the inside story of the downfall of John Howard. So you can see why Costello has agreed to launch the book.

Maybe Turnbull is throwing his briefcase across the room today, because the launch date is just two weeks before the budget and his important reply speech.

Interesting to see what he tweets about the book.

Ross Peake is National Affairs Editor.