The little one will grin, giggle and possibly even give themselves a little clap … until reality sets in and the look on the toddler’s face changes from triumph to one which plainly says “so, er, what exactly do I do now?”

If you haven’t witnessed this particular toddler milestone, let me tell you that “what now” look is starting to feel terrifyingly similar to how Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull must look when he gets out of bed in the morning.

We all know that Mr Turnbull had long coveted the nation’s top job, but it seems to me that while he was happy to have the big office with the shiny PM title on the door, he’s not sure exactly how to do the job.

We’ve had six months of waffle, stumbles and arrogance, but precious little of the promised economic leadership and slogan-free sensible discourse.

But worse than the very public stumbles and fluffs is the lack of any kind of governing.

Take, for example, the fiasco over the controversial safe rates order issued by the Road Safety Remuneration Tribunal, a body foisted on us by the Gillard Government and widely regarded as being a favour to the Transport Workers’ Union.

Instead of moving quickly to secure the support of the crossbench senators to do away with the tribunal, which has demonstrated an appalling bias by slugging independent owner-drivers but not big transport companies, Mr Turnbull initally said the government would get around to it … if it wins the election.

I’m sure that would have been cold comfort to the nation’s 34,000 owner-drivers who are facing financial ruin as they wait for the government to dither and play guessing games over a double dissolution election.

Truckies were left to hope employment minister Michaelia Cash is less wishy-washy than her boss and was able to convince the crossbenchers to support her plan to delay the new rates until after the election … whenever that is.

As it emerged this week that removalists would also be hit hard by the “safe rates” scheme, Mr Turnbull finally announced that legislation to scrap the tribunal would be put to parliament next week and his waffling has made a hero out of independent Queensland Senator Glenn Lazarus, who went in to bat for the truckies.

Senator Lazarus decided that this issue was too serious to leave in the PM’s in-tray until after the election and began planning to introduce legislation himself to abolish the tribunal.

Given that the government is keen to have a double-dissolution election to do away with the crossbench, it seems to be sheer folly to give Senator Lazarus the chance to take such a strong leadership role on this issue.

While Bill Shorten and the Labor Party look ridiculous with their claim this issue is about “safety”, Mr Turnbull’s wobbling has done him no favours, particularly when compared with Senator Lazarus’s simple cut-through style.

Governing the country is a tough gig and until Mr Turnbull realises there is more to being PM than a big desk and a shiny new nameplate, people like Senator Lazarus are going to step into the governing vacuum in a bid to do the right thing and will make a muppet of the PM in the process.

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