This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/live/2018/aug/21/liberal-leadership-dutton-turnbull-energy
The article has changed 24 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
Version 2 | Version 3 |
---|---|
Dutton resigns after Turnbull survives Liberal leadership spill 48-35 – politics live | |
(35 minutes later) | |
Not only is Peter Dutton on a margin of 1.6% - that’s about 3600 votes - he also attempted to move to the safe Queensland seat of McPherson in 2010 - but lost. | |
Karen Andrews holds that electorate. | |
That’s a reminder from a moderate, which suggests the fight is still, very much on. | |
All eyes are now on who is going to shift to the backbench with Peter Dutton. | |
The election speculation has started in earnest. | |
Yarralumla is just down the road. | |
You would think that the prime minister would try and get his cabinet in order first, but the main point to take from this, is that it is not over. | |
The leader of the Liberal party has lost the support of almost half his own party room. That’s not counting the Nationals who were already openly challenging his decisions. | |
And the moderates who supported Malcolm Turnbull have watched him roll over to that core group of conservatives time and time and time again, most critically, this week, on the energy policy he had said the government was absolutely committed to. | |
On the Queensland front – where most of Peter Dutton’s core support comes from – the speculation is that Dutton’s camp would include Amanda Stoker, Scott Buchholz, Ian Macdonald, Stuart Robert, Luke Howarth, Ted O’Brien, Bert van Manen and Ross Vasta. | |
That’s Queensland speculation, from conversations over the last couple of days. | |
Andrew Laming is an unknown. Jane Prentice, Steve Ciobo, Warren Entsch, Trevor Evans, James McGrath and Karen Andrews are thought to be in the Malcolm Turnbull camp. | |
This was just the Liberal party room. The Nationals sit separately. | |
If you add in the Nats who don’t support Malcolm Turnbull – and we know who at least a few of those are – and you have an absolute mess. | |
And then there is this number: | |
'Humbled' Malcolm Turnbull beats Kevin Andrews 48-35 in leadership spill https://t.co/ddVqtveOzy pic.twitter.com/ZM9kxdKuZa | |
To put those numbers in context: 48 to 35. | |
Julia Gillard won her first challenge from Kevin Rudd 71–31 (69.6%) – was defeated in the second. | |
Bob Hawke won his first ballot 66-44 (60.0%) – was defeated in the second. | |
Malcolm Fraser won his challenge from Andrew Peacock 54-27 (66.7%) – lost the election the following year | |
Sky News is reporting that Peter Dutton has resigned, which was inevitable. | |
He said it himself on 2GB last Thursday – that he would follow Westminster tradition. | |
He goes to the backbench, but he is now free to say whatever he wants, no longer bound by cabinet – which is the perfect place to announce a leadership platform. | |
The “conservative rebels”, as they have coined themselves, are: | |
Tony Abbott | |
Eric Abetz | |
Kevin Andrews | |
Andrew Hastie | |
That group has just managed to almost topple the prime minister. | |
The word that I (and most of the press gallery) is getting is that Peter Dutton is now expected to resign. | |
Will he be alone? Given there were only seven votes between them, I would say that is a statistical improbability. | |
What does this mean? | |
Well here’s the short version. In the space of 24 hours, Malcolm Turnbull has gone from complete capitulation to full frontal confrontation. | |
Turnbull called on the spill because he believed he had the numbers. He was right. He won 48 to 35. | |
But once you call these things on, you wear the results. Turnbull, and everyone in the government, now knows there are 35 people who no longer support his leadership of the Liberal party. | |
And the voters of Australia know their government is in the grip of a poisonous civil war. | |
Nola Marino: | |
“I have conducted a ballot with my whips. The result of that ballot was Malcolm Turnbull was elected as the leader of the Liberal party 48 to 35.” | |
The deputy leader position was also spilled but Julie Bishop was the only nominee there. | |
“The process of the party room was as usual and the ballot was conducted as by precedence ... It is always orderly in our party room.” | |
Marino said Malcolm Turnbull “thanked his colleagues for their support” and will now be getting on with the job. | |
SUUUUUURRRRRRRRE | |
That number suggests that there are quite a few people who have switched sides from Malcolm Turnbull to Peter Dutton – which would suggest cabinet ministers have moved their loyalties as well. | |
Turnbull is facing a situation where almost half of his party does not believe he should be leader. | |
Expect a cabinet reshuffle – and another challenge in the near future. | |
Sky News is reporting that Malcolm Turnbull survived the challenge. | Sky News is reporting that Malcolm Turnbull survived the challenge. |
But those numbers suggest that close to half the party supports Peter Dutton. | But those numbers suggest that close to half the party supports Peter Dutton. |
That is not good news for Turnbull moving forward. | That is not good news for Turnbull moving forward. |
We would expect Dutton to step down from the cabinet now. | |
If Peter Dutton emerges as the winner of this contest, one thing is sure – Australia will be pulling out of the Paris agreement, which is going to create absolute chaos in our trade negotiations with the EU – as Steve Ciobo has already floated. | If Peter Dutton emerges as the winner of this contest, one thing is sure – Australia will be pulling out of the Paris agreement, which is going to create absolute chaos in our trade negotiations with the EU – as Steve Ciobo has already floated. |
Just a reminder that this time last week, Malcolm Turnbull was declaring victory in the party room over the Neg – calling a press conference to announce he had won the room over. | Just a reminder that this time last week, Malcolm Turnbull was declaring victory in the party room over the Neg – calling a press conference to announce he had won the room over. |
How time flies. | How time flies. |
The only reason you spill the leadership if you are PM is if you think you have the numbers. We'll find out shortly #auspol @AmyRemeikis | The only reason you spill the leadership if you are PM is if you think you have the numbers. We'll find out shortly #auspol @AmyRemeikis |
It’s a full spill – Julie Bishop’s position has also been called on for a vote. | It’s a full spill – Julie Bishop’s position has also been called on for a vote. |
So that’s the whole leadership up for grabs. | So that’s the whole leadership up for grabs. |