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Cormann, Fifield and Cash abandon Turnbull – politics live Cormann, Fifield and Cash abandon Turnbull – politics live
(35 minutes later)
More movement around the prime minister’s office.
Our reporter Gareth Hutchens has just watched a group of frontbenchers and Dutton backers walk in to Turnbull’s office. The group included:
Michael Keenan
Angus Taylor
Steve Ciobo
Alan Tudge
Those individuals previously offered to resign, but Turnbull refused to accept.
Sky News is reporting that the treasurer Scott Morrison will run as a surprise candidate in any leadership ballot. We’re confirming that report as we speak.
Our photographer Mike Bowers was down at that Mathias Cormann press conference. It’s a moment history will likely remember as key to Turnbull’s demise. Here are the pictures:
Our reporter Gareth Hutchens, tells us Malcolm Turnbull has just walked back into his office with Craig Laundy, one of his key supporters. Oh, to be a fly on that wall.
Wow. That was incredibly tight.
The government hangs on by a single vote. One vote. Remarkable. It was 68-69.
Just to put that in context, the parliament almost decided to refer our likely next prime minister, Peter Dutton, to the nation’s highest court because he may not have been eligible to sit in parliament.
Lower house crossbenchers are voting with Labor. Andrew Wilkie, Adam Bandt, Rebekha Sharkie, and Cathy McGowan are all voting with the opposition.
This could be interesting.
Wilkie, bandt, McGowan and Sharkie voting with labor to refer Peter Dutton to High Court #auspol
Labor are being rather sneaky in the lower house, too. They’re trying to refer Peter Dutton to the high court over his eligibility woes.
The Coalition is in disarray, and the numbers are tight.
A division is being called.
Here’s the text of the motion, moved by Tony Burke, the opposition’s manager of business.
I move –
That pursuant to section 376 of the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918, the House of
Representatives refer the following questions to the Court of Disputed Returns:
1. whether, by reason of s44 of the Constitution, the place of the Member for Dickson (Mr Dutton) has become vacant;
2. if the answer to Question (1) is “yes”, by what means and in what manner that vacancy should be filled;
3. what directions and other orders, if any, the Court should make in order to hear and finally dispose of this reference; and
4. what, if any, orders should be made as to the costs of these proceedings.
Meanwhile, in the Senate, Labor almost used the confusion and chaos to kill off the Coalition’s plans to expand its controversial cashless welfare card expansion. The government’s leader in the Senate, Mathias Cormann, just resigned so there was effectively no one in charge.
Labor tested the government’s numbers on the floor of the upper house, and almost won. They tried to bring on an early vote on the bill, but lost the vote 31-33. Had they won, they could have had a second immediate vote to kill off the legislation.
How is everyone? Still with me? In case you’re as confused I am, I’ve just checked, and yes, we are in Australia (a developed democratic nation), and yes, we are about to see, yet again, a sitting prime minister turfed without finishing a full term. I’ve also slapped myself a few times and we are not, in fact, in some never-ending political nightmare.How is everyone? Still with me? In case you’re as confused I am, I’ve just checked, and yes, we are in Australia (a developed democratic nation), and yes, we are about to see, yet again, a sitting prime minister turfed without finishing a full term. I’ve also slapped myself a few times and we are not, in fact, in some never-ending political nightmare.
Let’s map out the next steps. You have to think with that dramatic intervention, the next step will be a party room meeting. Will Turnbull contest a ballot? Will a third, surprise leadership contender emerge? Or will Turnbull see the writing on the wall, and allow the leadership to transfer without contest?Let’s map out the next steps. You have to think with that dramatic intervention, the next step will be a party room meeting. Will Turnbull contest a ballot? Will a third, surprise leadership contender emerge? Or will Turnbull see the writing on the wall, and allow the leadership to transfer without contest?
Today Malcolm Turnbull has overtaken Gough Whitlam to become the 15th longest serving Australia prime minister at 2 years, 342 days. pic.twitter.com/P0k84JKqv4Today Malcolm Turnbull has overtaken Gough Whitlam to become the 15th longest serving Australia prime minister at 2 years, 342 days. pic.twitter.com/P0k84JKqv4
The Liberal Party is about to go to a ballot without legal advice from the commonwealth's top legal officer about whether the challenger is eligible to sit in parliament. NOT GOOD ENOUGH. #auspol #libspill #auslawThe Liberal Party is about to go to a ballot without legal advice from the commonwealth's top legal officer about whether the challenger is eligible to sit in parliament. NOT GOOD ENOUGH. #auspol #libspill #auslaw
Remember this? The mateship? The smiles? The embrace?Remember this? The mateship? The smiles? The embrace?
It was less than 24 hours ago. Politics, what a business.It was less than 24 hours ago. Politics, what a business.
Cormann looked resigned and downcast during that press conference. He knew the enormity of what he was doing. It’s all over for Turnbull.
I’m sure you were all glued to a television screen, somewhere. But if not, here’s the vision.
#BREAKING: @MathiasCormann has advised @TurnbullMalcolm that he has lost the majority. "I really do hope that this can be resolved swiftly." Cormann, Fifield, and Cash have tendered their resignations to the Prime Minister. #9Today pic.twitter.com/InWZ1B2Y1O
A leadership spill, surely, is now inevitable. With that dramatic switch from Cormann, Cash and Fifield, Turnbull looks done.
Cormann says none of the trio were part of any conspiracy against Turnbull. He says Turnbull will go down as a “great prime minister”.
The language is fatal for Turnbull. He’s done in the eyes of Cormann.
I believe that Malcolm Turnbull has been and is a great prime minister. I believe that he will go down in history as having secured amazing achievements for Australia. There’s no question that Malcolm Turnbull’s plan for the economy, for jobs in relation to our national security - that we all have been part of implementing - has left the country stronger and in a better position.
Cormann says he believes Dutton is the best man to take the Coalition to the election. But when asked whether the Coalition is now in a better position to win the election, he only offers this:
I will let Peter Dutton talk for himself. We have made that judgment. It is a matter for the party room.
Mitch Fifield and Mathias Cormann and Michaelia Cash say the Prime Minister has lost the support of the party room. pic.twitter.com/oeD5f0hVaH
Cormann is asked whether he thinks this is destroying the Liberals and is an embarrassment for the country. He responds:
I did not want to be in this position. I have loyally supported Malcolm Turnbull since he was elected leader of the Liberal Party. I was wanting to continue to support Malcolm Turnbull for years to come as leader of the Liberal Party. But I can’t ignore reality.
Cash and Fifield say they supported Turnbull in Tuesday’s ballot. They say that support has now been lost. Both say a party room meeting must now be called.
Fifield:
What needs to happen is this issue is resolved. We cannot allow this situation to continue. It does need to be resolved. These are difficult circumstances and what our focus is on - is to endeavour to achieve a resolution as quickly as possible.
Cash:
I became aware yesterday that it was very clear that the prime minister no longer, in my opinion, had the confidence of the party room. I too met with the prime minister yesterday afternoon and I advised him of this, and I urged him to call a party room meeting. My opinion in that regard has not changed overnight.
Cormann reveals he was taken utterly by surprise when Turnbull called a spill on Tuesday. He said he “did not want to be here”.
I did not want to be here in this position. I did not know that there was going to be a motion from the prime minister to declare the leadership positions vacant on Tuesday.
I, like others, was taken by surprise and I guess the reason we are here now is because that crystallised the views of the party room at that point, and in the context of a number of colleagues, including five Cabinet ministers who supported Malcolm on Tuesday, indicating to me that they were of the view that there needed to be a change in the leadership of the Liberal Party.
Cormann, Cash and Fifield have all tendered their resignations. Cormann:
We have had a further meeting with the Prime Minister this morning, all three of us, to confirm that we believe that there should be a party room meeting to resolve the issue of the leadership of the Liberal Party, to provide certainty around the support for the leader of the Parliamentary Liberal Party and all of us tendered our resignation to the Prime Minister
Mathias Cormann, Michaelia Cash, and Mitch Fifield have abandoned the prime minister.
This is crucial and could see the end of Turnbull.
Cormann:
It’s with great sadness and a heavy heart that we went to see the Prime Minister yesterday afternoon to advise him that in our judgment he no longer enjoyed the support of the majority of members in the Liberal Party party room and that it was in the best interests of the Liberal Party to help manage an orderly transition to a new leader.
This could be a critical press conference coming up from Cormann, Cash and Fifield. It’s listed for 9.35am. Don’t leave your seats.
They’re approaching the media pack now.
Ray Hadley on 2GB is doing forward sizzle and saying they're going to take us live to this presser...doesn't sound like it's about 5G guys... #auspol #libspill https://t.co/zXjVqO8RcE