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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/live/2018/aug/23/turnbull-dutton-liberal-canberra-chaos-spill
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| Turnbull digs in and demands Dutton show evidence of support – politics live | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| The time could prove crucial. It does two things: | |
| it gives Scott Morrison more time to build support for a tilt at the leadership | |
| it gives more time for concerns about Dutton’s eligibility to foment within the Coalition, including by allowing the solicitor-general to deliver his advice before tomorrow’s party room meeting. | |
| Oh, and it also gives Labor more time to do stuff like this: | |
| The Liberals have shut down the Parliament and given up on governing Australia.My united and stable Labor team are ready to govern. We are 100% focused on delivering a fair go for all Australians. pic.twitter.com/LGAzui01fq | |
| Let’s put some context around what we’ve just learned. It’s shocking, really. | |
| Malcolm Turnbull has effectively just booby-trapped the prime minister’s office for Dutton. Turnbull has shown some fight. “I’ve never given in to bullies,” he says. | |
| And indeed he is not. | |
| Here’s why: Turnbull has suggested he will walk from parliament if he loses the leadership. | |
| That would trigger a byelection. A byelection could rob Peter Dutton of the ability to command a majority in parliament. | |
| At the same time, he’s put serious doubt on Dutton’s ability to lead a stable government or sit as an eligible parliamentarian. | |
| Truly remarkable. | |
| PM Turnbull: “I’ve never given in to bullies” pic.twitter.com/Z6ToY6C9gN | |
| So, Turnbull is seeking to buy time. He is asking for the party room meeting to take place tomorrow, at midday. | |
| The press conference was also used to highlight the serious doubts over Dutton’s eligibility. He wants the party to see the solicitor general’s legal advice before the spill. | |
| This issue of eligibility is critically important. You can imagine the consequences of having a prime minister whose actions and decisions are questionable because of the issue of eligibility. | |
| Malcolm Turnbull says we are witnessing a very deliberate effort to haul the Liberal Party to the right. #auspol pic.twitter.com/e49J4rH9Ix | |
| Our political editor, Katharine Murphy, asks Turnbull who he means when he describes the bullies within the party. | |
| He won’t name names. But he says the party is being dragged to the right. He also says the challenge began with a minority, and was built up through bullying and intimidation. | |
| Again, I’m not going to go into names or anything remotely approaching recrimination or anything of that kind. I mean, politics is a tough business. You have got to judge the political actions by their outcomes. | |
| I think what we’re witnessing, what we have witnessed at the moment is a very deliberate effort to pull the Liberal party further to the right. And that is a, that’s been stated by the number of people who have been involved in this. | |
| #BREAKING PM not standing down. Says Dutton wanted the House adjourned. He’s waiting for the petition from members for a party room meeting. If he gets it, he’ll call a meeting of the party room midday tomorrow. And he wants SG advice on Dutton before then #auspol @politicsabc pic.twitter.com/JnDLo4irRc | |
| Turnbull suggests he will leave parliament, should he lose the leadership. | |
| I made it very clear that I believe former prime ministers are best out of the Parliament | |
| Turnbull is laying this entire leadership crisis at the feet of a “minority” within the party. He likens it to “a form of madness”. How did we get to this point, he asks. | |
| The reality is that a minority in the party room supported by others outside the Parliament have sought to bully, intimidate others into making this change of leadership that they’re seeking. It’s been described by many people, including those who feel they cannot resist it as a form of madness, and it is remarkable we’re at this point where only a month ago we were being, as you all know being avid readers of polls, just little bit behind Labor and in our own polls a little bit ahead, but in any view thoroughly competitive. | |
| Turnbull says if a leadership spill is called, he will not stand. | |
| In terms of my own intentions, when the party room meeting is called, I will invite a spill motion to be moved. If the motion is carried, I will treat that as a vote of no confidence and I will not stand as a candidate in the ballot. | |
| Malcolm Turnbull materialises. He looks worse for wear. But he is still seeking to prolong his leadership. He says he is still waiting to see the petition calling for a party room meeting with a majority of the party’s signatures on it. | |
| The party room, of course, met on Tuesday and confirmed my leadership by a majority. So we need to see that there is a majority of members and they need to put their names to it too. These are momentous times and it’s important that people are accountable for what they’re doing. | |
| He concedes Australians will be horrified to see what is happening in their parliament. | |
| Now, Australians will be rightly appalled by what they’re witnessing in their nation’s Parliament today and in the course of this week. | |
| There’s still another five minutes until we hear from Turnbull. | There’s still another five minutes until we hear from Turnbull. |
| That gives us some time to delve into Peter Dutton’s history. Who is the man likely to be our next prime minister? How did he rise through the ranks of the Liberal party? What are his views on migration? Has he smiled before Tuesday? Is he even eligible for parliament? And what on earth is going on with those au pairs? | That gives us some time to delve into Peter Dutton’s history. Who is the man likely to be our next prime minister? How did he rise through the ranks of the Liberal party? What are his views on migration? Has he smiled before Tuesday? Is he even eligible for parliament? And what on earth is going on with those au pairs? |
| This video will answer all of your questions. And there’s gaffes!! | This video will answer all of your questions. And there’s gaffes!! |
| Peta Credlin, Tony Abbott’s former chief of staff, is giving Sky News her interpretation of Malcolm Turnbull’s failings. | Peta Credlin, Tony Abbott’s former chief of staff, is giving Sky News her interpretation of Malcolm Turnbull’s failings. |
| Perhaps unsurprisingly, she says Turnbull should never have left Abbott out of cabinet. | Perhaps unsurprisingly, she says Turnbull should never have left Abbott out of cabinet. |
| Meanwhile, spare a thought for Peter Dutton. No, not that Dutton. The other Dutton. This bloke: | Meanwhile, spare a thought for Peter Dutton. No, not that Dutton. The other Dutton. This bloke: |
| I wish the people of Australia would look at my profile and realize I’m a 30 yr old black man before sending me tweets and DMs. https://t.co/vzTF8JeMlZ | I wish the people of Australia would look at my profile and realize I’m a 30 yr old black man before sending me tweets and DMs. https://t.co/vzTF8JeMlZ |
| Malcolm Turnbull will speak in 20 minutes time. | Malcolm Turnbull will speak in 20 minutes time. |
| We’ll learn, we expect, whether he will contest this leadership ballot. | We’ll learn, we expect, whether he will contest this leadership ballot. |
| Mike Bowers doing wonderful work, as always | Mike Bowers doing wonderful work, as always |
| This scene is one of many that will be remembered on - it must be said - a sorry day in Australian politics. | This scene is one of many that will be remembered on - it must be said - a sorry day in Australian politics. |
| The opposition wave goodbye to the government after the house was adjourned early so the government can attend a party meeting-parliamentary attendants clean the chamber @knausc @murpharoo @GuardianAus #politicslive pic.twitter.com/ow7vcm0j1K | The opposition wave goodbye to the government after the house was adjourned early so the government can attend a party meeting-parliamentary attendants clean the chamber @knausc @murpharoo @GuardianAus #politicslive pic.twitter.com/ow7vcm0j1K |
| The Senate is still sitting, don’t forget. But the government front bench is now so sparse we’re all wondering what on earth is going to happen. Four ministers and two assistant ministers who sit in the Senate have resigned. But they still have to front up for Senate question time at 2pm. | The Senate is still sitting, don’t forget. But the government front bench is now so sparse we’re all wondering what on earth is going to happen. Four ministers and two assistant ministers who sit in the Senate have resigned. But they still have to front up for Senate question time at 2pm. |
| Labor sources think the only ministers left to answer questions are Simon Birmingham, Marise Payne, Bridget McKenzie and Nigel Scullion. | Labor sources think the only ministers left to answer questions are Simon Birmingham, Marise Payne, Bridget McKenzie and Nigel Scullion. |
| Scullion, the Indigenous affairs minister, might even end up as the government’s leader in the Senate. | Scullion, the Indigenous affairs minister, might even end up as the government’s leader in the Senate. |
| Oh, and this: | Oh, and this: |
| Pauline Hanson is sitting on the govenment frontbench in the Senate.Just in case you needed further proof that Parliament is in utter chaos. pic.twitter.com/YvCMwsRdIg | Pauline Hanson is sitting on the govenment frontbench in the Senate.Just in case you needed further proof that Parliament is in utter chaos. pic.twitter.com/YvCMwsRdIg |
| Our video producer, Becca Leaver, has put together this fantastic history of the (mostly recent) obsession our governments seem to have with tearing themselves apart. Have a watch. | Our video producer, Becca Leaver, has put together this fantastic history of the (mostly recent) obsession our governments seem to have with tearing themselves apart. Have a watch. |
| Scott Morrison, Christopher Pyne and Nola Marino have just left the prime minister’s office, our reporter Gareth Hutchens tells us. | Scott Morrison, Christopher Pyne and Nola Marino have just left the prime minister’s office, our reporter Gareth Hutchens tells us. |
| Important movements ahead of the party room showdown. Morrison is being positioned as a challenger. Pyne is key in the Turnbull camp. Marino is the chief government whip, and is responsible for planning the meeting. | Important movements ahead of the party room showdown. Morrison is being positioned as a challenger. Pyne is key in the Turnbull camp. Marino is the chief government whip, and is responsible for planning the meeting. |