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Scott Morrison wins Liberal party leadership with Frydenberg to be deputy – politics live Scott Morrison wins Liberal party leadership with Frydenberg to be deputy – politics live
(35 minutes later)
Malcolm Turnbull is reflecting on his government’s achievements. He makes a point of listing the achievements of “a progressive Liberal Coalition government”.
It may surprise you on a day like this but I remain very optimistic and positive about our nation’s future, and I want to thank the Australian people for the support they’ve given me and my government over the last nearly three years. We’ve been able to achieve as a progressive government, as a progressive Liberal coalition government, enormous reforms and very, very substantial achievements
The achievements he’s listed so far:
Snowy Hydro 2.0
the railway from Melbourne to Tullamarine
strong economic growth
taxation reform
the legalisation of same-sex marriage
the western Sydney airport project
Turnbull: I remain optimistic about the future of the nation. He’s listing his government’s achievements during his time as PM #auspol pic.twitter.com/ZxVSg1GMXj
We’re waiting on Turnbull’s final press conference. It’s imminent.
Will he go out all guns blazing against the conservatives and other “outside” forces, as he did on Thursday? Or will this be more reflective in tone? The latter, you’d expect.
Standing by for Malcolm Turnbull’s last press conference as Prime Minister. #auspol pic.twitter.com/z0hGvW85nE
First the dollar rebounds and now Australia’s coveted AAA rating is safe after Scott Morrison’s elevation to the Liberal leadership.
The credit rating agency Moody’s has said that the leadership changes “have no implications for Australia’s sovereign credit profile” because it assumes Morrison will stick with existing policy settings. The significance is that if the agency – along with S&P and Fitch – had sniffed any instability they might have considered stripping Australia of its top rating, making it more expensive for the treasurer (whoever that is now) to borrow money.
However, Moody’s does issue a warning that The Lodge’s revolving door has caused some unease:
Australia’s AAA rating is supported by the country’s very high level of economic strength and moderate level of government debt. Our assessment of Australia’s institutional strength takes into account a greater degree of fragmentation in broad political representation at the level of the commonwealth over recent years which, at times, constrains the capacity of successive governments to pursue policy changes.
Our photographer, Mike Bowers, was in the thick of it earlier, snapping away either side of that momentous party room meeting.
Malcolm Turnbull will address the media for a final time as prime minister at 2pm.
Malcolm Turnbull’s son wastes no time in telling us:
“I’ll be saying what I think a bit more often from now on.”
Looking forward to it.
Hi everyone. I'll be saying what I think a bit more often from now on.
Worth noting that the new Liberal party deputy, Josh Frydenberg, was also the man driving the policy so bitterly opposed by the conservative wing: the national energy guarantee.
A reminder that a ReachTel poll on Wednesday night found that Morrison was the least popular of a menu of possible Liberal leaders.
It found Malcolm Turnbull was the preferred Liberal leader with 38%, followed by Julie Bishop (29%), Tony Abbott (14%), Peter Dutton on just 10% and Scott Morrison on 8.6%.
Of course opinion polls don’t dictate the course of the Liberal party room, and Turnbull and Bishop threw their votes behind Morrison, allowing him to consolidate the anti-Dutton vote. But he has a task ahead of him now establishing himself with voters.
“While Turnbull and I have had our differences ...” says Eric Abetz, who has spent the past few months undermining him. Abetz has released a statement on the election of Morrison. He calls for a “clean start” for the parliamentary Liberal party.
I congratulate and look forward to working with the new Liberal leadership team, Scott Morrison and Josh Frydenberg, in the best interests of Tasmania and Australia.
Today must mark a clean start for the parliamentary Liberal party and having worked with Mr Morrison well over a number of years, I am certain that he will lead a more consultative parliamentary party, be more responsive to issues raised with him and actively seek to bring back together our broad church.
I am looking forward to working with all my colleagues to serve the people of Australia to the very best of our abilities.
While Mr Turnbull and I have had our differences, I am appreciative in particular for his efforts in Tasmania and I wish him and Lucy well for the future.
Scott Morrison has just walked back into theScott Morrison has just walked back into the
He says he is “off to see the Nationals”. They’ll be pleased this is all over, no doubt.He says he is “off to see the Nationals”. They’ll be pleased this is all over, no doubt.
“Off to see the Nationals,” new Liberal leader Scott Morrison says as he arrives back at the ministerial wing with his new deputy Josh Frydenberg #libspill pic.twitter.com/HpodGvuu3n“Off to see the Nationals,” new Liberal leader Scott Morrison says as he arrives back at the ministerial wing with his new deputy Josh Frydenberg #libspill pic.twitter.com/HpodGvuu3n
Some vision of Scott Morrison, our new prime minister, leaving the party room.Some vision of Scott Morrison, our new prime minister, leaving the party room.
Happy Friday #auspol pic.twitter.com/5MASXZoNJcHappy Friday #auspol pic.twitter.com/5MASXZoNJc
The independent MP Rebekha Sharkie – who had threatened to withdraw supply if Peter Dutton won the ballot – is pleased the former home affairs minister lost the ballot but is still making no guarantees.The independent MP Rebekha Sharkie – who had threatened to withdraw supply if Peter Dutton won the ballot – is pleased the former home affairs minister lost the ballot but is still making no guarantees.
She told Guardian Australia:She told Guardian Australia:
I believe Morrison is a more palatable [leader] to Mayo compared to Dutton (from what I can tell from emails so far). I hope we can now return to stable government but I will reserve a position on confidence until I get feedback from my community.I believe Morrison is a more palatable [leader] to Mayo compared to Dutton (from what I can tell from emails so far). I hope we can now return to stable government but I will reserve a position on confidence until I get feedback from my community.
Dan Tehan is warning us all to be careful of the Coalition’s “laser-like focus” ahead of the next election. We’ll have never seen such focus, he says.Dan Tehan is warning us all to be careful of the Coalition’s “laser-like focus” ahead of the next election. We’ll have never seen such focus, he says.
The focus will be so laser-like that you won’t know what’s hit you.The focus will be so laser-like that you won’t know what’s hit you.
Morrison emerges from the room, but doesn’t speak. He says he’ll address the nation later in the day.Morrison emerges from the room, but doesn’t speak. He says he’ll address the nation later in the day.
The former health minister, Greg Hunt, emerges. He speaks:The former health minister, Greg Hunt, emerges. He speaks:
Two incredible people and two incredible friends have been elected as prime minister and deputy leader of the Liberal party.Two incredible people and two incredible friends have been elected as prime minister and deputy leader of the Liberal party.
I think what we have now is a new generation, a next generation of leadership. Two incredible people of extraordinary integrity and capability. They will give Australia a real change at success..I think what we have now is a new generation, a next generation of leadership. Two incredible people of extraordinary integrity and capability. They will give Australia a real change at success..
Isn’t Morrison/Frydenberg just a continuation of Turnbull?Isn’t Morrison/Frydenberg just a continuation of Turnbull?
You’ll see that they’ll put a fresh face on it, it’s a next generation government.You’ll see that they’ll put a fresh face on it, it’s a next generation government.
Peter Dutton is speaking.Peter Dutton is speaking.
My course from here is to provide absolute loyalty to Scott Morrison to make sure that we win the election and that we defeat Bill Shorten.My course from here is to provide absolute loyalty to Scott Morrison to make sure that we win the election and that we defeat Bill Shorten.
Tony Abbott is next.Tony Abbott is next.
We’ve lost a prime minister but we still have a government to save, that is what we will all do our best to do now ... We are the custodians of a great political tradition.We’ve lost a prime minister but we still have a government to save, that is what we will all do our best to do now ... We are the custodians of a great political tradition.
I bumped into a conservative in the corridor on the way to the party room briefing. I expressed commiserations for the difficulties of the day. The MP said to me he was relieved that the brutal transaction would shortly be over. He said he was hopeful. I told him this seemed a strange emotion, in the circumstances.
He said: “The party is taking the government back.”
It’s a useful way of expressing what’s happened over the past couple of weeks – the ritual banishment of the outsider, Malcolm Turnbull– but the question is what party is taking what government back?
The Liberal party is divided. So is the government. This has been the most vicious leadership contest of them all. Australian politics, and all who watch it, have touched the depths of despair over the course of the past week.
By electing Scott Morrison as leader, the Liberal party is attempting to bridge the divide with a candidate who began his career as a moderate and morphed into a conservative.
That truce, to me, looks entirely uneasy.
With the Dutton push, conservatives have attempted to impose their authority on the Liberal party, seizing it from moderates with the objective of crushing them and consigning the Turnbull experiment to history.
It was a battle of brute force, not of diplomacy and persuasion. It was about an assertion of power – a statement of who should wield it, and even more importantly, who shouldn’t wield it.
They’ve lost the battle, at least in this round.
In the end, they were outflanked, and Turnbull used his last hours in office to help deliver the hammer blow.
Now that it’s done, there will be talk of healing. I’m sure there will be healing gestures.
But this has been politics at its most brutal. The Australian public have watched, and they won’t forget it.
Now for the reckoning, internally and externally.
Malcolm Turnbull has just left the party room, flanked by Julie Bishop, the deputy Liberal leader. He was all smiles, but didn’t stop to speak to the media. We’re likely to hear from him later.
The Christian lobby has wasted no time in welcoming Morrison to the leadership. Morrison is an avowed Christian and an active member of an evangelical church.
Australian Christian Lobby, it’s finger poised over the send button, just celebrated Scott Morrison’s ascendency. pic.twitter.com/HjkoLRCCoU
The Nationals MP Kevin Hogan just told me he still plans to go to the crossbench as a result of the leadership spill in the Liberal party – his warning shot before the party room was that any spill would trigger that move, it wasn’t about who emerged as Liberal leader.
However, Hogan has written a letter guaranteeing confidence and supply to the Coalition government.
It’s likely there will be no issue of confidence and supply for Scott Morrison – once the Coalition agreement is put back into place, Hogan’s confirmation of confidence and supply means it won’t fall on the floor of the lower house.
We can have technical arguments about whether having 75 MPs with one in the Speaker’s chair makes it a minority government, though.
The currency has risen sharply after the treasurer secured the path to the top office, jumping 0.4% to US72.82c.
This is good fort he Aussie because its a steady hand on the Tiller even though its 45/40 to ScoMoLook for a move back to 73 cents...I'm long - took a punt on ScoMo$AUDUSD #forex #markets #ausbiz #auspol
The whip is addressing the media. She announces Josh Frydenberg was elected deputy.
She says:
A ballot conducted in the party room for the leadership of the Liberal party. The successful candidate was Scott Morrison and he won this vote by 45 votes to 40 for Peter Dutton
In relation to the deputy position, this was won in an overwhelming sense ... by Josh Frydenberg.
Nola Marino: Scott Morrison PM, @JoshFrydenberg deputy. pic.twitter.com/IEX0QTGeOY
The government whip, Nola Marino, is approaching the press to announce the results formally.
A momentous moment in Australian political history. Scott Morrison to become Australia’s 30th prime minister. The Liberal party room meeting is still going. There’s still the deputy vote to come. We’ll soon hear from the whip on the official result.
Who is Morrison? The man who has made the journey from the Shire to The Lodge.
We profiled the former treasurer this morning. Here’s a flavour:
The boy from the Shire – a cluster of southern beach suburbs in Sydney renowned for its churches, lack of ethnic diversity and embrace of suburban life – was never going to be left out of the scramble for power that’s convulsing the Coalition.
He will be hoping his track record as a political warrior, but with a slightly less confrontational style and no constitutional complications, will give him the edge over fellow conservative, Peter Dutton, who has precipitated the challenge.
The son of a policeman and an active member of the ShireLive evangelical church, Morrison wears his political ambition and his conservative credentials proudly.
He voted No on same-sex marriage, listed “church” as one of his interests in his Who’s Who report, and counts former prime minister John Howard as his political inspiration.
Before he entered parliament, Morrison was a wheeler and dealer in NSW Liberal Right politics and was always going to go places.
But his overweening ambition, and his preparedness to swap allegiances to further his own position, may count against him in what has become a fight over the heart and soul of the Liberal party.
Scott Morrison has won the leadership spill 45 votes to Dutton’s 40. He will become the next prime minister of Australia. Dutton, despite all the turmoil of this week, has lost the spill.
Turnbull’s preferred candidate gets in. What will this mean for the Liberal party and the bitter dispute, driven by conservatives, that has done it so much damage already? Will the Dutton/Abbott conservatives be content with this result? Hard to say they will be.
There are early reports coming through of numbers. We’ve made a decision, due to all the misinformation during this spill, to wait and confirm the results.