Anatomy of a challenge: how the Turnbull government imploded
IT has been a month of chaos for the Liberals. First it suffered a by-election drubbing. Then came the leaks, and finally a leadership spill. This is how the Turnbull government lost its way.
IT has been a month of chaos for the Australian Liberal Party. First it suffered a drubbing in a series of by elections. Then Peter Dutton launched his double-barrelled leadership coup.
Here’s how the implosion of the Turnbull government unfolded.
THURSDAY, JULY 28
Shorten claims four from four Super Saturday By-Elections, winning Braddon, Longman, Fremantle and Perth while Rebekha Sharkie holds on to Mayo.
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 1
Emma Husar hit with allegations of bullying against former staff. On August 8 she declares she won’t recontest her seat in the next election.
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 8
Abbott indicates he may cross floor on NEG policy.
THURSDAY, AUGUST 9:
Turnbull sweetens deal for WA with GST shake-up amid fears WA voters would punish Liberals at the ballot box.
SUNDAY, AUGUST 12
Leadership challenge rumours begin as NEG debate heats up
Bill Shorten calls NEG a “Frankenstein’s monster of a policy”.
Christopher Pyne flat out rejects claims Peter Dutton is considering a leadership tilt.
MONDAY, AUGUST 13:
Great Barrier Reef Foundation grant sparks questions. Josh Frydenberg and Malcolm Turnbull are asked to justify how the Great Barrier Reef Foundation was given half a billion dollars with no application or tender process.
TUESDAY, AUGUST 14:
Thirty-four Coalition MPs speak on NEG during marathon Liberal party room meeting; four reserve their rights to oppose it.
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 15:
Senator Fraser Anning’s ‘White Australia’ speech draws bipartisan condemnation.
Both Mr Turnbull and Mr Shorten condemn the speech as racist. Anning refuses to apologise.
THURSDAY, AUGUST 16:
Serious discontent begins to grow around the NEG — with up to 10 Liberal MPs reportedly reserving the right to cross the floor. Peter Dutton attempts to distance himself from the policy in an interview with 2GB. Mr Dutton says he will quit cabinet if it gets to a point where can’t agree with the government’s policy.
FRIDAY, AUGUST 17:
Disgruntled MPs pressure the PM to dump the 26 per cent cut to emissions by 2030 embedded in the NEG.
Ray Hadley of 2GB predicts Peter Dutton will “100 per cent” challenge Malcolm Turnbull for the leadership “in the next two weeks”.
Defence Industry Minister Christopher Pyne tells the Today Show: The Cabinet is 100 per cent united behind Malcolm Turnbull.”
SATURDAY, AUGUST 18:
Dutton tweets his support for the prime minister and the policies of the government.
“The prime minister has my support and I support the policies of the Government,” he wrote.
SUNDAY, AUGUST 19:
A senior Right source says the prime minister is “a dead man walking” unless his fortunes change before September.
Mr Turnbull says he will set price caps on energy prices to drive down bills.
Malcolm Turnbull hosts Cabinet dinner at the Lodge. Peter Dutton arrives late, fuelling speculation about a leadership challenge.
A Fairfax/Ipsos poll shows the coalition’s primary vote has dropped from 39 to 33 in a month.
Labor lead the coalition 55-45 per cent on a two-party preferred basis.
MONDAY, AUGUST 20:
Christopher Pyne tells ABC Radio that he doesn’t believe Mr Dutton will challenge Mr Turnbull.
Mr Turnbull drops the 26 per cent emissions cut target from NEG legislation; admits he doesn’t have the votes.
The PM says Mr Dutton has given “absolute support” to him.
Sky News reports Queensland LNP president Gary Spence is urging MPs to support Mr Dutton.
Labor leader Bill Shorten labels Mr Turnbull a “white flag prime minister”.
Julie Bishop tells 2GB radio she supports Malcolm Turnbull. Doesn’t rule out running for leader in the event of a spill.
Mr Dutton’s eligibility to sit in parliament questioned.
TUESDAY, AUGUST 21:
8.19am: Small Business Minister Craig Laundy says Mr Turnbull ‘best placed to lead’ Liberals in next election.
9.15am: Leadership challenge between Mr Turnbull and Mr Dutton is announced.
9.31am: Mr Turnbull defeats Mr Dutton 48-35 in a leadership challenge. Julie Bishop faces no challenge for deputy leader position.
9.45am: Mr Dutton resigns as Minister for Home Affairs. Moves to backbench.
1:28pm: Mr Dutton speaks following failed bid for leadership: “I had the best prospect of leading the Liberals to the next election.”
2.13pm: Mr Turnbull slammed as a “dead man walking” by Labor’s Jenny Macklin in Question Time.
2.15pm: Mr Shorten moves no confidence motion against Mr Turnbull. Fails 76 votes to 67.
4.13pm: Mr Dutton stops short of ruling out a second leadership bid in interview with Sky News.
“I’m supporting Malcolm Turnbull, I support the policies of the government,” Mr Dutton said.
4.59pm: Victorian Liberal MP Michael Sukkar offers his resignation.
6.00pm: Queensland Liberal Senator James McGrath offers his resignation.
6.52pm: Cyber Security Minister Angus Taylor and Minister for International Development Concetta Fierravanti-Wells both offer their resignations.
7.09pm: Senator Fierravanti-Wells says Liberal party is losing its conservative base.
7.27pm: Australian Conservatives Senator Cory Bernardi predicts second leadership spill.
7.46pm: Ms Bishop insists the Liberal Party is united.
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 22:
7.24am: Assistant Minister for Science, Jobs and Innovation Zed Seselja revealed to have offered resignation overnight.
7.30am: Nationals MP Darren Chester says he might sit as an independent National MP if Mr Dutton mounts second challenge.
7.54am: Ms Bishop downplays second leadership strike.
8.07am: Citizenship Minister Alan Tudge offers resignation. 10 frontbenchers have now offered Mr Turnbull their resignation.
They are: Michael Keenan, Alan Tudge, Angus Taylor, Steven Ciobo, Alan Tudge, Zed Seselja, Concetta Fierravanti-Wells, James McGrath, Peter Dutton and Michael Sukkar.
9.06am: Ms Bishop tells Sky News she wouldn’t run for the Liberal Party leadership.
9.38am: Mr Dutton confirms he will challenge Mr Turnbull again if numbers are behind him.
10.10am: Ray Hadley claims Treasurer Scott Morrison is planning his own leadership challenge.
11.03am: Mr Turnbull’s company tax cuts for businesses with an annual turnover of more than $50 million are defeated.
11.12am: Scott Morrison denies he will launch a challenge for Liberal Party leadership.
“The prime minister has my full and total support,” he said.
1.11pm: Mr Turnbull says the government will not take company tax cuts to next election. Makes the announcement alongside Mr Cormann and Mr Morrison, who says of Mr Turnbull: “This is my leader and I’m ambitious for him.”.
Mr Cormann adds: “I support prime minister Malcolm Turnbull.”
1.32pm: The PM says the ministers who offered to resign yesterday have now given him their “unequivocal” assurances of loyalty and support.
2.43pm: Bill Shorten presses Mr Turnbull over Dutton’s eligibility to sit in Parliament during Question Time over a potential section 44 issue.
6.30pm: Tony Abbott suggests the PM is behind Mr Dutton’s ineligibility doubts, describing it as “one last throw from a despairing incumbent”.
7.16pm: Reports surface that another leadership challenge will take place on Thursday.
7.31pm: Mr Cormann and Michaelia Cash withdraw their support for Malcolm Turnbull.
9.32pm: A snap SMS Morgan Poll of 1250 voters shows 52 per cent prefer Mr Turnbull as leader compared to Mr Shorten (44.5 per cent). But Mr Shorten was seen as the better leader compared to Mr Dutton, at 59 per cent to 36.5 per cent.
THURSDAY, AUGUST 23:
7.43am: IT’S ON: Dutton announces Turnbull challenge via tweet.
8.15am: Mr Dutton says Turnbull no longer has majority support in press conference.
8.20am: Dutton releases legal advice over Parliament eligibility, describes timing of questions about issue as “curious”.
8.49am: The PM refuses to accept call for leadership challenge. Ms Bishop says Mr Turnbull still has the numbers
10am: Key frontbenchers Cormann, Cash and Fifield announce resignation. Mathias Cormann says Peter Dutton is the best person to take the Coalition to the next election.
10.24am: Labor fails to have Dutton referred to High Court. Vote is defeated 69 votes to 68.
Turnbull votes to keep Dutton from going to the High Court.
10.45am: Morrison declares loyalty to Mr Turnbull, plans to run against Dutton. Reports state Turnbull would step aside and allow ScoMo to run.
11.05am: Frontbenchers Angus Taylor, Greg Hunt, Michael Keenan, Steven Ciobo and Alan Tudge all confirm their resignations, bringing tally to 13.
12.01pm: Coalition succeeds in motion calling for parliament to adjourn. Votes passes 70 to 68.
12.03pm: Senate votes for inquiry into Dutton au pair case. Inquiry established on 34 votes to 28.
1pm: The PM refuses to call a leadership spill until he sees the numbers against him calling for a party room meeting. He specifies that politicians calling for him to step down must put their names to it.
He says once he sees the petition a meeting will be held Friday at midday. He confirmed he will not run in a leadership spill, instead saying he will quit politics. This will trigger a by-election.
Mr Turnbull also said he was waiting on legal advice about Mr Dutton’s eligibility to sit in Parliament. He said this issue is “critically important”.
4pm: Reports emerge that Bishop is considering contesting leadership in Friday meeting.
FRIDAY AUGUST 24:
* Julie Bishop and Scott Morrison emerge as challengers for the Liberal leadershiP alongside Peter Dutton.
* The solicitor-general releases advice that likely clears Dutton to stay in parliament.
* A petition is signed by a majority of Liberal MPs calling for a partyroom meeting.
* Turnbull moves a spill motion, which is carried 45-40.
* Morrison defeats Dutton 45-40 in a leadership ballot after Julie Bishop is knocked out in the first round. Josh Frydenberg is deputy leader. * Turnbull signals he will quit politics, with Morrison set to become Australia’s 30th PM.
* Turnbull blames “insurgents” for the turmoil and is pleased the Dutton forces did not prevail.
* Morrison anoints Frydenberg as treasurer. Offers olive branch to Dutton to stay on as minister. Declares he isn’t in a hurry for a general election and makes the drought his policy priority.
Originally published as Anatomy of a challenge: how the Turnbull government imploded
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