Scott Morrison hints at May federal election as Julia Banks quits Liberals

Scott Morrison’s desperate plan to win back voters before the election has been derailed by Liberal MP Julia Banks, who gave the party an almighty savaging as she announced her decision to quit.

Scott Morrison’s desperate plan to win back voters before the election has been derailed by Liberal MP Julia Banks, who gave the party an almighty savaging as she announced her decision to quit.

It came after the Prime Minister all but revealed Australians would be headed to the polls in May, saying the federal Budget would be handed down on April 2 “ahead of the next election” - essentially revealing the timing as the poll must be held by May 18.

He declared it would deliver a surplus for the first time in a decade.

The early timing of the Budget appears to be a strategy to win over voters at the last minute with an economic plan for another term.

Liberal MPs walking past Julia Banks after she resigned. Picture: Gary Ramage

Ms Banks hit out at the Liberal Party in a statement, saying the leadership spill to oust Malcolm Turnbull was the final straw.

“The gift of time and reflection has provided some clarity regarding the brutal blow against the leadership,” Ms Banks said in a statement.

“Led by members of the reactionary right wing, the coup was aided by many MPs trading their vote for a leadership change in exchange for their individual promotion, preselection endorsements or silence.

“Their actions were undeniably for themselves. For their position in the Party. Their power. Their personal ambition. Not the Australian people we represent.”

STATEMENT pic.twitter.com/gmAmbFyY7y

— Julia Banks MP (@juliabanksmp) November 27, 2018

“Led by members of the reactionary right wing, the coup was aided by many MPs trading their vote for a leadership change in exchange for their individual promotion, preselection endorsements or silence.

“Their actions were undeniably for themselves. For their position in the Party. Their power. Their personal ambition. Not the Australian people we represent.”

Ms Banks declared she will give the government confidence and supply, which means Mr Morrison can continue to hold government.

Coalition senator right now: “the f*cking place is falling apart”.

— rob harris (@rharris334) November 27, 2018

But she could still potentially vote for a Labor bid to refer Peter Dutton to the High Court.

Ms Banks also highlighted the need for equal representation for men and women in Parliament - an issue the Liberal Party has refused to address with quotas.

“There is a blinkered rejection of quotas and support of the merit myth, that this is more than a numbers game. Across both major parties, the level of regard and respect for women in politics is years behind the business world,” the former businesswoman said in her speech to Parliament.

Julia Banks and Julie Bishop in Question Time in the House of Representatives Chamber. Picture: Kym Smith

QT CHAOS IN WAKE OF BANKS DRAMA

Jibes and taunts about Liberal Party division have dominated Question Time as Labor MPs grill Mr Morrison after Ms Banks quit the party.

“My question is to the Prime Minister: given that his minority government is consumed by division, dysfunction and chaos, was it a mistake for the current Prime Minister to replace Malcolm Turnbull and again today I ask why isn’t Malcolm Turnbull still the prime minister of Australia?” Opposition leader Bill Shorten asked, kicking off the rowdy session in Parliament this afternoon.

Mr Morrison copped yet more heckling when he seemingly responded to the Labor taunts.

“Our Government is focusing on the issues that Australians are concerned about - their jobs, their livelihoods, their services,” he said.

“The Labor Party has become so obsessed with their own political opportunities, Mr Speaker, that they can only focus on the politics of Canberra.”

Another Labor MP could be heard shouting: ‘What’s the gender pay gap in cabinet?’ through the heckling while the Prime Minister tried to respond.

Independents Cathy McGowan, Rebekha Sharkie and Kerryn Phelps with Julia Banks entering the chamber for Question Time. Picture: Gary Ramage

Meanwhile, Christopher Pyne got a massive laugh from the Labor benches when he declared that Mr Shorten’s claim about dysfunction was “rubbish”

Mr Morrison has so far refused to acknowledge Ms Banks’ move during Question Time.

But the MP in question appeared to be chatting happily to her fellow crossbenchers as she sat with the for the first time. She arrived flanked by fellow women Kerryn Phelps, Cathy McGowan and Rebekha Sharkie.

PM ANNOUNCES APRIL BUDGET SURPLUS

Mr Morrison highlighted the government’s achievements, saying: “We’ve been getting things done.”

“We can be trusted to run Australia’s budget and trusted to oversee a growing economy. We’ve been investing in more services, record investments in hospitals, in schools, in disabilities, in affordable medicines, making life-changing decisions for Australians all around the country.

“All of that has been made possible by ensuring we focus on a stronger economy and we’re doing it without increasing taxes.”

Mr Morrison also addressed comments made by cabinet minister Kelly O’Dwyer yesterday in a crisis meeting following the state Liberals’ horror result at the Victorian election, that Liberals were widely regarded as “homophobic, anti-women, climate-change deniers”.

The Herald Sun reports Ms O’Dwyer told colleagues at the meeting that “it’s not who we are as Liberals” but the “crusades” of some MPs had reinforced that view.

Mr Morrison said: “That’s not our view and that’s not Kelly’s view of what the Liberal Party is about.”

Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Leader of the Opposition Bill Shorten. Picture: AAP/Mick Tsikas

“It will be a budget which is the product of the years of hard work of our government,” Mr Morrison added at his press conference in Canberra, leaving before being asked about Ms Banks’ move.

Labor seized on Banks’ announcement, with Shadow Treasurer Chris Bown telling reporters at Parliament: “The biggest contribution that Scott Morrison has made since becoming Prime Minister is having two less Liberal MPs”.

“People are more entitled to ask than ever before - why is Malcolm Turnbull no longer the prime minister of Australia? Why is this man here?” he said.

“Well, there’s only one way to end the chaos and the dysfunction, and that’s now the election of a Shorten Labor Government.”

.@MichaelKeenanMP says @juliabanksmp’s decision to move to the cross bench is 'part of the colour and movement you sometimes get in politics'.

MORE: https://t.co/9DtdPoiyi4 #newsday pic.twitter.com/HAnxrITQME

— Sky News Australia (@SkyNewsAust) November 27, 2018

Mr Morrison now has just 73 votes in the House of Representatives, and needs a majority of 75 to pass legislation.

He will need the support of at least two of the seven crossbenchers for any bills, meaning the government will struggle to pass controversial legislation.

Labor and the crossbench are also in a position to gain an absolute majority of 76 votes, which would allow them to suspend standing orders to call for votes. It could enable the Opposition and crossbench to refer Mr Dutton and Liberal MP Chris Crewther to the High Court over potential Section 44 issues, which could test their eligibility to sit in Parliament.

WHAT THIS MEANS FOR JULIA BANKS

Ms Banks will have a battle to win back her seat at the next election as an independent given the campaign costs and difficulty of cutting through the major parties’ messaging to reach voters.

But Australian National University politics expert Jill Sheppard warns not to rule her out.

“Traditionally, candidates who have run against their parties as independents have not done well, but we’re in a different era now,” Dr Sheppard told News Corp.

Newly Independent MP Julia Banks will have to win back her seat as an independent. Picture: AAP/Lukas Coch

“Over the past decade support has been drifting away from the major parties, and the Wentworth and Victorian state elections have brought this trend into stark relief.

“Voters are frustrated and disillusioned with both major parties, and we are likely to see more and more politicians opt out of the party apparatuses and go it alone.”

Dr Sheppard said Mr Morrison had seemingly set a finish line for his ‘beleaguered government’ today by essentially revealing the election date.

“The Government will continue to have problems wrangling its backbench and crossbench, but this is nothing new,” she said.

“Setting the date of the 2019-20 Budget sets a kind of finish line for the beleaguered government, as fidgety party room members can start to count the days until a fresh start.”

Originally published as Scott Morrison hints at May federal election as Julia Banks quits Liberals