Malcolm Turnbull stung by exodus of political talent

MALCOLM Turnbull is desperately trying to stop Ministers from deserting his sinking ship after yesterday’s Liberal Party leadership spill.

MALCOLM Turnbull is desperately trying to stop Ministers from deserting his sinking ship after yesterday’s Liberal Party leadership spill.

Several frontbenchers have offered their resignations after they admitted voting for Peter Dutton. But Mr Turnbull has told many of them to take some time to consider their ­positions as he scrambles to hold together his inner circle.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull at a press conference after the leadership spill. Picture: AAP Image/Mick Tsikas

Cabinet Ministers Michael Keenan and Steven Ciobo both offered to resign after they voted against the Prime Minister, but appeared set to remain in their positions last night.

Connie Fierravanti-Wells quit the outer ministry and several others offered to do the same late yesterday.

Queensland Senator James McGrath, who was once Mr Turnbull’s numbers man, offered his resignation, but the Prime Minister did not accept it initially. He was joined by Victorian Michael Sukkar, Angus Taylor from NSW and Zed Seselja from the ACT.

As he tried to stem the fallout from losing support from a string of high-profile MPs, Mr Turnbull was last night urging those who offered to stand down to consider staying.

Mr Keenan confirmed he would remain in Cabinet as Human Services Minister.

Steven Ciobo offered to resign after voting against the Prime Minister, but appeared set to remain in his position on Tuesday night.

Queensland Senator James McGrath, who was once Mr Turnbull’s numbers man, offered his resignation.

“I respect the outcome of today’s party room meeting and the Prime Minister has my full support,” he said.

“The important thing now is for the Coalition to unite and take the fight up to Bill Shorten and his high-taxing and high-spending agenda.”

Senator Fierravanti-Wells released a resignation letter in which she complained the Liberal Party was “moving too far to the left” and “losing our conservative base”, including from the gay marriage debate.

The NSW Senator said she had lobbied Mr Turnbull and senior members of his office to install Mr Dutton as deputy Liberal leader “some months ago” in a bid to strengthen the party’s appeal to conservatives.

“Our conservative base strongly feel that their voice has been eroded. They needed some demonstrable indication that there are conservative ­voices around your cabinet table,” she wrote in the letter.

Senator McGrath helped engineer Mr Turnbull’s rise to power, having met with conspirators in then MP Peter Hendy’s house to plot Tony Abbott’s demise in 2015.

He yesterday confirmed that he voted for Mr Dutton in the leadership spill and offered to quit his role as assistant to the prime minister. “I voted for Peter Dutton for Leader of the Parliamentary Liberal Party,” he said in a statement. “As a matter of ­integrity, this afternoon I offered my resignation to the Prime Minister.”

Mr Turnbull would not say if Ministers who voted against him should resign.

“It’s a secret ballot. My job is to do everything I can to ensure that we are united and work together,” he said.