Internet melts down over Liberal leadership crisis in Canberra

AFTER three days of turmoil in Canberra, the internet has well and truly erupted. These are the best reactions.

AFTER days of chaos in Canberra, social media in Australia has completely melted down with thousands of comments about the state of politics.

As Peter Dutton announced this morning that he would stage a second challenge for the leadership, Twitter erupted.

Shortly after at 9.44am, during a press conference by Mathias Cormann, Mitch Fifield and Michaelia Cash, there were a whopping 604 tweets per minute on the platform.

It follows days of humour and horror from users as the circus rolled on. These are some of the best reactions.

THE FUNNY

If you don’t laugh, you might just cry. That’s the approach taken by many witty Twitter users today as events unfolded.

I am still laughing at this. pic.twitter.com/gWqhvjzfUa

— Bernie (@bernietb) August 23, 2018

Pretty accurate representation of how Turnbull's day is going. #Libspill pic.twitter.com/I0Ber6pk8T

— Rashell Habib (@RashellHa) August 23, 2018

We cross live to the latest from the race for the Liberal Party leadership #auspol #libspill pic.twitter.com/4MQ0fvNHZw

— David Alexander (@davidFalexander) August 20, 2018

NAT FYFE FOR PRIME MINISTER pic.twitter.com/57oSJl19y5

— Matt Nicholls (@mattnicholls29) August 23, 2018

.@Birmo in Senate #qt right now #libspill pic.twitter.com/E8DKNAB3AG

— Bianca Hall (@_Biancah) August 23, 2018

#auspol right now #libspill #Dutton #SCOMO pic.twitter.com/4dFDriWMxK

— Cillian (@Cilliwhut) August 23, 2018

Libspill Day Three? Why not Libspill Day Me. Self care is so important you guys x

— ya fave μαλάκας (@mathaiaus) August 23, 2018

The liberals are united. #auspol #libspill #libspill2 #dutton pic.twitter.com/ffNFi1bJnr

— Dan Ilić (@danilic) August 22, 2018

#libspill

*Aliens land*

Aliens: Take us to your leader.

*Australians look around nervously*

Australians: Ok, so here's the thing...

— mp (@mparker179) August 23, 2018

Exclusive live footage of the Liberal party room today #libspill #auspoll pic.twitter.com/2VgNn7Z9MU

— Shannan Dodson (@ShannanJDodson) August 23, 2018

THE CONFUSED

As the circus rolled on, many could barely believe what they were witnessing. Can you blame them?

Let me get this straight. We have a government with no minsters. #auspol #libspill

— Garry Lewis (@Garry__Lewis) August 23, 2018

me, screaming at aussies waiting for a coffee: WHO IS THE PRIME MINISTEERRRRRR??

— constitutional law expert (@mramclrn) August 23, 2018

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

— Peter Dutton (@PeterDutton5) August 23, 2018

Maybe it would be easier to do a list of who is not running

— Dee Madigan (@deemadigan) August 23, 2018

THE DISMAYED

Among those most shocked by the leadership challenge are refugee advocates, who’ve sparred with Mr Dutton on countless occasions over the years.

This is a man unmoved by a burned baby, and who regularly and falsely claimed that refugees were hurting themselves cynically (as if that mattered), instead of out of desperate hopelessness, in an attempt to justify his own cruelty to them in the first place.

— Omar Sakr (@OmarjSakr) August 23, 2018

But Mr Dutton’s hard-line stance in his portfolios in general seems to be putting people off when it comes to what he’d be like as PM.

While I understand the glee with which people are watching the Liberal Party self destruct, the thought of Dutton as PM is so chilling that I just can't take any pleasure from this

— gerry (@geraldmellor) August 22, 2018

It’s also the alternative that has some people holding their heads in their hands.

can't believe I'm hoping Morrison is the next PM.... that's how bad the options are

— Susan Metcalfe (@susanamet) August 23, 2018

Day three now and each day is shocking me even more, Liberal party may have a viable option in having Scott Morrison take the lead #libspill3

— Jesse Earle (@jessejearle) August 23, 2018

Here’s me and other politically frustrated kids shouting live twitter updates during lectures today. #auspol #libspil #liberalspill pic.twitter.com/kUwDgyccDv

— Emily Halloran (@emilykhalloran) August 23, 2018

THE ANGRY

An attempt by the government to adjourn the lower house at 11.35am on the final sitting day of the week was met with uproar.

SHAME @LiberalAus @TurnbullMalcolm Absolutely apalling! How dare you adjourn the House. It's the people's House! I've been a voter for over 40 years and I've never witnessed such utter disregard for the Australian people. #libspill #auspol

— Lyn #ToTheBarricades! (@landersonqlder) August 23, 2018

Let's just cut to the chase and schedule an annual PM Spill Day. A national holiday to be enshrined in the constitution of our coming Australian Republic, alongside the Queens Birthday, a holiday that we will, naturally, retain. #auspol

— cam mackellar (@cammackellar) August 23, 2018

If you have to shut down parliament because you don't have a government then there is no place for you or your party in the running of our democratic nation. #auspol #libspill

— Eamonn Fitzpatrick (@EamonnFitz) August 23, 2018

enough! Call an election

— Susan Metcalfe (@susanamet) August 23, 2018

Originally published as Internet melts down over Liberal leadership crisis in Canberra