Dual citizenship fallout: Scullion could be preferred over Bishop as acting PM
LESSER-KNOWN conservative senator Nigel Scullion could be standing in for Malcolm Turnbull ahead of Julie Bishop after the dumping of Barnaby Joyce as deputy PM.
NSW
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FOREIGN Minister Julie Bishop is expected to become the acting prime minister when Malcolm Turnbull flies out of the country next week, with usual fill-in Barnaby Joyce no longer available.
However, last night there were high-level discussions in the Turnbull government over whether Indigenous Affairs Minister Nigel Scullion should take up the reins instead of Ms Bishop.
Mr Scullion is expected to stand in for Mr Joyce as both Nationals leader and Deputy Prime Minister while Mr Joyce campaigns in the New England by-election.
Mr Scullion has been a Country Liberal Party member of the Australian Senate for the Northern Territory since 2001.
Mr Turnbull flies to Israel on Monday and next month to the Philippines and Vietnam.
JOYCE EXPECTED TO HANG ONTO SEAT
BARNABY Joyce is set to comfortably win the by-election in New England after his key challenger and arch-rival pulled out of the race yesterday.
Mr Joyce recorded 52 per cent of the primary vote in last year’s federal election, where independent Tony Windsor took home 29 per cent. But Mr Windsor yesterday said he wouldn’t be running after his wife asked him not to.
One Nation, which was set to give Mr Joyce a run for his money on December 2 in the conservative rural seat, has indicated it may not run either, and instead plans to inject all its resources into an expected Queensland state election.
Greens and Labor are likely to run candidates against Mr Joyce, but at the last election they recorded less than 10 per cent of the primary vote.
The people of Tamworth appear firmly behind the former deputy prime minister. “There’s a bit of an element of unfairness … that he has to go back and put himself before the people again,” Tamworth Mayor Col Murray said.
TURNBULL WINS MP’S BACKING
MALCOLM Turnbull’s government has been guaranteed a working majority on the floor of parliament despite the disqualification of Nationals leader Barnaby Joyce.
Independent MP Cathy McGowan yesterday doubled down on her pledge to support the Coalition in any Labor-led attempts to move a no-confidence motion.
Labor needs the support of all five crossbenchers to have any chance of succeeding.
“My position has not changed,” she said. “There will be no deals. I will continue to supply confidence and support to the government.”
In the best-case scenario for the government, it will only be without Mr Joyce’s critical vote in the House of Representatives from November 27 to 30.
The government has 74 votes on the floor of the lower house if Joyce was absent, which means it could not secure a majority of the 150 seats in the chamber in its own right.
The Speaker, Liberal MP Tony Smith, has a casting vote in the event of a tie but it is unlikely he would have to use it.