Liberal executive: There should be a meeting today
AN all-but defeated Malcolm Turnbull has plunged the country into chaos with last-minute tricks to bring down his rivals and foil the leadership challenge against him. Liberal Party federal executive last night resolved unanimously that there should be a party room meeting today.
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AN all-but defeated Malcolm Turnbull has plunged the country into chaos with last-minute tricks to bring down his rivals and foil the leadership challenge against him.
While it is apparent to the nation that he has, in a public and humiliating fashion, lost the support of his Cabinet, ministry and parliamentary party, Mr Turnbull is scrambling to delay the inevitable — and, in his bid to do so, is causing maximum carnage.
Three leadership aspirants, Scott Morrison, Peter Dutton and Julie Bishop, stand ready to become Australia’s next prime minister following a party room meeting at noon today which should have been called yesterday morning.
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But Mr Turnbull is holding the nation to ransom through his decision to cancel Parliament, to launch a legal act against Mr Dutton, to try to delay a party-room meeting for up to a fortnight and to quit politics, forcing a by-election in his seat of Wentworth, which jeopardises the government’s ability to function by removing its one-seat majority.
With Mr Turnbull refusing to call a party-room meeting without the 43 signature petition he has demanded to call another spill, the Liberal Party federal executive last night resolved unanimously that there should be a party room meeting today.
Federal president Nick Greiner warned Mr Turnbull he would publicly call for the party-room meeting.
The Daily Telegraph understands neither Mr Dutton nor Mr Morrison intend to go straight to a federal election should they win the leadership contest, instead pushing it off until as late as next May.
Mr Dutton and Mr Morrison both claim to have the votes while Ms Bishop, a late starter, is behind in the numbers. Greg Hunt, Steven Ciobo and Josh Frydenberg are running for deputy leader.
The latter two are unaligned to any ticket.
Yesterday, Mr Turnbull lashed out at what he called a minority in his party room and some outside of it who disagreed with his policies and campaigned against him as “a form of madness”.
“The reality is that a minority in the party room supported by others outside the Parliament have sought to bully, intimidate others into making this change of leadership that they’re seeking,” he said. “It’s been described by many people, including those who feel they cannot resist it, as a form of madness.
“The public hate what is going on at the moment.
“I have done everything I can to keep the Liberal Party and, indeed, the Coalition united.”
While Mr Turnbull has undoubtedly faced treachery from leadership rivals plotting against him, he did the very same thing to former prime minister Tony Abbott, who accepted his fate, and succumbed to a party room meeting where he was rolled.
Senior ministers Mathias Cormann, Mitch Fifield and Michaelia Cash asked Mr Turnbull to call a party-room meeting for a leadership challenge. Despite losing the support of his most senior ministers, Mr Turnbull still declined the request.
Mr Turnbull is also seeking to delay a party room leadership challenge by seeking legal advice on Mr Dutton’s ownership of childcare centres.
He has referred his rival, Mr Dutton, to the Solicitor-General in an ¬attempt to refer him on to the High Court for a possible constitutional breach.
Compared with Labor leader Bill Shorten’s stubborn backing of his MPs for months when they were dual citizens, Mr Turnbull’s move is desperate and plainly designed to stop Mr Dutton taking the top job. “I cannot underline too much how important it is that anyone who seeks to be Prime Minister of Australia, is eligible to be a Member of Parliament because a minister, let alone a prime minister, who is not eligible to sit in the House is not capable of validly being a minister or exercising any of the powers of a minister,” Mr Turnbull said.
“Now, the Solicitor-General was briefed on it. That advice at least will mean the party room is informed and, indeed, Mr Dutton is informed. That may impact on his decision to run or not.”
Early yesterday morning, Mr Dutton phoned Mr Turnbull and asked if he could see him to discuss the leadership, but the PM declined.
Mr Dutton requested Christopher Pyne adjourn the Parliament so that a party room meeting could be held. But Mr Pyne told Mr Dutton this was not an option as Mr Turnbull was adjourning Parliament for the entire day and a party room meeting would not be held until Friday.
“Malcolm has sought to destroy him,” a Dutton supporter said. “He has decided he wants to destroy Dutton.”
Last night, Mr Dutton had 40 out of the 43 signatures he needs to bring on a spill.
Later into the night, the former home affairs minister was spotted dining with close pal Mr Cormann at Portia’s Place Chinese restaurant in the trendy Canberra suburb of Kingston with three other dinner guests.
