Malcolm Turnbull tells Liberal members to ‘get loud about climate change’ at farewell
Former PM Malcolm Turnbull has told a private gathering of Liberal Party members they must never be Scott Morrison’s “quiet Australians” and must instead be “loud Australians” who stand up for their values on climate change.
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Former PM Malcolm Turnbull has told a private gathering of Liberal Party members they must never be Scott Morrison’s “quiet Australians” and must instead be “loud Australians” who stand up for their values on climate change.
Reigniting the culture wars in a speech at his farewell function, Mr Turnbull (pictured above) said the Morrison government’s climate change policy was not “coherent” and urged the moderate faction of the Liberal Party “to stand up for our values and get the outcomes, deliver the government and the policies Australians deserve”.
During his 20-minute speech, Mr Turnbull also said Australia must not follow the path of authoritarian populism that has been the experience in the US with Donald Trump and the UK with Boris Johnson, along with Hungary and Turkey.
Mr Turnbull’s reference at the Thursday night soiree to the “quiet Australians” — the middle-income voters Mr Morrison credits for his surprise election victory — was interpreted by some in the room as a swipe at the prime minister.
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They remembered Mr Turnbull’s pledge following his ousting in August last year not to be driven by hate and his derision of former leaders Tony Abbott and Kevin Rudd as “miserable ghosts”.
“It was a dig at Morrison. It was hard not to read it as a dig at Morrison,” one attendee told The Daily Telegraph.
Mr Morrison’s faction, who supported Mr Turnbull during the leadership coup by Peter Dutton, felt snubbed that they were not invited to Mr Turnbull’s farewell.
But it was his call to arms on climate change, the issue that ultimately cost him the prime ministership and has long sparked factional warfare, that concerned some present.
In his speech, Mr Turnbull said: “What we have got at the moment with this single issue [of climate change] which is a fundamental existential one ... we have got ourselves into a situation where our party is not able to present a coherent view, much to the shock of the business community, the energy sector.
“Billions of dollars of investment are being held back as a result, the government is actually creating uncertainty in the investment market and it is because people are taking something which should be a question of fact and science and physics and engineering, as I used to say, engineering and economics, and turning it into a question of ideology.
“So the real challenge for the moderates for all of us, for the Liberals in the Liberal Party is the one thing we cannot be, now or ever, is quiet Australians.
“We have to be loud Australians and stand up for our values and get the outcomes, deliver the government and the policies Australians deserve.”
In his speech, Mr Turnbull also compared his achievements in three years as prime minister — including same-sex marriage, national security legislation and the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal — to his friend Bob Carr’s lack of legacy after 10 years as premier of NSW, making the point he got a lot done in a short amount of time.
Mr Turnbull arrived at the 250-strong event, held at the Rushcutters Bay yacht club, by water taxi.
Former Turnbull minister Christopher Pyne introduced Mr Turnbull and moderate faction leader Trent Zimmerman was MC at the event.
Two of Morrison’s cabinet ministers attended, Simon Birmingham and Paul Fletcher, along with outgoing cabinet minister Arthur Sinodinos, who is replacing Joe Hockey as US ambassador, and Wentworth MP Dave Sharma.
State Liberals were strong on the ground, including Rob Stokes, Gareth Ward and Gabrielle Upton.
The event was technically a Liberal forum meeting of the moderates which doubled as Mr Turnbull’s farewell as prime minister. One attendee said Mr Turnbull uttered the phrase “quiet Australians” with a tone of contempt.
“Most of his criticism was directed at the terrorists in our party, the crazy right-wingers,” the attendee said.
“He said we need to stand up and be heard as the moderates and the true Liberals.
“It was very much about settling old scores.”
But another source present said he did not interpret Mr Turnbull’s comments to be a criticism of Mr Morrison.
“He was saying it was important people in the Liberal Party speak up and make sure their views are heard,” the source said.
“To say it was a rousing call is too strong, I would say he was urging moderates to maintain the faith.”
A fourth source in the room said Mr Turnbull’s comments were a “call to arms to speak up and not allow the country to be captive to a noisy minority (who oppose action on climate change)”.
“He said these people aren’t true conservatives,” the source said.
“He said being in government is about doing something, it’s not just about winning elections.”