PM Malcolm Turnbull deploys allies to calm angry Liberal MPs

MALCOLM Turnbull’s praetorian guard have been deployed to calm Liberal MPs as senior cabinet ministers were forced to publicly defend the Prime Minister against a rising tide of internal anger.

Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull had very little to say yesterday upon emerging from his Point Piper home.

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MALCOLM Turnbull’s praetorian guard have been deployed to calm Liberal MPs as senior cabinet ministers were forced to publicly defend the Prime Minister against a rising tide of internal anger.

As the crucial counting of postal votes begins today, the Coalition number crunchers are claiming 72 seats are in the bag, but have downgraded total expectations to 75 seats — one short of majority government.

Prime minister Malcolm Turnbull has reached out to New Zealand Prime Minster John Key about governing with a minority. Picture: Adam Yip

That would force Mr Turnbull to form minority government with at least one independent.

The prospect of getting a majority in its own right now appears to be optimistic.

It emerged yesterday that Mr Turnbull had spoken to New Zealand Prime Minister John Key on Sunday about running a minority government.

“I offered him support if he wanted that in terms of how we have structured things in New Zealand — one of the things about MMP (mixed member proportional voting) is that it’s a system designed for minority governments,’’ Mr Key said.

One senior Liberal strategist said that of the 10 seats still up for grabs, postal votes were expected to get the Coalition over the line in at least six of them. They included Queensland seats of Capricornia, Forde and Petrie, the NSW seat of Gilmore, Chisholm and Dunkley in Victoria.

State of play.

But Grey and Hindmarsh in South Australia were doubtful as was Herbert in Queensland and Cowan in Western Australia. If two of these seats fell the Coalition’s way, they said, then the Coalition could get to 76 seats in the house of representatives — a one-seat majority.

Senior Liberal sources conceded that unless it could form government in its own right, the budget would come under pressure and elements of the company tax cuts may not be able to be passed.

While Opposition Leader Bill Shorten continued campaigning in Western Sydney yesterday, Mr Turnbull made no public appearances.

When stopped as his home yesterday, Mr Turnbull said: “The counting continues.”

In an attempt to cool things down inside the Liberal Party in the wake of the weekend’s disastrous election result, two senior backers of Mr Turnbull — Arthur Sinodinos and Scott Ryan — are believed to have called several MPs urging them to settle down conservative forces within the party.

Liberal Senator George Brandis was called upon to appeal to his colleagues to remain calm.

Attorney General George Brandis also went public to claim that any blame for a botched campaign did not rest with Mr Turnbull.

Outspoken Queensland Senator Ian MacDonald said the campaign was “lacking in some areas” but the decision to have a double dissolution election had been a monumental mistake.

“The double dissolution was wrong always going to end up in tears,” he said.

He said there were “errors of judgment” that would have to be looked at.

Mr MacDonald also backed the return of Tony Abbott to Cabinet.

“I have no problem with him being in the Ministry,” he said.

While there is white hot anger among MPs over what has been described as a “complacent” campaign there is no suggestion any push is underway to oust Mr Turnbull.

Nick Xenophon walks through the rain yesterday. Picture: Tricia Watkinson

Even conservative MPs concede the priority is ensuring the coalition forms government with recriminations to be put on hold.

Mr Ryan and Mr Sinodinos — who travelled with Mr Turnbull during the bulk of the campaign — worked the phones yesterday cooling MPs they considered a risk of an uprising.

Treasurer Scott Morrison is also urging calm within the party, although not actively calling MPs.

Conservative senator Cory Bernardi indicated yesterday that Mr Turnbull needed to accept responsibility for the result and the leakage of the conservative base to One Nation.

“People should examine their conscience, think about their contribution to this disaster … I would prevail upon them to do the right thing.”

When asked about Mr Turnbull he replied: “In the end, he should be asking himself if he did the Liberal Party a service or a disservice.”

Opposition leader Bill Shorten called for Mr Turnbull to quit.

Mr Brandis was sent out to cool the public perception insisting the Prime Minister was not to blame for the election loss.

“I want to thank the Prime Minister for his strong leadership during the campaign,’’ he said.

Mr Shorten said the Prime Minister “doesn’t know what he is doing” and should “quit”

“Quite frankly I think he should quit. He has taken this nation to an election on the basis of stability. He has delivered instability. His own party know he is not up to the job, the Australian people know he is out of touch,’’ he said.