Liberal leadership crisis: three MPs in pitch for PM's job

PETER Dutton has reportedly reached 43 names and the petition will be presented to the Prime Minister this morning calling for a leadership spill. 

PETER Dutton has reportedly reached 43 names and the petition will be presented to the Prime Minister this morning calling for a leadership spill.  

Mr Dutton was seen dining with conservative ally Mathias Cormann at an Asian restaurant on Thursday night as the pair worked the numbers. 

Australia's 30th prime minister will likely emerge on Friday from the ruins of a Coalition Government preparing to overthrow its second leader in just five years.

Malcolm Turnbull is poised to be forced out at noon by a bitterly divided Liberal party room, which will choose between former home affairs minister Mr Dutton, Treasurer Scott Morrison and Foreign Minister Julie Bishop.

Each was frantically lobbying for votes on Thursday night, with Turnbull loyalists Mr Morrison and Ms Bishop late entrants into the race after it became clear the PM had lost support from key Cabinet allies.

The High Noon showdown is threatening to be as bitter as the past week, with conservative MPs — who claim the current leadership has turned the party into “Labor light” — threatening to tear down Mr Morrison and Ms Bishop.

Sources told the Herald Sun the three-way contest was “incredibly tight”, with Mr Morrison gaining on Mr Dutton despite the Queenslander’s head start.

Read the earlier coverage from our live blog below.

Originally published as Liberal leadership crisis: three MPs in pitch for PM's job

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