Malcolm Turnbull reveals why he didn’t campaign for Dave Sharma

MALCOLM Turnbull has finally revealed why he didn’t campaign for Dave Sharma in the crucial Wentworth by-election.

MALCOLM Turnbull has defended his decision not to support Dave Sharma on the hustings in Wentworth saying he was “retired”.

The former prime minister flew back to Australia this week after refusing to return to his electorate ahead of Saturday’s by-election. Now some are blaming Mr Turnbull for Mr Sharma’s disastrous loss to independent Kerryn Phelps.

Emerging from his Point Piper mansion for a walk with his wife Lucy this morning, Mr Turnbull was asked by reporters about Mr Sharma’s campaign.

“I left the office of prime minister, I’m out of partisan politics and so that is it,” Mr Turnbull said.

“I’ll continue to have things to say about important matters of public interest but I’m not engaged in politics any longer, I’m retired.”

The latest Australian Electoral Commission figures show Dr Phelps maintains her lead over Mr Sharma, with a 51.11 per cent two-party preferred lead over the Liberal candidate.

On the weekend Prime Minister Scott Morrison confirmed Mr Turnbull knocked back approaches from Mr Sharma seeking his support during the Wentworth by-election.

Mr Morrison says the ousted prime minister turned down a number of offers from Mr Sharma and senior Liberal Party figures to get behind the Liberal Party’s candidate.

“Quite a number of us asked for that support, not necessarily in the form of a letter, there are many other ways in which people can choose to express their support,” Mr Morrison told reporters on Sunday.

“There were even approaches made by Dave himself. What impact they would have had, ultimately, is for others to judge.”

Moderate and conservative MPs are expected to vent their anger over the Wentworth by-election loss when the coalition partyroom meets today.

Meanwhile new polling analysis has revealed the Morrison Government is facing an election wipe-out, with a potential loss of up to 25 seats across Australia based on two-party preferred swings since the 2016 election. Eight of these seats are held by current frontbenchers.

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Malcolm and Lucy Turnbull out for their morning walk in Point Piper.

A staunch Turnbull supporter, Craig Laundy, has publicly blamed those pushing for a change of leadership in August for the expected loss in Mr Turnbull’s vacated seat.

However, conservative colleague Craig Kelly says Mr Turnbull was largely to blame for not assisting in the campaign to elect candidate Dave Sharma.

“That could have helped, that could have turned the tide,” Mr Kelly told 2GB radio.

Cabinet minister Mathias Cormann said Mr Turnbull had lost the confidence of his party, but an “orderly transition” to a new leader would have been better than a second partyroom ballot, as occurred on August 24.

Some government members are urging greater action on climate change and getting asylum seeker children off Nauru.

However, they are being resisted by pro-coal MPs and those arguing offshore processing remains crucial to stopping the boats.

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#BREAKING: @TurnbullMalcolm says he didn’t campaign for Dave Sharma in the Wentworth by-election because he’s ‘out of partisan politics’ and has ‘retired'. pic.twitter.com/zKD8LWzhIJ

— Sunrise (@sunriseon7) October 22, 2018

The debate is expected to spill over into question time, which was cancelled on Monday out of respect for victims and survivors of child sexual abuse who received a long-awaiting national apology from Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Opposition Leader Bill Shorten.

Labor is also questioning whether the coalition has what it takes to manage a minority-held parliament, with the loss of Wentworth stripping the government’s numbers to 75 in the 150-seat parliament.

Laws to change the way in which the GST is carved up among the states are due to be debated in the lower house.

Senate estimates hearings are continuing.

Malcolm Turnbull is being blamed for Wentworth by-election result.