Federal election 2016: Malcolm Turnbull faces Liberal Party revolt

PM faces ­partyroom revolt from Coalition MPs demanding say in what he can offer independents to secure power.

Bruised from its electoral battering last Saturday, the Coalition is at risk of descending into rancour and division over the conduct of the campaign. Picture: AAP

Malcolm Turnbull is facing a ­partyroom revolt from Coalition colleagues who are demanding a say in what he can offer independent MPs in order to secure power, setting the first major test of his leadership in the wake of the shock election result.

Ministers and backbenchers have held talks on plans for a ­partyroom meeting as soon as next week to ensure they are consulted on the crossbench negotiations and are not presented with a “fait accompli” if Mr Turnbull needs to strike a deal.

Coalition MPs are ready to pay their own way to Canberra during the extended caretaker period before parliament resumes, insisting on the urgency of a full meeting to avoid crossbench agreements they would later regret.

The Nationals are also preparing to flex their muscle after their success in the election, giving them a greater share of the party room and the right to hold at least one more ministry and perhaps another cabinet position as well.

Bruised from its electoral battering last Saturday, the Coalition is at risk of descending into rancour and division over the conduct of the campaign, the mistakes made by key ministers and Mr Turnbull’s judgment in calling the double dissolution election.

Former defence minister David Johnston slammed the “shocking” campaign and its “trite” message about jobs and growth, while Queensland MP Michelle Landry, who is struggling to hold her seat of Capricornia, said the Coalition’s brand was damaged by the leadership change last September that toppled Tony Abbott.

Cabinet Secretary Arthur Sinodinos, Attorney-General George Brandis and Industry Minister Christopher Pyne all made strong statements of support for Mr Turnbull yesterday while others defended the way he led the campaign. “For there to be anything less than 150 per cent support for Malcolm Turnbull during this time would be a huge mistake,” said one Liberal MP.

Conservative South Australian senator Cory Bernardi said he would be “absolutely on board” if Mr Turnbull led the Coalition government and it acted in the best interest of Australia.

Mr Turnbull has made a standing offer to Tony Abbott of the plum diplomatic post of London High Commissioner but if he were to accept it would force a byelection in a fragile parliament.

Others are pressuring Mr Turnbull to re-instate the former prime minister to a front bench position as well as senior Tasmanian Eric Abetz and returning Peter Dutton to the national security committee.

Mr Turnbull is being encouraged to promote conservative ­Coalition MPs to the ministry to replace colleagues who were defeated on Saturday, but there are doubts over whether he would be willing to bring Mr Abbott back into cabinet to the defence ministry or indigenous affairs.

Former Liberal MP and Speaker Brownyn Bishop last night said Mr Turnbull should elevate ­conservatives to cabinet, predicting “mayhem” if he was not able to form government.

Peta Credlin, the former chief of staff to Mr Abbott, lashed the “hapless group of bedwetters” that advised Mr Turnbull and said some ministers should stand “condemned” for the election result.

“Malcolm Turnbull, you are the man that broke the Liberal Party’s heart,” Ms Credlin told Sky News, echoing the Prime Minister’s own famous line from the 1999 referendum on a republic.

“Everyone has had crack at me and the advice I gave the prime minister Tony Abbott but at least he won an election,” she said.

Mr Turnbull held talks with cabinet ministers yesterday afternoon following conversations with the crossbenchers who could decide his fate, including rural independent Cathy McGowan, South Australian senator Nick Xenophon and a likely new senator, Derryn Hinch.

The proposal to hold a party room meeting has not been put to the Prime Minister but has been discussed in phone hook-ups among ministers and backbenchers. A spokesman for the Prime Minister said a meeting was a hypothetical prospect at this point while the Australian Electoral Commission continues to count ballot papers.

The Australian’s analysis of the results so far shows that Labor has won 67 seats, the Coalition has won 65 seats and other candidates have won five seats. This leaves 13 electorates too close to call with margins of less than 1 per cent between the two parties. The AEC has adjusted its count of the electorate of Grey in South Australia, including the industrial city of Whyalla, and it could now fall to Andrea Broadfoot of the Nick Xenophon Team.

Counting of postal votes continues today as Coalition campaigners believe the government will hold on with 75 seats and possibly 76 if it secures the West Australian seat of Cowan and 77 seats in the less likely scenario where it holds the South Australian seat of Hindmarsh as well.

Mr Turnbull bunkered down yesterday as Bill Shorten claimed the Liberal divisions would force Mr Turnbull to step down because he had failed to deliver the stability he promised during the election campaign. “Quite frankly I think he should quit,” Mr Shorten said. “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.”

Mr Shorten, behaving like a prime minister in waiting, headed to western Sydney to thank voters for their support, telling a woman at Penrith Westfield that another election was likely.

“For whatever reason, if Mr Turnbull forms some minority government, they’re not going to keep him. We’ll be back at the polls soon and we will get the best possible policies we’ve got. You hang in there, we’re coming,” he told her.

Senator Brandis said the government was “quietly confident” it would be returned with a working majority in the House of Representatives, holding to the line taken by Mr Turnbull on Sunday. He heaped praise on Mr Turnbull in a bid to quell the bickering within the Coalition over the Prime Minister’s judgment in calling the double dissolution and in the conduct of the campaign. “I want to thank the Prime Minister for the very strong leadership that he has shown throughout this campaign. Whatever criticisms there may be of the campaign, and some have been made by my colleagues, they don’t lie at the Prime Minister’s door,” he said.

“The only way Mr Shorten was able to secure a late swing to the Labor Party in the final fortnight of the campaign was a relentless and systematic campaign of blatant lies about Medicare.

Mr Pyne voiced his support by tweeting: “The people don’t want ‘jolly japes’ from politicians in Canberra. Message is clear — solid, common sense government. #Turnbullwilldeliver”

Senator Sinodinos praised Mr Turnbull for being able to straddle the conservative and moderate sides of the party. “The important thing to remember here is that the base of the Liberal Party is quite diverse — it’s not owned by any one branch or section,” Senator Sinodinos told ABC Radio National.