Malcolm Turnbull to hit New York after his resignation from Wentworth

Malcolm Turnbull is expected to depart for New York, where he owns a luxury apartment, after he resigns from Wentworth tomorrow.

Malcolm and Lucy Turnbull are believed to be headed for New York for six weeks where they own an apartment in the famous twin-towered building, The Century.

Malcolm Turnbull is expected to depart Australia for New York for the next six weeks following his resignation from the seat of Wentworth tomorrow.

The Daily Telegraph reports today that Mr Turnbull isn’t expected to help the Liberals campaign in the seat, instead travelling with his wife Lucy to the Big Apple where they own a luxury apartment.

The Turnbulls’ two-bedroom apartment, in the iconic twin-towered 1930s art-deco building The Century, is on the Upper West Side overlooking Central Park.

They purchased the two-bedroom, two bathroom apartment with a much sought-after balcony terrace in 2012 for $US3.275 million.

Malcolm Turnbull and his wife Lucy.

A Melbourne Cup field of candidates is lining up to claim the seat in Sydney’s eastern suburbs.

Business owner and City of Sydney councillor Angela Vithoulkas is the latest to join the race.

Ms Vithoulkas said voters in the electorate needed “stability, continuity and fearlessness”, and vowed to bring that as a strong independent. “I want to rebuild the faith people should have in their community leaders, and make them the priority, not a pawn in party politics,” she said in a statement.

She is among dozens of business owners and landlords planning to file a lawsuit against the NSW government over the embattled Sydney light rail project.

Mr Turnbull’s sworn political enemy, Peter King, is also planning to re-enter the race as an independent. Mr King was famously ousted by Mr Turnbull as the sitting Liberal member for Wentworth in 2004.

Among those running for Liberal preselection are former Business Council of Australia executive director and same-sex marriage campaigner Andrew Bragg, former Australian ambassador to Israel Dave Sharma, and former prime minister Tony Abbott’s sister Christine Forster.

Independent Kerryn Phelps, another City of Sydney councillor, is also considering a tilt.

Labor has preselected local businessman Tim Murray.

A poll this week has the Liberal Party and Labor at 50 per cent on a two-party preferred basis in a sign voters could punish the government for dumping Mr Turnbull as PM.

The ReachTel poll of 886 people commissioned by left-leaning think tank The Australia Institute suggests the Liberal primary vote has slumped to 39.6 per cent, down from 62.3 per cent in 2016.

Labor senator and former NSW premier Kristina Keneally is taking the survey with a pinch of salt. “Throughout its history, it’s been a blue-ribbon Liberal seat,” Ms Keneally said.

“Let’s make no mistake — Labor has very little chance of taking the seat of Wentworth.”

Labor’s primary vote, on the other hand, has soared to almost 30 per cent from 17.7 per cent.

The government will be down a vote in the lower house during the by-election battle after Labor ruled out granting the government a pair.

With AAP