Ministers who voted for Peter Dutton in leadership ballot offer to quit

Seven MPs have tendered their resignation from the frontbench following today’s leadership ballot.

Senator Concetta Fierravanti-Wells in Senate Question Time in the Senate Chamber at Parliament House in Canberra. Picture Kym Smith

Cabinet Ministers Steve Ciobo and Michael Keenan have advised the Prime Minister tonight that they would resign if he wanted them to, after revealing they had voted for Peter Dutton in today’s leadership ballot.

Human Services Minister Michael Keenan will remain in cabinet.

“I respect the outcome of today’s party room meeting and the Prime Minister has my full support,” Mr Keenan said.

“The important thing now is for the Coalition to unite and take the fight up to Bill Shorten and his high taxing and high spending agenda which would be a disaster for our country.”

Steven Ciobo tonight tweeted that “party room votes are a secret ballot”.

“The party room has decided leadership of our party. We must now unite to defeat Labor,” Mr Ciobo said.

Party Room votes are a secret ballot. The Party Room has decided leadership of our Party. We must now unite to defeat Labor.

— Steven Ciobo (@StevenCiobo) August 21, 2018

Queensland Liberal senator Amanda Stoker confirmed she backed Peter Dutton in the leadership ballot but declined to comment on her ministerial colleagues’ resignations.

The Australian understands that if Mr Dutton wins the leadership, threats have been made from moderates including Craig Laundy and Julie Bishop that they could resign from parliament and trigger a general election.

Mr Laundy denied suggestions he would trigger a by-election.

“I will not be causing a byelection that would would tear apart the party because, unlike those attempting to tear apart the party as we speak, I genuinely care for it and the future of the party.”

International Development Minister Concetta Fierravanti-Wells tendered her resignation from the frontbench after writing a letter to the Prime Minister with “great regret”.

Senator Fierravanti-Wells also voted for Mr Dutton in today’s ballot.

In her letter, the NSW senator notes she had publicly expressed concerns the party was “moving too far to the left” and “losing our conservative base” in the wake of the Bennelong by-election late last year.

She said the gay marriage debate “eroded further the support of our base” and confirmed she had privately been pushing for Mr Dutton to become deputy Liberal leader for months.

“Our conservative base strongly feel that their voice has been eroded. They needed some demonstrable indication that there are conservative voices around your cabinet table,” she writes to Mr Turnbull.

“Some months ago I suggested to you that Peter Dutton should become the deputy leader. I also suggested this to (Mr Turnbull’s principal private secretary) Sally Cray and only recently at Kirribilli I spoke to (Mr Turnbull’s former chief of staff) Peter Woolcott. I believe this would have been an important move for stability and would help neutralise some of the more strident criticisms.”

Angus Taylor, Malcolm Turnbull’s Minister for Law Enforcement and Cybersecurity and leading conservative, also tendered his resignation to the Prime Minister this evening.

Mr Turnbull’s assistant minister for Science, Jobs and Innovation Zed Seselja followed soon after.

Earlier, Assistant Treasurer Michael Sukkar offered his resignation.

It is understood that Mr Turnbull has not immediately accepted Mr Sukkar’s resignation.

James McGrath, a former key numbers man for Mr Turnbull, has also resigned as assistant minister to the Prime Minister.

Mr McGrath, posting on Facebook tonight, confirmed he had voted for Mr Dutton.

“As a matter of integrity, this afternoon I offered my resignation to the Prime Minister,” Mr McGrath said.

Up to five members of the outer ministry were understood to be considering handing their resignations to the Prime Minister.

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