Your morning Briefing: Turnbull tells MPs to defy PM

Your 2-minute digest of the day’s top stories and must-reads.

Hello readers. Here is your 2-minute digest of the day’s top stories.

PM Malcolm Turnbull and Treasurers Scott Morrison holding a press conference at Parliament House in Canberra. Deputy PM Michael McCormack and Deputy NSW Premier John Barilaro at the National Party of Australia, NSW annual general conference in Cowra, NSW. Picture Kym Smith Deputy PM Michael McCormack and Deputy NSW Premier John Barilaro at the National Party of Australia, NSW annual general conference in Cowra, NSW. Picture Kym Smith

‘Defy PM’

Malcolm Turnbull yesterday urged senior Liberal Party figures to defy Scott Morrison by voting against a plan to prevent conservative MP Craig Kelly losing preselection, saying the Prime Minister just wanted to “keep his arse” in his prime ministerial car as long as possible.

Mr Turnbull then doubled down on on his extraordinary intervention on morning radio, calling on the PM to go to an early election.

The brazen power play was calculated to trigger an early federal election, with Mr Turnbull claiming such a move would help the Berejiklian government avoid facing an anti-Coalition backlash and losing office in March.

Richo suggests losing Julia Banks from the government ranks last week was another sign of a bitterly divided party, while Jennifer Oriel writes that lightweight Banks’s defection is good news for a party searching for its soul. Keep up with all the latest from parliament in our live blog, PoliticsNow.

-

U.S. President Donald Trump, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, U.S. President Donald Trump's national security adviser John Bolton and Chinese President Xi Jinping attend a working dinner after the G20 leaders summit in Buenos Aires, Argentina December 1, 2018. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque - RC1BEC264D80

Trade truce

Donald Trump and Xi Jinping have agreed to a trade war ceasefire amid fears that the feud between the US and China was threatening to spiral out of control and wipe out half a trillion dollars of economic growth for the rest of the world. The cooling of tensions between the two superpowers at the close of the G20 summit was last night being heralded as a breakthrough flowing from the G20, as the US President and his Chinese counterpart agreed to de-escalate trade hostilities.

-

Minister for Energy Angus Taylor arrives for Question Time in the House of Representatives at Parliament House in Canberra, Wednesday, November 28, 2018. (AAP Image/Mick Tsikas) NO ARCHIVING

Energy giants take on Coalition

Australia’s electricity retailers and generators have united with the nation’s biggest industrial users to mount an emergency ­effort to stop Scott Morrison winning powers to divest the assets of electricity companies. Under draft legislation to be taken to the Coalition party room tomorrow and introduced to parliament on Wednesday, the Coalition could gain the right to break up corporations as part of “big stick” measures to punish electricity retailers if they fail to bring prices down.

-

Brisbane Broncos coach Wayne Bennett is seen at a media conference in Brisbane, Friday, November 30, 2018. Brisbane Broncos coach Wayne Bennett has refused to stand down, stalling his coaching swap with Anthony Seibold. (AAP Image/Glenn Hunt) NO ARCHIVING

Bennett’s fate sealed

The axe fell on Wayne Bennett yesterday but his demise as coach of the Brisbane Broncos was sealed last Friday, reports Brent Read.

-

Kudelka’s view

Jon Kudelka Letters page cartoon for 03-12-2018Version: Letters Cartoon (1280x720 - Aspect ratio preserved, Canvas added)COPYRIGHT: The Australian's artists each have different copyright agreements in place regarding re-use of their work in other publications.Please seek advice from the artists themselves or the Managing Editor of The Australian regarding re-use.