Malcolm Turnbull
SYDNEY, Australia: Australian conservative Prime Minister Tony Abbott was dramatically ousted yesterday in a snap party vote forced by challenger Malcolm Turnbull, a millionaire former banker who will become the nation’s new leader.
Abbott, who came to power in a decisive general election victory in 2013, was forced into a leadership ballot among his Liberal Party colleagues after Turnbull said the coalition government faced defeat without change at the top.
“I will be a candidate and I expect to win,” Abbott said ahead of the ballot, before losing 44 to 54.
Foreign Minister Julie Bishop, who had reportedly sided with Turnbull to call on Abbott to quit earlier in the day, retained her position as deputy leader of the Liberal Party by 70 votes to 30.
In the current parliament, whoever leads the Liberal Party becomes prime minister as head of the conservative coalition in which it is the senior partner.
It is not the first time in recent years that an Australian prime minister has been removed by a party room coup, with Labor premiers Kevin Rudd and Julia Gillard both suffering the same fate in 2010 and 2013 respectively.
Moves against the unpopular Abbott had been in the works for months. He survived a leadership challenge in February after poor polling, policy backflips and an unpopular budget generated a backbench revolt, fuelled by questions about the prime minister’s judgement.
No challenger emerged then, after a vote on whether there should be a leadership contest was defeated 61 to 39. But in the months since, Abbott has failed to turn around the polls, bolster the economy or stop damaging leaks from within his party.
Turnbull, a former barrister and entrepreneur who represents an upmarket Sydney electorate, argued earlier Monday that the government’s message was not getting through and that a new, more open, approach was needed. — AFP