Turnbull plays his trump
MALCOLM Turnbull has revealed he will resign as Prime Minister today if a spill motion is carried against him.
“I will treat that as a vote of no confidence and I will not stand as a candidate in the ballot,” he said.
Mr Turnbull told reporters yesterday he was waiting for a letter with the signatures of the majority of the Liberal Party to call a meeting on the prime ministership challenge.
He said once he received that – if it existed – he would call a meeting for noon today.
Former home affairs minister Peter Dutton needs 43 signatures for Mr Turnbull to call a party room meeting and there are reports that support has quickly climbed.
Mr Turnbull also questioned Mr Dutton’s eligibility to sit in parliament when he fronted the media at Parliament House yesterday after a tense morning and an exodus of 13 of ministers.
“The reality is that a minority in the party room supported by others outside the Parliament have sought to bully and intimidate others into making this change of leadership that they’re seeking,” he said.
“It is described by many people ... as a form of madness, and it is remarkable we’re at this point where only a month ago we were being avid readers of polls, and we were just little bit behind Labor.”
Mr Turnbull said the public would be “crying out” for an election because Australians would be “rightly appalled” by what they were witnessing.
Mr Turnbull said he had sought advice from the Solicitor-General on the eligibility of Mr Dutton to sit in parliament and expected to receive that first thing this morning.
That eligibility centres on claims Mr Dutton may have breached the Constitution and been ineligible to sit because of his interests in two childcare centres his wife operates and the government subsidies they receive.
Mr Turnbull’s prime ministership was effectively over earlier yesterday after the exodus of ministers.
Julie Bishop is reportedly being strongly encouraged to run for the prime ministership.
There is growing pressure on the Foreign Minister to declare herself as the third candidate for the top job, with members of cabinet “strongly” encouraging her to run, 7 News reported.
The other candidates vying to replace Malcolm Turnbull are Mr Dutton and Treasurer Scott Morrison.
With things in Canberra moving rapidly, it’s yet to be seen whether Ms Bishop actually takes up the call, but a spokesperson said she was “considering her options”.