MAL’S HIGH WIRE ACT
Backers hit the phones in desperate bid to save PM’s job Lukewarm support on Coast
DESPERATE backers spent the weekend on the phones trying to convince Liberal MPs not to dump Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull over his botched National Energy Guarantee scheme. Tourism Minister and Moncrieff MP Steven Ciobo dismissed the leadership talk, saying “we have a Prime Minister and that is all there is”, while McPherson MP Karen Andrews said most of the speculation was in the media. But Fadden MP Stuart Robert declined an opportunity to comment.
MALCOLM Turnbull’s key backers spent the weekend urging Liberals not to turn on the Prime Minister.
The rearguard action came as the top contender, Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton, assured Mr Turnbull in a private call he did not want to challenge – but wouldn’t rule it out.
Mr Turnbull’s supporters are worried a backbencher could move a motion for a spill to blow open the leadership issue.
As Cabinet met the PM in a policy crisis meeting last night as part of a bid to stave off a conservative rebellion, government MPs said speculation of a leadership switch to Mr Dutton was “as serious as it’s been”.
Gold Coast MPs refused last night to be drawn on the possibility of a leadership challenge.
Tourism Minister and Moncrieff MP Steven Ciobo backed Mr Turnbull, saying: “We have a Prime Minister and that is all there is.”
Fadden MP Stuart Robert, who was axed from the cabinet in 2016, declined to speak to the Bulletin about the matter.
McPherson MP Karen Andrews said most of the speculation was happening in the media.
“I am pleased there is changes to the policy on the National Energy Guarantee,” she said. “I am more comfortable for where we are headed.”
Mr Turnbull’s backers spent the weekend shoring up numbers for his leadership, with moderate leader Christopher Pyne and government whip Rowan Ramsey arguing there should be no change of prime minister, on the basis of “stability”.
Mr Pyne is understood to have told the MPs that Mr Turnbull was popular with the public and had a good story to tell about a growing economy.
Some MPs, however, were less than impressed with his criticism of Mr Dutton during the calls and messages.
“The Prime Minister has had Pyne out trying to bag Dutton to colleagues. He was sent out to gauge the temperature, check Malcolm’s support and make the case for no change,” one MP said.
As Cabinet held a crisis meeting on energy policy last night, Mr Dutton was seriously considering a challenge, with a growing number of marginal seat MPs urging him to take action. They claim the election is unwinnable and lament that the Turnbull Government’s problems are broader than the NEG.
Mr Dutton has told them he has not made a decision and will wait to see the reaction to Mr Turnbull’s NEG reset.
Senior conservative Mathias Cormann is understood to have been instrumental in negotiating for Mr Dutton to send a tweet on Saturday morning that stated he still supported Mr Turnbull as PM.
Last night, Mr Turnbull called his Cabinet to dinner at a private dining room at Parliament House, where he presented a “peace plan” or reset on the NEG, which involved setting new, severe penalties for energy companies that refused to lower power bills.
It kicked off a week in Parliament that has the potential to be volatile, with company tax cuts legislation being debated today and the Coalition party room discussing the NEG tomorrow.
While Mr Turnbull’s backers say they are confident he has the support of the overwhelming majority of MPs, they fear if Mr Dutton stands as a candidate, he may garner sufficient numbers to mortally wound the PM.
“There is a disconnect between Cabinet and the backbench,” a senior Liberal conservative said.
“There are a number on the backbench that argue this (NEG reset) is too little, too late and it’s as much about Malcolm’s obsession with climate change and his inability to have the discipline to keep a message for any longer than 12 hours.”
Former prime minister Tony Abbott said the NEG reset showed Mr Turnbull was not running the Government with proper process.
“This is no way to run a government and the Prime Minister’s problem now, as in 2009, is that he wants to form a unity ticket with the Labor Party on climate policy and that’s completely unacceptable,” he said.