Australia PM Turnbull in crisis with second leadership challenge

SYDNEY: Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull’s tenuous grip on power came under intense pressure on Thursday with the man who wants his job launching a second leadership challenge in a week and senior ministers defecting.

Former home affairs minister Peter Dutton, an ex-police officer and right-wing conservative, said he was confident he now had the numbers to unseat Turnbull, considered a moderate.

“Earlier this morning I called the prime minister to advise him that it was my judgement that the majority of the party room no longer supported his leadership,” he said in a brief statement. “As such, I asked him to convene a meeting of the Liberal Party at which I would challenge for the

leadership of the parliamentary Liberal Party.”

Turnbull survived a bal

lot on his leadership on Tuesday, winning the vote 48-35. He is yet to publicly respond to the latest threat to his rule, although broadcaster ABC reported that he turned down the demand for another party meeting during the phone call.

But in a major blow, his influential Finance Minister

Mathias Cormann, along with the employment and education ministers, said they no longer supported him. They join at least 10 other ministers who have either resigned or offered to.

“It is with great sadness and a heavy heart that we went to see the prime minister to advise him that in our judgement he no longer enjoyed the support of the majority of members in the Liberal Party party room,” said Cormann, who used to be a trusted ally. “It is in the best interests of the Liberal Party to help manage an orderly transition to a new leader.” To force the issue, Dutton and his supporters must produce a petition signed by a majority of ministers, essentially saying they no

longer had faith in Turnbull’s

leadership.