PM accused of flying white flag
Turnbull abandons greenhouse gas targets, talk of challenge grows
Australian leader Malcolm Turnbull was labelled the “white flag Prime Minster” yesterday as his personal approval ratings took a new blow. After Turnbull yesterday abandoned plans to legislate to limit greenhouse gas emissions to head off a revolt by conservative lawmakers, Labor leader Bill Shorten said the Prime Minister gave up every time Australians or his party disagreed with his policies.
“Prime Minister Turnbull has never seen a fight that he won’t give up his principles in order to keep his job. He is truly a white flag Prime Minister,” Shorten said.
Turnbull had earlier conceded that he could not get legislation through the House of Representatives where his conservative coalition holds only a single-seat majority.
He said although most government lawmakers supported the target of reducing Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions by 26 per cent below 2005 levels, that support was not enough.
“Even with strong support in the party room, if a small number of people are not prepared to vote with the Government on a measure, then it won’t get passed,” Turnbull said.
Some lawmakers, including former Prime Minister Tony Abbott, argue the government should be focusing on cutting electricity prices instead of cutting emissions.
Abbott deposed Turnbull as leader of the conservative Liberal Party in 2009 over differences in energy policy. But Turnbull ousted Abbott as Prime Minister in 2015 in a leadership ballot of Government lawmakers concerned by the Government’s poor opinion polling. An Ipsos poll published in Fairfax newspapers, meanwhile, shows Turnbull’s personal approval plunging nine points to 46 per cent.
Turnbull is still personally more popular than Shorten. However, the poll shows support for his LiberalNational coalition fell four points to 45 per cent, 10 points behind Labor and enough for a crushing electoral defeat.
It is the widest gap between the parties in 17 months and with an election due before May, it has deepened speculation that Turnbull could face an open challenge.
Some government lawmakers want Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton, a close ally of Abbott, to challenge Turnbull’s leadership.
Turnbull said Dutton had told him he would not challenge for the party leadership. “He has given me his absolute support,” Turnbull said.
Dutton also watered down speculation of a challenge.
“In relation to media stories today, just to make very clear, the Prime Minister has my support and I support the policies of the Government,” Dutton tweeted.
Minister for Defence Industry Christopher Pyne told reporters in Canberra: “I don’t believe that there’ll be a challenge to Malcolm Turnbull’s leadership. I believe that the cabinet is 100 per cent behind Malcolm Turnbull, including Peter Dutton.”
The Government has trailed Labor in most opinion polls since the last election in 2016.
Australia has gone through an extraordinary period of political instability since Prime Minister John Howard lost power in 2007 after more than 11 years in office. Turnbull would next month become Australia’s longest serving prime minister since Howard, having held the office for three years and four days.