Australian PM faces new leadership challenge from conservative rival
CANBERRA — A second challenge to Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull’s leadership loomed on Wednesday, a day after the Mr. Turnbull rejected the resignations of seven Cabinet members who had backed a rival who is openly preparing a new bid.
Former home affairs minister Peter Dutton said he was again canvassing colleagues in the Liberal Party, the senior partner in the government coalition, just a day after Mr. Turnbull survived his initial challenge for the leadership in a party-room vote. The narrow margin of his victory — Mr. Turnbull defeated Mr. Dutton 48 votes to 35 — only heightened speculation that his leadership days were numbered in a country that has earned a reputation for having a revolving door of political leaders.
Mr. Turnbull won a narrow election victory in 2016 and the next poll is due by May.
Expectations that Mr. Turnbull would soon face another challenge, possibly within days, were stoked when eight Cabinet ministers backed Mr. Dutton in Tuesday’s challenge. Mr. Dutton soon confirmed those expectations and declared on Wednesday he was working to secure the seven party votes he needs to become Australia’s sixth prime minister since 2009.
“I’m speaking to colleagues,” Mr. Dutton told 3AW Radio. “If I believe the majority of colleagues support me then I will consider my position.”
Desperate to unite the fractured Liberal Party, Mr. Turnbull asked most of the Cabinet rebels, including two senior ministers, to remain in their posts after Mr. Dutton’s initial challenge, Mr. Turnbull’s party deputy and Foreign Affairs Minister Julie Bishop said.
Only the resignations of Mr. Dutton and Concetta Fierravanti-Wells, the former minister for international development and the Pacific, were accepted.
Further political instability is now all but guaranteed in the final two days of parliament’s sitting before it breaks until September. —