Aussie PM warns he could quit government
Move would force new election that could cost
CANBERRA, Australia — Australia’s beleaguered prime minister warned he will quit Parliament on Friday if his disgruntled party continues to try to oust him, forcing a by-election that could cost the government its single-seat majority or pushing his successor into immediately calling general elections.
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull is under mounting pressure from supporters of his rival, former Cabinet minister Peter Dutton, to hold a leadership ballot of lawmakers in their conservative Liberal Party on Thursday.
Turnbull bought himself time by announcing he would hold a party meeting on Friday, but only if a majority of at least 43 lawmakers in the party signed a petition requesting a meeting.
If that meeting wanted a leadership ballot, Turnbull said he would not contest his job and would not stay in Parliament.
“What we have witnessed at the moment is a very deliberate effort to pull the Liberal Party further to the right,” Turnbull told reporters. “A minority has by a process of intimidation … persuaded people that the only way to stop the insurgency is to give in to it. … I have never given in to bullies,” he added.
Senior ministers Mathias Cormann, Michaelia Cash and Mitch Fifield had earlier told Turnbull that he had lost his government’s support and must hold a ballot quickly.
Turnbull had defeated Dutton 48-35 in a surprise vote on Tuesday. Turnbull initiated the ballot in the hope of ending speculation that his government had lost faith in him in the face of poor opinion polling.
Cormann, the finance minister, had publicly stated his support for Turnbull on Wednesday, but on Thursday said Dutton should lead the government.
“I was wanting to continue to support Malcolm Turnbull for years to come as leader of the Liberal Party. But I can’t ignore reality,” Cormann told reporters.
“When I have five Cabinet colleagues telling me that they supported Malcolm on Tuesday … but they have changed their position, that is not something that I can ignore,” he added.
Media reports said other lawmakers were considering running for Turnbull’s job, including Treasurer Scott Morrison.
Opposition lawmakers reacted with outrage when the government shut down Parliament hours early so that Liberal Party lawmakers could focus on their leadership crisis.
Opposition Labor Party leader Bill Shorten told Parliament it was evidence that “Australia no longer has a functioning government.”