Scott Morrison to replace Malcolm Turnbull as Australian PM after party vote

0
265


A member of the party’s conservative faction and former immigration minister, Morrison defeated former home affairs minister Peter Dutton by 45 votes to 40 at a closed door leadership vote shortly after midday, local time.

It followed days of speculation and confusion over whether now former leader Malcolm Turnbull could maintain his grip on the premiership in the face of a conservative uprising.

The leadership crisis began on Tuesday following a backlash in the ruling Liberal Party over Turnbull’s climate change policy, which would have legislated the Paris Agreement goals.

The right-wing of the party would prefer greater investment in the country’s coal sector and policies to lower Australians’ power prices.

Dutton, a leader in the party’s conservative faction, stood against Turnbull for the leadership in a vote on Tuesday, losing only narrowly by 48 votes to 35 and all but guaranteeing a second vote.

But as Dutton’s momentum began to grow, Morrison put his hand up for the leadership in the face of questions over Dutton’s eligibility to sit in parliament.

Turnbull said on Thursday he would step down and leave the parliament following the vote, potentially cracking the government’s slender one-seat majority and leading to a byelection or even a general election.

A self-proclaimed political moderate, Turnbull was always an uncomfortable fit for the right-wing Liberal Party. He has been a longtime advocate for progressive social policies and action on climate change.



Source : Nbcnewyork