Australian PM Tony Abbott ousted by Malcolm Turnbull

[webfact]

Party ousts Australian PM Abbott for more moderate rival
ROD McGUIRK, Associated Press

CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — Australia's ruling conservatives ousted beleaguered Prime Minister Tony Abbott as party leader Monday evening in a change that could signal a different Australian response to climate change and allow for a more moderate agenda that could include recognition of gay marriage.

Liberal Party members voted 54 to 44 to replace Abbott with former party leader and Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull, who had called for the leadership ballot just hours earlier amid flagging opinion polls for the 2-year-old conservative coalition government.

Turnbull split his coalition and lost the party leadership in 2009 over his support for a then-Labor Party government's proposal to make industrial polluters pay for the carbon gas emissions that they produced through an emissions permit trading scheme.

A coalition government under Abbott last year repealed a 2-year-old carbon tax and replaced it with a policy of paying industrial polluters 2.55 billion Australian dollars ($1.8 billion) in taxpayer-funded incentives to operate more cleanly. The policy imposes no financial penalty for polluting and critics say it won't be enough to reduce Australia's heavy reliance on abundant reserves of cheap coal to generate electricity.

In his first news conference since he was elected party leader, Turnbull foreshadowed no changes to climate policy.

"Policies are reviewed and adapted all the time," he said. "But the climate policy is one that I think has been very well designed. That was a very, very good piece of work."

Turnbull declined to discuss any other potential policy changes, emphasizing that his leadership style would be collaborative. Abbott was often accused of making rogue policy pronouncements.

Turnbull supports gay marriage and previously proposed that Parliament vote on legalizing it before elections due around September next year.

Abbott, who opposes gay marriage, proposed avoiding divisive public debate by holding a post-election direct vote that electoral authorities estimated would cost AU$158 million ($113 million).

Turnbull will become Australia's fourth prime minister in just over two years when he is sworn in on Tuesday.

The change does not undermine the security of the government which commands a clear majority in the House of Representatives, the chamber where parties form government. Any no-confidence motion proposed by Labor against the new prime minister would be doomed to failure.

The political turbulence comes as Australia enters its record 25th year of continuous economic growth. However a cooling mining boom that helped Australia avoid recession during the global financial crisis has slashed tax revenue and a hostile Senate has blocked key parts of the government's financial agenda.

Turnbull's return to the helm will also likely lead to a major cabinet reshuffle, with Treasurer Joe Hockey and Defense Minister Kevin Andrews among ministers who publicly supported Abbott.

Foreign Minister Julie Bishop, who supported Turnbull's bid, was re-elected party deputy, defeating Andrews 70 votes to 30.

Abbott made no comment to media after the ballot.

The Liberals were elected in 2013 as a stable alternative to the then-Labor government. Labor came to power under Kevin Rudd at elections in 2007, only to dump him for his deputy Julia Gillard in 2010 months ahead of elections. The bitterly divided and chaotic government then dumped Gillard for Rudd just months before the 2013 election.

Before Rudd was elected in 2007, John Howard was in power for almost 12 years.

Monday night's contest pitted a man who has been described as the most socially conservative Australian prime minister in decades against a challenger some think is not conservative enough.

"This country needs strong and stable government and that means avoiding at all costs Labor's revolving-door prime ministership," Abbott told reporters before the ballot.

Turnbull earlier said the government was doomed to defeat with Abbott as leader.

"Ultimately, the prime minister has not been capable of providing the economic leadership our nation needs," Turnbull told reporters. "He has not been capable of providing the economic confidence that business needs."

Nick Economou, a Monash University political scientist, said before the ballot the party had "done enormous damage to themselves" through the challenge.

The government has trailed the opposition in a range of opinion polls since April last year. Abbott survived a leadership challenge from within his party in February that was prompted by those polls and what some say were questionable judgments he made. At the time, Abbott asked his colleagues to give him six months to improve his government's popularity.

That deadline passed without a change in public opinion.

Turnbull, a 60-year-old former lawyer and merchant banker known for his moderate views, has long been considered Abbott's chief rival. After Turnbull was opposition leader for two years then lost a party-room ballot by a single vote to Abbott in 2009, he considering quitting politics at the 2010 election after only six years in Parliament.

Opinion polls show that Turnbull is more popular than Abbott, but many of those who prefer him vote for the center-left Labor Party.

Turnbull is the type of classical liberal that has become rare in the oddly named party, which has been overrun by conservatives in recent decades. It was called the Liberal Party when it was established in the early 1940s because it believed in individual freedoms, while their Labor opponents favored state control and heavy regulation.

Abbott and Turnbull are both Rhodes scholars. Abbott, a 57-year-old former Roman Catholic seminarian, has long suffered an image problem, particularly among women. He is regarded as gaffe-prone and old-fashioned in his views on women's place in society. Bishop was the only woman in his first Cabinet.

Turnbull is a self-made multimillionaire regarded by some as arrogant and has been nicknamed "The Silvertail," an Australian term for wealth and privilege.


-- (c) Associated Press 2015-09-15

[ezzra]

The revolving doors of Australian premiership has become a joke of the nation with jibs like:

"I'm in Australia for another two-and-a-half weeks and I'm a bit worried that I'll end up being Prime Minister before I fly home"

"Tonight we remember the PM that may have been Tony Abbott"

'"We stopped the boats!' cried Captain Abbott. But he failed to stop the H.M.A.S Turnbull"

And "the Bull in in OM shop"

[simple1]

IMO the Abbott government was heading for electoral defeat in 2016. The starting point was the 2014 budget for which he did not have the mandate, followed up by his failure to convince the public of the necessity of his budget policies. On national security matters he constantly tried to push through legislation in an endeavour to overrule judicial process which generated a lot of push back. His 'captains choice' decisions were ridiculed.

Turnbull with deliver a rational approach to fiscal policy and national security for the betterment of Australia.

[pork]

good news for once

[JakeSully]

No one likes a bully. Mr. Abbot failed to notice this so really som nom na.

[oldsailor35]

A big win for the media

[Seastallion]

A big win for the media

You're right, actually.

But with Abbot (Bush's mini-me) gone, the policies won't change.

As far as Turnbull is concerned, same shiite, different day.

[Barin]

good news for once

Yes, finita la commedia...

[webfact]

CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — Malcolm Turnbull has been sworn in as Australia's new prime minister.

[webfact]

New Australian prime minister says government remains strong
By ROD McGUIRK

CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — Australia's former communications minister, Malcolm Turnbull, was sworn in as prime minister on Tuesday, assuring the country that his government remained strong despite an internal party revolt that made him the nation's fourth leader in little more than two years and will leave deep divisions in his administration's ranks.

Turnbull was sworn in as Australia's 29th prime minister after a surprise ballot of his conservative Liberal Party colleagues voted 54-44 on Monday night to replace Prime Minister Tony Abbott only two years after he was elected. Turnbull's elevation has cemented a culture of disposable leaders as the new norm in Australian politics since the 11-year tenure of Prime Minister John Howard ended in 2007.

"There's been a change of prime minister, but we are a very, very strong government, a very strong country with a great potential and we will realize that potential working very hard together," Turnbull told reporters as he left his Canberra apartment on Tuesday morning.

"This is a turn of events I did not expect, I have to tell you, but it's one that I'm privileged to undertake and one that I'm certainly up to," he added.

Shortly before Turnbull was sworn in, a grim-faced Abbott spoke for the first time since his sudden ouster, warning that the persistent volatility in Australia's government could hurt the nation's standing on the global stage.

"Australia has a role to play in the struggles of the wider world: the cauldron of the Middle East and security in the South China Sea and elsewhere," Abbott told reporters. "I fear that none of this will be helped if the leadership instability that's plagued other countries continues to taint us."

Abbott did not say during his speech whether he will quit politics. But said he would not destabilize the new prime minister.

Turnbull, a 60-year-old former journalist, lawyer and merchant banker known for his moderate views, was party leader for two years before he was ousted in 2009 by Abbott by a single vote in a similar leadership ballot.

Abbott, a 57-year-old former Roman Catholic seminarian, has been described as the most socially conservative Australian prime minister in decades, while Turnbull is considered not conservative enough by the right wing of the party.

Abbott acknowledged his government had not been perfect, though he blamed the poll-heavy culture of modern politics for the frequent upheaval in the nation's leadership.

"We have been a government of men and women, not a government of gods walking upon the earth. Few of us, after all, entirely measure up to expectations," Abbott said. "The nature of politics has changed in the past decade. We have more polls and more commentary than ever before — mostly sour, bitter character assassination. Poll-driven panic has produced a revolving door prime ministership, which can't be good for our country. And a febrile media culture has developed that rewards treachery."

Turnbull's return to the helm will likely lead to a major Cabinet reshuffle, with Treasurer Joe Hockey and Defense Minister Kevin Andrews among the ministers who publicly supported Abbott.

Andrews, a senior figure in the party's right wing, on Tuesday argued that he should retain his defense portfolio.

Andrews challenged Foreign Minister Julie Bishop, a Turnbull supporter, for the Liberal Party's deputy leadership on Monday night, but was defeated by a vote of 70 to 30.

"I did it as a way of reaching out and saying to him that I can work with him, that I believe other people like me can work with him, and that's what we've got to do," Andrews told the Australian Broadcasting Corp in explaining his challenge to Bishop. "There's always hurt and frustration and grief at these circumstances. That's natural. That's human."

Unlike Abbott, Turnbull has supported Australia making polluters pay for their carbon gas emissions to reduce the nation's greenhouse gas emissions and legalizing gay marriage.

But Bishop said the government's policies would not change without consultation with Liberal Party lawmakers.

"The policies remain until they're changed and they're only changed through a process of discussion and consultation with the party room," she said.

She said the party had moved against Abbott because he had not delivered on a promise made in February to improve the government's standing in opinion polls within six months.

"He asked for six months to turn things around. Well, seven months later a majority of the party room felt he hadn't done that," Bishop said.

The political turbulence comes as Australia enters its record 25th year of continuous economic growth. However, a cooling mining boom that helped Australia avoid recession during the global financial crisis has slashed tax revenue and slowed growth while a hostile Senate has blocked key parts of the government's financial agenda.

The Liberals were elected in 2013 as a stable alternative to the then-Labor government. Labor came to power under Kevin Rudd at elections in 2007, only to dump him for his deputy Julia Gillard in 2010 months ahead of elections. The bitterly divided and chaotic government then dumped Gillard for Rudd just months before the 2013 election.

Successive opinion polls showed that the government was likely to lose in next September's elections under Abbott's leadership.

Opinion polls show that Turnbull is more popular than Abbott, but many of those who prefer him vote for the center-left Labor Party.


-- (c) Associated Press 2015-09-15

[Guest]

good news for Australia I think and maybe a small kick for the aussie dollar with a bit of business confidence who knows?

we can only let it play out to see if it is better or worse

[Cats4ever]

Abbot was a real "Barry Crocker" of a PM.

Turnbull is much smarter, connected to a wider community and better able to talk in full sentences.

He will have to watch out for the hard right neo cons who are hiding in the LIBERAL party.

[emilymat]

Not entirely clued up on Aussie politics. However, I suspect the UK Labour Party have taken note of the methodology.

[tigermonkey]

I have never known much about Australian politics other than the frequent changes in leadership. After reading the OP, I now understand that the ruling part is described as both "conservative" and "liberal", yet carries the name Liberal Party, while apparently being home to many ultra-right wing members. The opposition on the other hand is the Labor, which is characterized as being centre-left which means it is home to many liberals and left wingers. No mention is made of ultra-left wing politicians, but i would presume that they also reside in the Labor Party.

Just to bring it all together, we are told that Abbott was kicked out to be replaced by Turnbull, because Turnbull is more popular amongst those who vote for Labor.

Did I get it all right ?

[chuckd]

From the OP:

CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — Australia's ruling conservatives ousted beleaguered Prime Minister Tony Abbott as party leader Monday evening in a change that could signal a different Australian response to climate change and allow for a more moderate agenda that could include recognition of gay marriage.

​I am shocked that Australia does not recognize gay marriage.

With the incessant drum beat of Aussies on this forum telling the world everything that is wrong with the US and this most basic of civil rights has never been addressed by Australia?

Where is all the outrage directed at your own government for this failure of policy?

Perhaps if a little less time was spent on criticizing US politics and the US Constitution, all you Aussies might find time to devote to your own problems.

Just thinking.

[tajtom]

Abbott is a reject and stuffed the country

The worst ever

[samran]

Remember everybody to change your smoke detector batteries everytime there is a change of PM in Australia.

[samran]

Just thinking.

Don't hurt yourself in the process....

[mankondang]

Good to see this farang Mad Monk kicked out. On yar bike mate.

Edited September 15, 2015 by mankondang

[Guest]

I have never known much about Australian politics other than the frequent changes in leadership. After reading the OP, I now understand that the ruling part is described as both "conservative" and "liberal", yet carries the name Liberal Party, while apparently being home to many ultra-right wing members. The opposition on the other hand is the Labor, which is characterized as being centre-left which means it is home to many liberals and left wingers. No mention is made of ultra-left wing politicians, but i would presume that they also reside in the Labor Party.

Just to bring it all together, we are told that Abbott was kicked out to be replaced by Turnbull, because Turnbull is more popular amongst those who vote for Labor.

Did I get it all right ?

yes good take on it, but turnbull is more popular with a wide ranging electorate

[Guest]

From the OP:

CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — Australia's ruling conservatives ousted beleaguered Prime Minister Tony Abbott as party leader Monday evening in a change that could signal a different Australian response to climate change and allow for a more moderate agenda that could include recognition of gay marriage.

​I am shocked that Australia does not recognize gay marriage.

With the incessant drum beat of Aussies on this forum telling the world everything that is wrong with the US and this most basic of civil rights has never been addressed by Australia?

Where is all the outrage directed at your own government for this failure of policy?

Perhaps if a little less time was spent on criticizing US politics and the US Constitution, all you Aussies might find time to devote to your own problems.

Just thinking.

it has been discussed and I think the correct decisions have been made to date

[Mudcrab]

good news for once

Not for Bill Shorten

[Mudcrab]

From the OP:

CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — Australia's ruling conservatives ousted beleaguered Prime Minister Tony Abbott as party leader Monday evening in a change that could signal a different Australian response to climate change and allow for a more moderate agenda that could include recognition of gay marriage.

​I am shocked that Australia does not recognize gay marriage.

With the incessant drum beat of Aussies on this forum telling the world everything that is wrong with the US and this most basic of civil rights has never been addressed by Australia?

Where is all the outrage directed at your own government for this failure of policy?

Perhaps if a little less time was spent on criticizing US politics and the US Constitution, all you Aussies might find time to devote to your own problems.

Just thinking.

Failure of policy?? How long has homosexual marriage been legal in the US..... 2 months or so?

I think you will find gay marriage is pretty low on the list of priorities for the silent majority.

There are more pressing matters that affect the whole country not just a minority group.

My view, and that of many Australians, are that we are sick and tired of every harping minority group shouting out their demands, whether it be gay rights, sharia law etc etc etc.

Gay marriage will (may) eventuate, but it is not on most peoples list of priorities at the moment.

Civil unions have been around quite a while now and gives effect to all the rights a married couple have.

[tajtom]

This is great news he had destroyedour once strong dollar and he was never a united leader and also a arrogant monkey.. The witch was good although many dealted her she made ground and maintained the strength of the country

Abbott is hard in the wrong places

[Mudcrab]

I have never known much about Australian politics other than the frequent changes in leadership. After reading the OP, I now understand that the ruling part is described as both "conservative" and "liberal", yet carries the name Liberal Party, while apparently being home to many ultra-right wing members. The opposition on the other hand is the Labor, which is characterized as being centre-left which means it is home to many liberals and left wingers. No mention is made of ultra-left wing politicians, but i would presume that they also reside in the Labor Party.

Just to bring it all together, we are told that Abbott was kicked out to be replaced by Turnbull, because Turnbull is more popular amongst those who vote for Labor.

Did I get it all right ?

The ultra left wing have hijacked the term Greens and are in a defacto relationship with the Labor Party.

[chuckd]

From the OP:

CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — Australia's ruling conservatives ousted beleaguered Prime Minister Tony Abbott as party leader Monday evening in a change that could signal a different Australian response to climate change and allow for a more moderate agenda that could include recognition of gay marriage.

​I am shocked that Australia does not recognize gay marriage.

With the incessant drum beat of Aussies on this forum telling the world everything that is wrong with the US and this most basic of civil rights has never been addressed by Australia?

Where is all the outrage directed at your own government for this failure of policy?

Perhaps if a little less time was spent on criticizing US politics and the US Constitution, all you Aussies might find time to devote to your own problems.

Just thinking.

Failure of policy?? How long has homosexual marriage been legal in the US..... 2 months or so?

I think you will find gay marriage is pretty low on the list of priorities for the silent majority.

There are more pressing matters that affect the whole country not just a minority group.

My view, and that of many Australians, are that we are sick and tired of every harping minority group shouting out their demands, whether it be gay rights, sharia law etc etc etc.

Gay marriage will (may) eventuate, but it is not on most peoples list of priorities at the moment.

Civil unions have been around quite a while now and gives effect to all the rights a married couple have.

I see you missed the point of my post. Never mind.

[thaibeachlovers]

I think Turnbull is too "nice" to lead Oz through the hard times ahead, now that China isn't buying their dirt anymore.

Times are going to get difficult, and a leader that can kick butt is needed.

[tigermonkey]

I will miss his face periodically on television. His face reminded me so much of Howdy Doody ( not sure why ) and this gave me warm memories of my childhood.

Edited September 15, 2015 by tigermonkey

[khun custard]

"Shortly before Turnbull was sworn in, a grim-faced Abbott spoke for the first time since his sudden ouster, warning that the persistent volatility in Australia's government could hurt the nation's standing on the global stage."

HEY TONY.... WITH THE AU$ HOVERING AT at 24.6 TO THE THAI BAHT LAST WEEK I THINK THE "STANDING" IS NOW "LIMPING"....SOON GROVELING??

"Australia has a role to play in the struggles of the wider world: the cauldron of the Middle East and security in the South China Sea and elsewhere," Abbott told reporters. "I fear that none of this will be helped if the leadership instability that's plagued other countries continues to taint us."

ERR, WRONG AGAIN TONY.

ALL THE AUSTRALIAN GOV. NEEDS TO IS LOOK AFTER IT'S OWN IN THIS "CAULDRON" CALLED ASIA

PERHAPS TWO STEPS:

1) Payment of pensions to Australians who have contributed to the commonwealth but now choose to live outside the once lucky country

2) Ensuring Embassies and officials actually give a shit about expat Australians other than visa fee collecting and focusing on the business community and chambers of commerce abroad.

Rectify the above and the Libs might put the rights and benefits of Australian's abroad on a similar footing with the countrymen generations of Australians have historically died for defending their ideologies.

IF this doctrine is to prevail with Turnbull, will the wise men of the Liberal persuasion ever learn the lessons from Vietnam, Afghanistan future pursuits of WMD's?

No surprised the Peppermint Grovite with the million mile stare is back in the No. 2 spot - watch out Mal you might not make it to polling day in the top job !! ;-)

[TooPoopedToPop]

I will miss his face periodically on television. His face reminded me so much of Howdy Doody ( not sure why ) and this gave me warm memories of my childhood.

Me too.

I think it's the ears.