CLANCY OVERELL | Editor | CONTACT
Tony Abbott has today fronted a press conference, in front of the select few journalists he doesn’t believe have a left-wing agenda, to recap on today’s events in Canberra.
Following the news that Malcolm Turnbull has only just beaten Peter Dutton 48-35 in a snap Liberal leadership spill. The Prime Minister forced his rival to show his hand by declaring all leadership positions vacant as soon as the party room meeting started this morning.
Mr Turnbull won the vote and his deputy Julie Bishop was the only candidate for her role. But the result is so narrow it is set to create ongoing problems for the Government, and the fact that nearly half the party want the Minister For Home Affairs is a fair indicator of a definite loss at next Federal election.
Mr Dutton has since volunteered his resignation from the cabinet, and will remain in the back bench for the next couple months where he will throw peanuts at the Prime Minister until it is time for another spill, which he will most likely win.
Speaking to Sky News, 2GB and The Daily Telegraph today at an invitation only press conference, Tony Abbott says this is what happens when a man that he has a personal vendetta against decides to maybe consider that the multinational mining companies that pay lobbyists millions to take him to lunch could be responsible for damaging the environment.
As well as the whole gay marriage thing, and all this talk of multiculturalism.
“These polls suggest that me and some of my other nameless backbench colleagues might lose our seats at the next election” he said.
“That’s our salaries on the line, mate. This is why Dutton looks like a good option. Because we don’t understand the 24-hour news cycle and we hate that he vaguely validates the research of independent scientists who are working to save the Great Barrier Reef”
“Or the human rights lawyers telling us that what is happening on Nauru is cruel. This is where he went wrong”
