Former PM Malcolm Turnbull slams Liberal Party in BBC interview

Original article by
News.com.au – Page: Online : 8-Mar-19

Former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull has claimed in an interview with British journalist Andrew Neil that he was ousted because the Liberal Party believed that he would win the 2019 election. Turnbull maintains that the Coalition had been in a winnable position when he was ousted in August. He says public opinion polls of the time showed that support for the Coalition and Labor was evenly split, and that the Coalition was ahead in marginal seats. Turnbull adds that the Liberals can still win the election, but notes that successor Scott Morrison is faring worse than him in the polls.

CORPORATES
LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET

Huge taxpayer bill

Original article by Rob Harris, Claire Bickers
Herald Sun – Page: 4 : 11-Dec-18

Analysis shows that the pension, travel and office entitlements of former Australian prime ministers have cost taxpayers about $19m in total since 2010. Meanwhile, new figures show that the ousting of ex-prime minister Malcolm Turnbull in August has cost more than $4.5m in severance pay This includes nearly $1.9m in payouts for 35 staffers who opted not to remain in the prime minister’s office following the leadership spill.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET

Defeated Lib urged to take Kroger role

Original article by Rachel Baxendale
The Australian – Page: 8 : 6-Dec-18

Robert Clark and Marcia Coleman are tipped to be contenders to succeed Michael Kroger as president of the Liberal Party of Victoria. There is also support within the party for John Pesutto to nominate for the presidency, after he lost the seat of Hawthorn at the state election. The former shadow attorney-general has indicated that he may also be open to taking up a seat in the upper house. Meanwhile, Michael O’Brien is widely expected to be elected as Liberal leader at a partyroom meeting on 6 December.

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LIBERAL PARTY OF VICTORIA, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

PM to end leadership turmoil

Original article by Joe Kelly
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 4-Dec-18

The federal government has announced changes to the Liberal Party’s leadership rules that will prevent a prime minister from being challenged during their term in office. Prime Minister Scott Morrison says the government understands the frustration and disappointment of ordinary Australians when an elected prime minister is ousted in a partyroom ballot. Morrison sought the views of former prime ministers John Howard and Tony Abbott regarding the reforms, although his immediate predecessor Malcolm Turnbull was not consulted. Labor implemented similar reforms under Kevin Rudd in 2013.

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LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, UNITED STATES. EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF HOME AFFAIRS, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, LIBERAL-NATIONAL PARTY OF QUEENSLAND

Aspiring Liberal leader Pesutto may lose seat

Original article by Ben Potter
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 7 : 29-Nov-18

Michael O’Brien and John Pesutto have declared that they will contest the Liberal Party of Victoria’s leadership following the resignation of Opposition leader Matthew Guy in the wake of the election rout. However, Pesutto may be ousted from the seat of Hawthorn, with Labor candidate John Kennedy taking a narrow lead in the latest vote counting. Labor is now expected to have about 55 seats in the new parliament, compared with around 28 for the Liberal-National coalition.

CORPORATES
LIBERAL PARTY OF VICTORIA, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, VICTORIA. DEPT OF PREMIER AND CABINET

McGowan threat to unruly Nationals

Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 4 : 23-Oct-18

Independent MP Cathy McGowan has signalled that she may not continue to support the federal government on confidence and supply if there is a change of leadership at the National Party. McGowan has warned that her constituents in rural Victoria would not welcome more leadership turmoil in Canberra. The future of Nationals leader Michael McCormack has been under scrutiny, amid speculation that he may face a challenge from predecessor Barnaby Joyce.

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NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET

Nats leader’s warning as Joyce circles

Original article by Joe Kelly
The Australian – Page: 1 & 5 : 18-Oct-18

There is growing speculation that the position of National Party leader Michael McCormack could be under threat, and some Nationals MPs are said to support restoring Barnaby Joyce to the role ahead of the next federal election. Joyce himself has emphasised that he has not lobbied his colleagues regarding a leadership spill, although he concedes that he would accept the party’s leadership if the opportunity arose. Nationals frontbenchers David Littleproud and Darren Chester both say a leadership spill is unlikely.

CORPORATES
NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF AGRICULTURE AND WATER RESOURCES

Stokes rejects ABC: I didn’t plot to oust PM

Original article by Darren Davidson, Sam Buckingham-Jones
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 20-Sep-18

Seven West Media chairman Kerry Stokes has refuted suggestions that himself and fellow media magnate Rupert Murdoch had any role in the demise of former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull. The ABC has claimed in reports on its evening news bulletin and online that in the lead-up to the ousting of Turnbull, Murdoch told Stokes that Turnbull had to go. The reports were filed by the ABC’s national political editor, Andrew Probyn, who has previously worked for Seven West Media. Stokes says Probyn should therefore know that he does not engage in "speculative political gossip".

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SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, SEVEN NETWORK LIMITED, WEST AUSTRALIAN NEWSPAPERS HOLDINGS LIMITED

PM’s house of chaos

Original article by Simon Benson, Geoff Chambers, Joe Kelly, Rachel Baxendale
The Australian – Page: 1 & 8 : 24-Aug-18

Mathias Cormann and Mitch Fifield are among 10 ministers who resigned on 23 August, as the federal government’s leadership crisis deepened. A second leadership spill is expected to be held on 24 August, with Peter Dutton, Scott Morrison and Julie Bishop set to run. Coalition MPs who have backed a petition for a second ballot are believed to be close to securing the 43 signatures which Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull says will be necessarily for a spill to be held; he has also threatened to resign from parliament if there is a second spill. Thirteen ministers in total have offered to resign since the leadership crisis began.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF AGRICULTURE AND WATER RESOURCES, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FINANCE, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF COMMUNICATIONS AND THE ARTS, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF INDUSTRY, INNOVATION AND SCIENCE, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND TRADE, AUSTRALIA. OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR-GENERAL, AUSTRALIA. OFFICE OF THE SOLICITOR-GENERAL

Nats to reclaim power in new deal

Original article by Tom McIlroy
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 7 : 24-Aug-18

National Party MP Kevin Hogan claims he will move to the crossbenches if Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull is replaced as Liberal leader on 24 August. Hogan, who represents the seat of Page in New South Wales, says the Liberal Party does not "deserve my support". It is understood that the Nationals will move to reassert their power within the Coalition agreement if Turnbull is ousted, while Nationals leader Michael McCormack says the decision as to who should be Liberal leader is up to its MPs.

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NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA 21 LIMITED