Malcolm Turnbull to be Australia's next Prime Minister

Malcolm Turnbull wins Liberal leadership

MALCOLM Turnbull will be the next Australian prime minister, after beating Tony Abbott for the Liberal leadership.

The former communications minister won the partyroom ballot 54-44.

There was a second vote for deputy leader, which Foreign Minister Julie Bishop won over Kevin Andrews, 70-30.

HOW IT WENT DOWN

After remaining coy about his leadership ambitions for the best part of the year, Mr Turnbull announced that he would challenge Mr Abbott in Canberra this afternoon.

Mr Turnbull has savaged Mr Abbott’s leadership style, saying “we need advocacy, not slogans”.

He said Mr Abbott was not “capable” of the “economic leadership” needed to run the country.

Perhaps the most convincing point Mr Turnbull made was that the Coalition had lost the past 30 Newspolls in a row.

“Ultimately, the Prime Minister has not been capable of providing the economic leadership … he has not been capable of providing the economic confidence that business needs,” he said this afternoon.

So the Liberals have a new party leader and Australia will have a new Prime Minister. Malcolm Turnbull has defeated Tony Abbott in a leadership ballot that was conducted earlier this evening. He won the ballot with 54 votes to Abbott's 44. Not as close as last time, but I would still not label it as "decisive".

Is this a good change for Australia? Or is the problem with the party and not the leader? Only time will tell.

What are your thoughts?

a reply to: Dark Ghost



WHOO HOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Turnbull is a MUCH better choice than Abbott ever was. While I am not a Liberal supporter, given a choice between the two then Turnbull wins hands down.

The only problem I have is Turnbulls gutting of the NBN, although Im keeping my fingers crossed this will change now that the "Suppository of Wisdom" is out.

On a side note, someone posted something funny on Facebook: That this will be the first Prime Minister who will consider the move to Kirribilli House as a downgrade!

Aussie politics is such a mess now, wait, what am I saying, it's been a mess since Howard left, nearly 10 years now.

8 years - 6 Prime Ministers if you count Rudd twice..

Turnbull is a slight improvement over Abbott, barely.

Expect a strong push for a republic in coming months/years...Turnbull was the chairman of the Australian Rupublican movement for 7-8 years.

a reply to: Kryties

I also prefer Turnbull over Abbott, but don't forget it's more about the party's policies than the world-view of one individual.


a reply to: Chadwickus

Agreed. Interesting that he was chairman of that movement.

I just hope he actually shows his balls which he likes to swing about, especially when liberal were not in power. He actually seems to talk with intelligence, and hopefully he shows that and doesn't freeze on the spot and become a puppet (like Julia Gillard).
Maybe, just maybe this will keep the liberals in for another term so they can actually focus on getting things done and get us out of the 1950's that Abbot was so fond off.
Gay marriage may actually have a chance now.... We might even lower our middle finger to climate change.... And in a dreamworld, he will fix the destructive mess that happened to the actual good NBN plan and reinstate fiber to the home instead of the 'cheaper' solution which is so backwards its not funny.


There is certainly some hope for change, but there is also quite some backlash with blind Abbott supporters on talkback radio who are outraged. The brainwashed three word slogans certainly seem to worm into the feeble minded and I was so glad Turnbull pointed that out to the media and called him on it.
I suppose the downside is comedians will have to fill the hole that Abbot gave them on a daily basis. At least Turnbull will not be so embarrassing for the nation.

I'm hearing quite some support from labor supporters over the move, it will be an interesting election in (8 months?)!

Well, I am very happy to get rid of the arrogant, power hungry prick.

Will Turnbull be any better, well probably! Time will tell.

It is interesting how power can corrupt a person. Turnbull seems to be a capable person as long as the PM position does not go to his head.

I really do wish that the US Government would keep their noses out of our affairs. They often move behind the scenes. Rudd is a case in point. He wanted to foster a closer relation to China and that would have been good for our markets ... but the US hated that move ... so he had to go!

Time will tell, but we do need a strong sensible leader, we have not had one since grandfather Howard. He led well even if I disliked many of his policies, he still did the job well.

P