Malcolm Turnbull, Communications Minister, is stepping down from his post to challenge Tony Abbott over the leadership of the Liberal Party calling for “a different style of leadership”. The Liberal Party will hold a ballot this evening to decide whether it backs Turnbull in his opposition, or sticks with Abbott.
Turnbull said in a video statement today that the Prime Minister had not been capable of providing the economic leadership the nation needs, or providing the economic confidence that business needs.
“We are living as Australians in the most exciting time. The big economic changes we are living through … offer enormous challenges and enormous opportunity and we need a different style of leadership – that explains those challenges and opportunities. A style of leadership that respects the people's intelligence and sets out a course of action we believe we should take and makes a case for it.
“We need advocacy not slogans and respect the intelligence of the Australian people. If we continue with MR Abbott as PM, it is clear what will happen. He will cease being PM ans he'll be succeed y Mr Shorten. You only have to see the catastrophically reckless approach of Mr Shorten to the China free trade agreement to know that he is categorically unfit to be the prime minister of this country.”
It is the second time that Abbott has faced a leadership challenge, after Liberal backbenchers brought a spill in in February. Despite heading off that crisis 61 votes to 39, speculation has been mounting in recent days that he would again be faced with dissent from within his own party.
Foreign Minister Julie Bishop, has also opted not to publicly back the Prime Minister. It is not known who would take on the Communicators Minister role.
Watch the ABC's full video of Turnbull's statement:
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