Via The Australian:
Tony Abbott has intensified his attack on Liberal colleagues critical of his stance on immigration, saying comments by Scott Morrison, Mathias Cormann and Steve Ciobo this week were “inept” and suggested the Turnbull government was “floundering”.
…Mr Abbott suggested Mr Morrison, Mr Cormann and Mr Ciobo were “living in a Canberra bubble” and were not geniuses.
“We ought to be capable of having a sensible debate …When some subjects are thought to be completely off limits for debate well governments founder and resentment grows. And the public are not mugs,” he said.
“Government ministers run away from [a discussion about lowering immigration] suggests they are living in a Canberra bubble. If they want to take pot shots at me, well I’m sorry but I will respond and I will respond and respond very forcefully because they are not such geniuses that they are the possessors of all political and economic wisdom.”
Barnaby Joyce is increasingly likely to quit his job as Deputy Prime Minister and head to the backbench when he gives a press conference on Friday afternoon.
Such a move would bring an end to the scandal that has engulfed Mr Joyce for more than two weeks after it was revealed that he was expecting a baby boy with his former staffer-turned-partner, Vikki Campion.
Adults in charge.
