Turnbull calls Dutton’s bluff, describes “bullying” putsch

Via ABC:

Malcolm Turnbull says his intention is to call a Liberal party room meeting at midday tomorrow, if he sees the letter with a majority of MPs supporting Peter Dutton.

The PM says it’s important to get the solicitor-general’s advice on his rival’s eligibility to sit in Parliament.

And more:

When asked by AFR political editor Phillip Coorey whether he would remain in the Parliament if he was no longer Prime Minister, Malcolm Turnbull said he would not.

“No, I made it very clear that I believe former Prime Ministers are best out of the Parliament,” Mr Turnbull said.

The winner will have to govern in the minority. Good luck! Here’s the full press conference:

Australians will be rightly appalled by what they’re witnessing in their nation’s Parliament today and in the course of this week. So I don’t want to enter into a debate about recent events, but set out what is going to happen next.

Now, the house has been adjourned at the request of Mr Dutton and so I now await a letter with the signatures of a majority of the party room. If I receive it – which is 43. If I receive that then I will convene a new party room meeting.

The party room, of course, met on Tuesday and confirmed my leadership by a majority. So we need to see that there is a majority of members and they need to put their names to it too.

These are momentous times and it’s important that people are accountable for what they’re doing. So assuming I get that letter, which I read in the press is already in place, but perhaps maybe it isn’t, we’ll see, but as soon as I get that, my intention is to hold a party meeting at midday tomorrow.

This is a very, very significant point. As we all know section 44 has been a companion of this 45th Parliament, but we can – I cannot underline too much how important it is that anyone who seeks to be prime minister of Australia is eligible to be a member of parliament because a minister, let alone a prime minister, who is not eligible to sit in the House is not capable of validly being a minister or exercising any of the powers of a minister. So you can understood how important – understand how important this issue is.

Now, the solicitor general was briefed on it yesterday and I’m sure is working to complete his advice, but it’s a very important point. So – and of course we don’t know what he’ll say. But that advice at least will mean the party room is informed and, indeed, Mr Dutton is informed. That may, you know, impact on his decision to run or not.

In terms of my own intentions, when the party room meeting is called, I will invite a spill motion to be moved. If the motion is carried, I will treat that as a vote of no confidence and I will not stand as a candidate in the ballot.

So that – those are the events that will unfold over the next few days. There’s time enough to talk about the implications of these events. I just say this to you all, as you know, the government that I have led has been a very effective one.

We have achieved an enormous amount in economic reform and social reform in this parliament despite the fact that we have had a one-seat majority in the House and a minority in the Senate. The cabinet has worked very, very cohesively and confidentially. It’s been a very good cabinet. I want to thank all the cabinet ministers.

The reality is that a minority in the party room supported by others outside the parliament have sought to bully, intimidate others into making this change of leadership that they’re seeking.

It is a – it’s been described by many people, including those who feel they cannot resist it as a form – resist it – as a form of madness, and it is remarkable we’re at this point where only a month ago we were being, as you all know being avid readers of polls, just little bit behind Labor and in our own polls a little bit ahead but in any view thoroughly competitive.

So those are the events that will unfold over the next few days.