The new Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison attends a swearing-in ceremony as his wife Jenny looks on, in Canberra, Australia August 24, 2018.
Australia's new prime minister toured drought-hit farms on Monday to show voters after a week of turmoil the government was back to work, but a leading opinion poll showed it now faces an even greater chance of electoral defeat after changing leaders.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison became Australia's sixth leader in less than a decade on Friday after a faction of his Liberal party drove the ouster of Malcolm Turnbull but then failed to get its candidate elected leader.
The ruling Liberal-National coalition's primary vote dropped four points to 33 percent, a Newspoll showed, while the two-party-preferred split between the opposition Labor party and the coalition blew out from 51-49 in favour of Labor two weeks ago to 56-44, which would translate into a heavy election defeat.
Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said on Sunday she has resigned from new Prime Minister Scott Morrison's Cabinet, two days after a bruising leadership battle that toppled former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull.Bishop announced she would move to the backbench and had not yet decided whether to contest the next election, which is due by May 2019. That decision could have serious implications for Morrison's government, which has a parliamentary majority of only one seat.Morrison emerged as the surprise winner of Friday's party-room vote to replace Turnbull after a week of political chaos in Canberra that marked the emergence of Australia's sixth prime minister in less than 10 years.He took over as leader of the Liberal Party, the senior partner in a Liberal-National coalition that has consistently trailed the opposition Labor party in opinion polls in recent months.Bishop contested Friday's vote but was eliminated in the first round, with Morrison then emerging as a surprise compromise winner over Peter Dutton, Turnbull's conservative challenger who brought the leadership crisis to a head earlier in the week."I will remain on the backbench as a strong voice for Western Australia," Bishop said in a statement soon after she arrived back in her home state.The possibility that Bishop could leave parliament before the next election will be a major concern for Morrison, Turnbull's former treasurer, because it opens the possibility of another by-election being held for her seat.His party will already have to contest a by-election for Turnbull's harbourside electorate in Sydney, traditionally a safe Liberal seat. Turnbull's resignation from parliament was expected in the coming week.Morrison has spent his first two full days in power working on a new Cabinet, although the only confirmed change so far is that his Liberal deputy and former energy minister Josh Frydenburg will take over as treasurer.Australian Treasurer wins ballot to be next prime ministerAustralia's new PM says no plans for an early election
Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop resigns from Cabinet
The Newspoll, published by The Australian newspaper, also showed Labor leader Bill Shorten was now preferred prime minister among voters. The next election is due by May 2019.
Morrison, a Turnbull supporter, promised a new generation of leadership, and an end to political infighting.
"Australians expect that of their parliament and I'm pleased that's the case," Morrison told reporters when asked about comments from former prime minister Tony Abbott, a leader of the conservative faction that ousted Turnbull, that the "era of the political assassin is over".
Treasurer Scott Morrison will become Australia's new prime minister after winning a Liberal party leadership vote on Friday, ending an internecine battle that has scarred the conservative government ahead of an election due by May 2019.Morrison's victory, however, may not end the political uncertainty in Australia with outgoing prime minister Malcolm Turnbull saying he would resign from parliament, forcing a by-election and risking the government's one-seat majority.The Liberal party is the senior partner in the conservative Liberal-National coalition government that has consistently trailed opposition Labor in opinion polls in recent months. Bookmakers on Friday had Labor a favourite to win the next poll.Morrison will be Australia's sixth prime minister in less than 10 years after winning a three-way race with former home affairs minister Peter Dutton, who brought on the latest political crisis, and Foreign Minister Julie Bishop.Turnbull, who called the leadership meeting after losing the majority support of the party, opted not to contest the vote. Turnbull told reporters after the vote he would leave parliament "not before too long".Turnbull blamed his demise on "vengeance, personal ambition, factional feuding" in his party, led by conservative lawmakers including former prime minister Tony Abbott, the man he toppled in a party-room coup in September 2015."Australians will be dumbstruck and so appalled at the conduct of the past week," said Turnbull. No sitting prime minister has lasted a full term in the past decade.Australia's new PM says no plans for an early election'Revolving Doors'Liberal party member Warren Entsch said after the leadership vote: "This revolving door of prime ministers has got to stop."The Liberal party leadership battle was sparked on Tuesday when Dutton launched an unsuccessful challenge to Turnbull. Under intense pressure to call a second vote, Turnbull convened a party meeting on Friday after receiving a letter signed by the majority of party members calling for a change of leader.Morrison defeated Dutton in a final party room ballot 45-40.His victory was welcomed by financial markets, which have been rocked by the political instability. Australian shares edged higher on Friday, rebounding after three days of losses that saw the benchmark fall 1.5 percent."PM Morrison is the most market-friendly option," said Annette Beacher, Chief Asia-Pac Macro Strategist at TD Securities in Singapore.However, Beacher said markets would be looking to see whether Morrison can narrow the gap with opposition Labor."The skew towards the Labor party at this stage ensures they will form government at the next election," she said.It was also hoped Morrison would end the political instability that has plagued Australia."The political turmoil of the past decade has come at the cost of our global competitiveness ... the business community needs policy certainty to promote investment and improve business confidence." said Tony Johnson, chief executive officer of Ernest & Young.However, Morrison's narrow victory suggested possibly more political instability, said Shane Oliver, chief economist at AMP Capital."Scott Morrison's relatively low margin of victory still poses the risk that there may still be more turmoil ahead," he said.
Australian Treasurer wins ballot to be next prime minister
"The age of bitterness has come to a close, and the age of working together and focusing on the future has come," Morrison said on his visit to Quilpie, a small outback town about 1,000 km (620 miles) west of Brisbane, capital of Queensland state.
Morrison's new cabinet included a number of ministers who were involved in Turnbull's ouster, taken as a sign he was trying to unite the party. However, there was no ministerial role for Abbott, currently a backbencher.
Among the reappointments was Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton, who challenged Turnbull for the leadership last week.
Australia's incoming prime minister Scott Morrison hosed down speculation of an early election and said on Friday a severe drought across the country's east will be his immediate priority."I don't think anyone should be making any plans for an election any time soon," Morrison, the former treasurer, told reporters in Canberra.Energy minister Josh Frydenberg will be the new treasurer, Morrison announced after winning a Liberal party leadership vote earlier in the day. Australia bans China's Huawei from mobile network project, angers BeijingAustralian consulate in Indonesian city boosts security after threatAustralia foreign minister Bishop to run for PM
Australia's new PM says no plans for an early election
Morrison has a one-seat majority, but will face a by-election as Turnbull plans to leave parliament soon. A second by-election may be called if former foreign minister Julie Bishop, who lost her leadership bid last Friday, quits parliament before the next election.
Voter anger at the leadership change lit up social media websites and newspaper letters pages on Monday, with some voters calling for an early election so they can decide who runs the country.
"For the benefit of all Australians, and for the benefit of democracy, call an election, Mr Morrison," wrote Ben J. on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) news website.
Australia has banned Chinese telecoms firm Huawei Technologies Co Ltd from supplying equipment for a 5G mobile network, citing risks of foreign interference and hacking which Beijing dismissed as an "excuse" to tilt the playing field against a Chinese firm.The move, following advice from security agencies, signals a hardening of Australia's stance toward its biggest trading partner as relations have soured over Canberra's allegations of Chinese meddling in Australian politics.It also brings Australia in line with the United States, which has restricted Huawei and compatriot ZTE Corp from its lucrative market for similar reasons.The government said in an emailed statement on Thursday that national security regulations typically applied to telecom carriers would now be extended to equipment suppliers.Firms "who are likely to be subject to extrajudicial directions from a foreign government" would leave the nation's network vulnerable to unauthorised access or interference, and presented a security risk, the statement said.It did not name the Chinese firm specifically, but an Australian government official said the order was aimed at Huawei and precluded its involvement in the network.Huawei's Australian arm, which strenuously denies it is controlled by Beijing, said on Twitter on Thursday that the action was an "extremely disappointing result for consumers".In Beijing, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang said China expressed "serious concern", adding that Australia should not "use various excuses to artificially erect barriers"."We urge the Australian government to abandon ideological prejudices and provide a fair competitive environment for Chinese companies' operations in Australia," Lu said at a daily news briefing.Chinese law requires organisations and citizens to support, assist and cooperate with intelligence work, which analysts say can make Huawei's equipment a conduit for espionage."That's what you get when you have the aligned strategy of a Chinese company with the Chinese government," said John Watters, Executive Vice President and Chief Corporate Strategy Officer of cybersecurity firm FireEye Inc."(Australia) basically made a decision to spend more money to have more control over their national communication system, because they're up against a competitor that will sacrifice near-term margin for long-term intelligence advantage," he said.Australia had previously banned Huawei, the world's largest maker of telecommunications network gear, from providing equipment for its fibre-optic network and moved to block it from laying submarine cables in the Pacific.But Huawei's exclusion from the mobile network comes at a time of particularly strained relations between Australia and China, which Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull had two weeks ago sought to reset with a conciliatory speech."It is ... out of step with this attempt to reset the relationship," said James Leibold, Associate Professor of Politics and Asian Studies at La Trobe University."They're not going to forget Turnbull's earlier strident language anytime soon," he said.Turnbull's tenure as prime minister appeared doomed on Thursday as his ruling party struggled with an internecine leadership battle which saw ministers desert Turnbull and call for a leadership vote. US, China to resume trade talks in Washington amid low expectationsChina reiterates support for Turkey's economyChina complains about Pentagon report, says it is 'pure guesswork'China think tank slammed for "procreation fund" idea
Australia bans China's Huawei from mobile network project, angers Beijing
Donna C, also on the ABC website said that Morrison's government had "just lost my vote".
"The demeaning of the office of PM has to stop. If your own party cannot respect the office, then how do you expect the Australian people to respect it?" she wrote.