A leadership'spill' has given Australia its fourth prime minister in just two years.
Nevil Gibson talks about the Australian leadership change on NBR Radio and on demand on MyNBR Radio.
New Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull says he will offer a “different style of leadership” after toppling Tony Abbott.
Mr Turnbull triggered the late night “spill” after convincing a majority of Liberal MPs to end months of agonising over the government’s failure to restore its political fortunes.
The vote was 54 to 44 votes. Cabinet ministers including deputy Liberal leader and Foreign Minister Julie Bishop threw their support behind Mr Turnbull.
Ms Bishop retained her position by 70 to 30 votes against Defence Minister Kevin Andrews, who was one of Mr Abbott’s strongest allies.
Mr Abbott has become Australia's shortest-serving prime minister. He entered Parliament in a March 1994 by-election and was ousted four days’ shy of his two-year anniversary of being sworn in as prime minister.
Labor’s Julia Gillard lasted a year and seven days longer than Mr Abbott while Kevin Rudd, who in turn was to lose the leadership to Ms Gillard and then regain it, lasted 290 days longer.
Mr Turnbull is expected to embark on a dramatic overhaul of the government, including replacing treasurer Joe Hockey with Scott Morrison.
But there will be no reshuffle until after Parliament rises at the end of this week and Mr Turnbull is officially installed.
A motivation for Liberal MPs was that a new leader could intensify pressure on Labor’s Bill Shorten, who has a long lead in opinion polls.
Speaking after the “spill” just before 11pm local time in Canberra, Mr Turnbull said the government would run its full term.
Mr Turnbull pledged to bring Australians with him as the government tackled the economic reforms needed.
“This will be a thoroughly Liberal government committed to freedom, the individual and the market,” he said.
“We cannot be defensive, we cannot future-proof ourselves. We have to recognise that the disruption that we see, driven by technology, that volatility and change is our friend if we are agile and smart enough to take advantage of it.
“We need to respect the intelligence of the Australian people,” Mr Turnbull said in reference to the need for stronger economic leadership and a clear rebuke to Mr Abbott over his rhetoric and inability to persuade voters to accept reform.
“The one thing that is clear about our current situation is the trajectory. We have lost 30 Newspolls in a row. It is clear that the people have made up their mind about Mr Abbott’s leadership.”
