Parliament halted, PM facing revolt: Here's what's happening in Australia
The Australian politics is facing a major crisis with the Parliament being adjourned for two weeks, and Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull facing a leadership battle. The PM is fighting tooth and nail to retain his position amid rebellion from the right-wing section of his party. In the last decade, political coups have made Australian politics turbulent. Let us explain.
Turnbull overthrew Abbott; is it his turn now?
In the last decade, three sitting PMs were forced to resign after facing rebellion from their own party leaders. Turnbull did the same to Tony Abbott in 2015. As a result, no one has managed to complete the full three-year term in office. Notably, Australian PM isn't chosen by voters but is the leader of the party/coalition that can claim a majority in Parliament.
Understanding why Turnbull's own have turned against him
One of the reasons behind PMs' failure to complete the full term is their non-popularity. The same goes for Turnbull. Things took a tumultuous turn when the right-wing section of his Liberal party turned against him. A loss in by-elections and warring thoughts on issues like climate changes fanned the sparks. Former Home Minister Peter Dutton is leading the attack on the PM.
Who is Peter Dutton, the man challenging Turnbull?
A former policeman, Dutton, is challenging Turnbull. A hardline conservative, he was at the center of Australia's controversial laws on asylum seekers. His stand on migrants drew criticism from UN. On the ire, Dutton had said it was tough but it gave him professional satisfaction.
Turnbull won leadership-vote but his woes are far from over
On Tuesday, Dutton challenged Turnbull and lost. In leadership ballot, Turnbull got 48 votes and Dutton 35. While this brought a slight relief to Turnbull, resignations of three seniors: Finance Minister Mathias Cormann, and employment and education ministers, served a major blow to him. Now, Dutton (who resigned earlier), has said he would challenge Turnbull again this week, on Friday.
Facing ouster, Turnbull says will resign but on one condition
Addressing the crisis, Turnbull said he will step aside if Dutton was able to show him signatures of unhappy ministers. In a tone which hinted he was ready for battle, Turnbull said, "Australians will be rightly appalled by what they're witnessing in their nation's parliament today and in the course of this week." He said this protest was a form of madness.
Meanwhile, Australian parliament has been adjourned
The repercussions of this uncertainty were visible soon. The Parliament was adjourned till September 10, meaning no laws will be passed in this period. The Question Time, where PM was to face questions from MPs, was cancelled. Turnbull was welcomed with 'You're a disgrace' statements. Wading into the row, Opposition Labor Leader Bill Shorten said the country no longer had a functional government.
