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AUSTRALIA-POLITICS-TURNBULL
Deposed Australian PM Turnbull quits parliament
SYDNEY, Aug 31, 2018 (BSS/AFP) – Deposed Australian prime minister Malcolm
Turnbull officially resigned from parliament Friday, sparking a by-election
for his Sydney seat that could threaten the government’s slim one-seat
majority.
Moderate Turnbull, 63, was ousted a week ago in a Liberal party coup driven
by a hardline conservative faction and he indicated at the time he would not
move to the backbench.
New Prime Minister Scott Morrison paid tribute to his “legacy of great
achievement”.
“Malcolm Turnbull’s retirement draws to a close 14 years of committed
service to the Australian people and his beloved electorate of Wentworth,
culminating in his term as prime minister,” he said.
“The Liberal Party thanks him for his commitment to our values and calm
stewardship of our great institution, even in times of difficulty.”
Turnbull was unseated after almost three years by a determined challenge
from his own Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton, who himself lost out to a
stealth campaign by Morrison, a Turnbull ally, in a party ballot.
His transition to civilian life should be smooth. Turnbull was one of
Australia’s wealthiest parliamentarians and he went to Canberra after
previous stints as a journalist, banker, lawyer and businessman.
His departure will trigger a by-election for his Sydney seat, potentially
in early October, leaving Morrison in a precarious position with no majority
for two sitting weeks of parliament.
The seat is traditionally a Liberal safe haven, although a backlash against
the government’s political infighting could make this less certain.
Several Liberal candidates have already emerged, including former Business
Council of Australia executive director Andrew Bragg and Dave Sharma, who
used to be ambassador to Israel.
The Greens and Labor are also expected to field candidates.
BSS/AFP/MR/1529 hrs