The federal Liberal backbencher Luke Simpkins has submitted a motion to spill the party’s leadership positions, beginning the process to force a vote on Tony Abbott’s prime ministership next week.
Abbott’s supporters had been calling for the prime minister to be given more time to turn around the government’s flagging fortunes, but Simpkins announced on Friday he had begun the formal process to declare the leadership positions open.
The WA-based backbencher told his colleagues he had submitted to the chief government whip a motion to spill the positions, and this should be considered in a secret ballot at the party room meeting next week. It was seconded by WA backbencher Don Randall.
Simpkins said he did not have frontbench ambitions but felt the need to bring the issue to a head “and test the support of the leadership in the party room”.
More details soon …
The Nationals are not happy. There they were, standing at the front of the church, and here comes a different bride waltzing down the aisle. (And we thought the Nats were against gay marriage.) Here he is in the Northern Daily Leader.
Member for New England Barnaby Joyce has warned the Nationals may walk away from the Coalition in the wake of an upcoming spill next Tuesday.
News of the spill broke this afternoon when Western Australian Liberal MP Luke Simpkins confirmed he will seek a leadership spill against Prime Minister Tony Abbott.
“What I say to my colleagues in the Liberal party is this: we didn’t want this. We gave you fair warning,” Mr Joyce told the Leader.
“Do not consider that the National party support is without question.”
“If all of a sudden a different person is walking down the aisle towards us, don’t necessarily think the wedding is still on.”
olddogthoughts 