Tony Abbott's response to Malcolm Turnbull's call for spill
I have been heartened by the messages of support flooding into Liberal MPs' offices this evening saying most emphatically, "We are not the Labor Party."
I want to repeat that; I have been most heartened by the messages of support flooding into Liberal MPs' offices saying most emphatically, "We are not the Labor Party."
This country needs strong and stable Government and that means avoiding, at all costs, Labor's revolving-door Prime Ministership.
Since coming to Government, our team has stopped the boats, improved the Budget, cut taxes and increased jobs. We have laid the foundation for a better deal for families and for small business.
You can trust me to deliver a stronger economy and a safer community.
The Prime Ministership of this country is not a prize or a plaything to be demanded.
It should be something which is earned by a vote of the Australian people.
There will be a Party Room ballot for both the leadership and deputy leadership positions later this evening.
I will be a candidate and I expect to win.
Obviously, I am dismayed by the destabilisation that's been taking place now for many, many months and I do say to my fellow Liberals that the destabilisation just has to stop.
Let me finish on this note – I firmly believe that our Party is better than this, that our Government is better than this and, by God, that our country is so much better than this.
Malcolm Turnbull challenges PM
Australian former minister of communications Malcolm Turnbull launched a leadership challenge against Prime Minister Tony Abbott on Monday.
Turnbull announced that he was resigning from his position as communications minister to challenge the prime minister for the Liberal Party leadership, informing Abbott after Question Time in parliament.
Turnbull told the press that Australians had "made up their minds" about Abbott's leadership.
He said he consulted with colleagues before deciding that he would be challenging the prime minister for the position, a sign he was confident of successfully winning a leadership vote.
"I met with the prime minister and advised him that I would be challenging him for the leadership of the Liberal party," Turnbull told the press on Monday, "I have also resigned as communications minister."
"This is not a decision that anyone could take lightly. I have consulted with many, many colleagues, many Australians and many of our supporters in every walk of life. This course of action has been urged on me."
Turnbull said Abbott had failed in his quest to economic governance, calling into question the prime minister's style of leadership.
"Ultimately the prime minister has not been capable of providing the economic leadership this nation needs. He has not been capable of providing the economic confidence that business needs," Turnbull said.
"We need a different style of leadership."
Turnbull also cited the opposition's growing popularity as another reason for the challenge, saying that under Tony Abbott, the Liberal party would be thrown out of government and replaced with a "reckless" Labor government which would destroy the China- Australia free trade agreement.
Turnbull said if the Liberal party was to be reelected when voters go to the polls next year, the government had to change for the better.
"The fact is, we are maybe 10 months, 11 months away from next election. Every month lost is a month of lost opportunities," Turnbull told the media.
"We need an open government. We have to make a change for the country's sake, the government's sake and the party's sake."
Earlier on Monday, it was reported that senior cabinet member and Foreign Minister Julie Bishop visited Tony Abbott before Question Time to inform him he had lost confidence of the party.
Following Question Time, Turnbull approached the prime minister to indicate he would be challenging his leadership.
Turnbull has requested a leadership ballot be contested to determine who would continue as the party's leader.
