Minister topples Tony Abbott to become Australian PM

Turnbull pledges to bring ‘economic vision’ to the nation but rules out a snap national election

Australian conservative Prime Minister Tony Abbott was dramatically ousted Monday in a snap party vote forced by challenger Malcolm Turnbull, the country’s fourth leadership change in five years.

Mr Abbott, who came to power in a decisive general election victory in 2013, was forced into a leadership ballot among his Liberal Party colleagues after Mr Turnbull said the coalition government faced defeat without change at the top.

After his 54-44 victory, former communications minister Mr Turnbull pledged to bring “economic vision” to the nation but ruled out a snap national election.

“This has been a very important, sobering experience today. I’m very humbled by it,” he said.

“We need to have in this country and we will have now, an economic vision, a leadership that explains the great challenges and opportunities that we face.”

Mr Abbott, whose views on issues such as gay marriage and climate change divided the community, made no comment after the vote.

Mr Turnbull, who was expected to be sworn in on Tuesday, said his Liberal Party-led government would be “committed to freedom, the individual and the market”, adding he was not planning a snap poll to immediately cement his leadership.

Seen as more socially progressive than Mr Abbott, who has resisted moves towards legalising gay marriage, Mr Turnbull said he intended to maintain the government’s current stance on issues such as climate change.

But he said that under Mr Abbott, the government had been unable to explain its policies adequately to voters and he wanted to signal a new way forward.

“The Australia of the future has to be a nation that is agile, that is innovative, that is creative,” he told reporters in Canberra, with foreign minister Julie Bishop by his side.

“To be a successful leader in 2015 or at any time you have to be able to bring people with you by respecting their intelligence in the way you explain.”

Ms Bishop, who had reportedly sided with Mr Turnbull to call on Mr Abbott to quit earlier in the day, retained her position as deputy leader of the Liberal Party by 70 votes to 30.

In the current Parliament, whoever leads the Liberal Party becomes Prime Minister as head of the conservative coalition in which it is the senior partner.

Australian politics can be brutal and it is not the first time in recent years that a Prime Minister has been removed by a party room coup.

Mr Turnbull previously led the Liberal Party in Opposition before being ousted by Mr Abbott in late 2009.

Mr Abbott then lost the 2010 national election to Labour’s Julia Gillard, who had ousted her own leader Kevin Rudd in a ruthless party room coup just weeks earlier.

Ms Gillard was similarly knifed by Mr Rudd ahead of the 2013 election, meaning that the prime ministership went from Mr Rudd in 2010 to Ms Gillard and back to Mr Rudd ahead of the 2013 poll won by Mr Abbott.

The so-called revolving door for Australia’s top political position has now led to Mr Turnbull.