Australian PM clings to power after winning leadership contest

SYDNEY - Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull survived a leadership challenge by narrowly winning a ballot on Tuesday, a government official said.

Turnbull defeated Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton in the vote for the leadership of the Liberal Party, the senior party in the center-right government coalition, by 48 votes to 35, chief government whip Nola Marino told reporters. It came after a sharp fall in opinion poll ratings and talk of an imminent challenge, which in turn has raised the possibility of an early election.

Turnbull called for unity after the ballot and said that the government cannot "allow internal issues to undermine" its work.

"United we are able to deliver the great results that we have for all Australians. ... We are seeing the strongest economic growth we have had for a long time, and last year was the strongest jobs growth in the history of the country," he told reporters in Canberra.

Turnbull must return to the polls by May 2019 and could break the impasse by calling an early election. However, a state election in the state of Victoria scheduled for late November is seen limiting Turnbull to dates before the end of October if he intended to hold a national poll this year.

A spokesman for Turnbull declined to comment on the prospect of an early election.

Turnbull also announced that deputy leadership of the party was vacated on Tuesday morning but incumbent Julie Bishop, a Turnbull supporter, ran unopposed.

Turnbull's challenger Dutton resigned from the Cabinet as home affairs minister after losing the vote on Tuesday despite Turnbull asking him to continue to serve in the position.

"Peter has done an outstanding job as home affairs minister and I want to thank him for his work," Turnbull said.

His resignation has prompted speculation that Dutton is preparing to mount another leadership challenge once he has had more time to gauge his support among the party.

It was reported that a second challenge was likely to occur as early as Thursday, the last Parliamentary sitting day until September.

A successful challenge on Thursday would give Dutton time to establish himself as prime minister and announce policy positions before facing the Opposition Australian Labor Party in parliament in September.

If Dutton does challenge for the leadership again it has been reported that Health Minister Greg Hunt will run as his deputy.

Tuesday's leadership challenge came after weeks of conservative government Members of Parliament threatening to rebel against Turnbull over the prime minister's signature energy policy, the National Energy Guarantee.

Reuters - Xinhua

(China Daily 08/22/2018 page11)