Australia | New PM Turnbull sworn in, says gov’t remains strong

Malcolm Turnbull with deputy leader Julie Bishop

Australia’s turbulent political world took another twist yesterday with Malcolm Turnbull sworn in as prime minister — the nation’s fourth leader in little more than two years — after he led a party revolt that ousted his predecessor.
Turnbull was sworn in as Australia’s 29th prime minister after a surprise ballot of his conservative Liberal Party colleagues voted 54-44 on Monday night to replace Prime Minister Tony Abbott only two years after he was elected. Turnbull’s elevation has cemented a culture of disposable leaders as the new norm in Australian politics since the 11-year tenure of Prime Minister John Howard ended in 2007.
“There’s been a change of prime minister, but we are a very, very strong government, a very strong country with a great potential and we will realize that potential working very hard together,” Turnbull told reporters as he left his Canberra apartment yesterday morning.
“This is a turn of events I did not expect, I have to tell you, but it’s one that I’m privileged to undertake and one that I’m certainly up to,” he added.
Shortly before Turnbull was sworn in, a grim-faced Abbott spoke for the first time since his sudden ouster, warning that the persistent volatility in Australia’s government could hurt the nation’s standing on the global stage.
“Australia has a role to play in the struggles of the wider world: the cauldron of the Middle East and security in the South China Sea and elsewhere,” Abbott told reporters. “I fear that none of this will be helped if the leadership instability that’s plagued other countries continues to taint us.”
Abbott did not say during his speech whether he will quit politics. But said he would not destabilize the new prime minister.
Turnbull, a 60-year-old former journalist, lawyer and merchant banker known for his moderate views, was party leader for two years before he was ousted in 2009 by Abbott by a single vote in a similar leadership ballot.
Abbott, a 57-year-old former Roman Catholic seminarian, has been described as the most socially conservative Australian prime minister in decades, while Turnbull is considered not conservative enough by the right wing of the party.
Abbott acknowledged his government had not been perfect, though he blamed the poll-heavy culture of modern politics for the frequent upheaval in the nation’s leadership.
“We have been a government of men and women, not a government of gods walking upon the earth. Few of us, after all, entirely measure up to expectations,” Abbott said. “The nature of politics has changed in the past decade. We have more polls and more commentary than ever before — mostly sour, bitter character assassination. Poll-driven panic has produced a revolving door prime ministership, which can’t be good for our country. And a febrile media culture has developed that rewards treachery.”
Turnbull’s return to the helm will likely lead to a major Cabinet reshuffle, with Treasurer Joe Hockey and Defense Minister Kevin Andrews among the ministers who publicly supported Abbott. Rod McGuirk, Canberra, AP