The right is strong within the
party. And with the Morrison government now dealing with a hung parliament, there has been a risk that a disendorsed Kelly could defect to the
crossbench.
While the Liberals are losing out
politically because of their low female representation and inability to properly address the problem, on the crossbench the women are now standouts (and a majority).
Malcolm Turnbull has struck back angrily at a report that he has been helping independent Kerryn Phelps, his successor in Wentworth, as chaos continues to fracture the Liberals.
Josh Frydenberg on the Liberal troubles
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Frydenberg reiterates that the Liberal party is still a "broad church" and says he isn't concerned about other MPs like Craig Kelly following Banks' suit.
The Victorian backbencher has announced she is quitting the party to join the crossbench, launching a scathing attack on the right wing of the Liberal Party in the process.
In a critique of federal influences in the rout of the Victorian Liberals, Ryan, a former vice-president of the state division, pointed to swings in seats “that are the cradle of the Liberal party”.
The Victorian state election presents opportunities and risks for the Greens – including whether they can transition from being a protest party to a major party.
For years Turnbull had to endure the sniping of Abbott, the man he brought down. Now Turnbull is the sniper at the window, though Morrison didn’t cause his fall (unless you buy the conspiracy
theory).
Scott Morrison, unless his prayers for a political miracle are answered, will go down as the fireman who arrived late armed only with leaky buckets to confront a building ablaze and collapsing.
While the government currently has pledges of confidence from some crossbenchers, they would be in a strong position to demand concessions in a hung parliament.
The trouncing in Wentworth will re-open fractures in the government, threatening more damaging in-fighting between the party’s conservatives and moderates.
Morrison is conflicted. It’s risky for him to play down the allegations of standover tactics, let alone fail to take seriously enough the party’s need for more female MPs.
Morrison met with Sudmalis and said she ‘raised a number of genuine concerns’ about her treatment in her local Federal Electoral Conference in the NSW Liberal state division.
Fairfax Ipsos gives Labor another win on two-party preferred, albeit with weird primary vote numbers, while the Labor party in Victoria has another poll win just over two months ahead of the state election.
The byelection is vital for Scott Morrison who will face a very difficult test in his initial days as prime minister. He will encounter a lot of anger in the electorate at the removal of Turnbull.