On Tuesday morning Malcolm Turnbull, Australia’s – *checks watch* – current prime minister survived a leadership challenge from his minister for home affairs, Peter Dutton.
The spill was done and dusted within an hour – nip out for a coffee and you would have missed it completely.
But an hour is the perfect amount of time to fire up the short attention span of Australian social media, by now well practised at #itson, with gifs aplenty and at the ready.
What the fuck is happening
— Sabine Wolff (@sabinewolff) August 20, 2018
Today in #auspol pic.twitter.com/AkPGPipHW8
— Andy Park (@andy_park) August 20, 2018
— Greg Jericho (@GrogsGamut) August 20, 2018
Some gave legitimately useful information, like the fact that Dutton had fewer supporters on Tuesday than an empty chair had against Tony Abbott in 2015.
Liberal spills:
— David Crowe (@CroweDM) August 20, 2018
Tony Abbott def Malcolm Turnbull: 42 to 41
Tony Abbott def empty chair: 61 to 39
Malcolm Turnbull def Tony Abbott: 55 to 45
Malcolm Turnbull def Peter Dutton: 48 to 35
Latest on today: https://t.co/QMTJhdd2fN
Some were gleeful at the unfolding circus.
BREAKING NEWS: @TurnbullMalcolm WINS HIS FIRST POLL FOR A LONG TIME #spill
— The NT News (@TheNTNews) August 20, 2018
We cross live to the latest from the race for the Liberal Party leadership #auspol #libspill pic.twitter.com/4MQ0fvNHZw
— David Alexander (@davidFalexander) August 20, 2018
We cross live to inside the Liberal Party partyroom pic.twitter.com/CEYAy9kjrc
— Greg Jericho (@GrogsGamut) August 20, 2018
This crushed VB tinnie for PM. pic.twitter.com/9n1Qtznxe6
— Shannon Molloy (@sleemol) August 20, 2018
Many were aghast at the prospect of “Prime Minister Dutton”, a former Queensland drug cop in charge of Australia’s offshore detention regime, who has accused suicidal refugees of bunging it on, and memorably walked out of the formal apology to the stolen generations.
People are literally talking to strangers on the bus I’m on in Sydney about how much they hate Peter Dutton #auspol
— Natasha Robinson (@NC_Robinson) August 20, 2018
Truly depressing that the Liberals even considered elevating to PM the man who walked out of parliament during the apology to the Stolen Generations. This is Australia.
— Ashleigh Wilson (@ashleighbwilson) August 20, 2018
I can't even muster schadenfreude-derived joy or excitement about Australian politics anymore. It's all soul-corrosively, embarrassingly shithouse.
— Benjamin Law (@mrbenjaminlaw) August 20, 2018
The only change today is that Dutton has resigned as the home affairs minister. Turnbull remains prime minister, and Julie Bishop continues her apparent long-term plan to Steven Bradbury her way into the top job in about 10 years.
Peter Dutton has gone as minister. It’s a good opportunity for Liberals to close the bloody camps on Manus and Nauru, accept New Zealand’s offer and let us go. We are not going to go to Australia.#Manus #PeterDutton
— Behrouz Boochani (@BehrouzBoochani) August 21, 2018
Timeless tweet https://t.co/D6RAUi9oR1
— Farmering Dad (@DamienCWalker) August 21, 2018
Dutton joining Abbott on the backbench #auspoll #libspill pic.twitter.com/BC47PVyq7k
— cameron adams (@cameron_adams) August 20, 2018
Others were just weary of yet another waste of time by people who are supposed to be running the country but evidently shouldn’t be trusted with running a chook raffle.
tfw your country is rooted #libspill #auspol pic.twitter.com/dcKCXB4BlN
— Alexandra Heller-Nicholas (@suspirialex) August 20, 2018
This farken country
— James Jeffrey (@James_Jeffrey) August 20, 2018
