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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
National
Christopher Knaus

Labor releases legal advice saying Dutton ineligible as Joyce calls for John Howard to step in – as it happened

Peter Dutton
The former home affairs minister Peter Dutton in Parliament on Wednesday. Photograph: Rod McGuirk/AP

Dramatic night comes to an end

That’s where we’ll leave you for tonight. Rest assured that there’s no chance of a party room meeting tonight. You can go to bed without worrying that we’ll have a new PM when you wake. Just make sure you don’t miss your alarm. It only takes five minutes, as we almost learned on Tuesday.

There is still a chance a party room meeting could take place tomorrow, but it depends on the numbers the Dutton camp have secured for their petition.

Until then, here’s the latests developments:

  • Dutton backers began circulating a petition to force a party room meeting late on Wednesday evening. Their numbers, so far, are unclear. A party room meeting can either take place tomorrow, or in the next sitting period, two weeks time from now. The Liberal MP Jane Prentice said she thought the petition had about nine signatures on it earlier this evening. Estimates on the numbers have varied wildly.
  • Earlier today, Dutton outlined a policy manifesto as he pitched himself as an alternative leader. One of his policies was removing the GST from energy bills for families and pensioners. The idea was widely ridiculed as an unworkable “thought bubble” and “piecemeal”.
  • Dutton also confirmed he was still working the phones, trying to drum up enough support for a second tilt at the leadership.
  • James McGrath became the third frontbencher to resign from cabinet, following Dutton and Concetta Fierravanti-Wells. McGrath is a former Turnbull insider. His loss is significant. He complained that the party had drifted away from its core supporter base, something he could not fathom. It’s a criticism also aired by Fierravanti-Wells and Senator Jim Molan.
  • Turnbull, meanwhile, tried desperately to keep his cabinet together and stare down the rebels. He appeared alongside the treasurer, Scott Morrison, and the finance minister, Mathias Cormann, two figures of authority within the Coalition, and said that those who had previously offered their resignations had since re-pledged their loyalty to him.
  • The cloud around Dutton’s eligibility for parliament has continued to play a role in the leadership dramas. Labor went hard on the issue during question time, before Turnbull referred the matter to the solicitor general for consideration. Late on Wednesday, Labor released advice from Bret Walker, SC, suggesting Dutton was not eligible for election and therefore not eligible to sit in the current parliament.
  • Tony Abbott denied doing any deal to secure a cabinet position under a Dutton government.
  • The Coalition has dumped two policies, one of which was a key part of its agenda. The corporate tax cut bill was blocked in the Senate, and Turnbull said it would not be taken to the next election. The government also said it would stop trying to repeal the energy supplement, a payment to low-income welfare recipients to help with energy costs.

Tomorrow is shaping up to be another day of wonder. Please do join me again. Help keep me sane.

Updated

A few more voices from Liberal MPs leaving parliament.

Moderate Trent Zimmerman says he is confident Turnbull will remain leader. He says there has been a lot of “Vladimir Putin fake news” happening about the spill.

Stuart Robert, a Queensland MP, says the “great thing about democracy is that everyone gets to stand up”. Robert says he believes another vote is imminent.

I suspect in time we’ll probably see another one. We’ll wait and see the next party room meeting is in two weeks time.

Or tomorrow perhaps? Robert responds:

We’ll wait and see, won’t we?

Updated

The Liberal senator Jim Molan is on Sky News having a go at the media for seeking “gotcha” moments by asking Liberals who they are supporting. Molan earlier put a statement on Facebook that was equivocal on his support for Turnbull, before quickly calling news outlets to clarify that he in fact supported Dutton.

He also tells Sky that everything is going to plan.

Updated

Joyce calls for Liberals to bring in Howard to sort mess out

The former deputy prime minister, Barnaby Joyce, has called for the Liberals to bring in John Howard to sort out the current leadership turmoil.

Joyce said Howard could “ring up everyone [and] find out what their position is”. He could then tell both sides their numbers, without fear or favour, and the situation would be resolved.

Joyce tells Sky News he never supported parties knifing sitting prime ministers. Gillard should not have deposed, Rudd should not have challenged Gillard.

Malcolm Turnbull should never have got rid of Tony Abbott. That’s what I think generally people want. And now what I think we have is a situation is that it’s patently bad, and not good for us ... so we’ve got to get through this as soon as possible and move on.

The Nationals MP Barnaby Joyce and the former home affairs minister Peter Dutton on Wednesday
The Nationals MP Barnaby Joyce and the former home affairs minister Peter Dutton on Wednesday. Photograph: Lukas Coch/AAP

Updated

The Nationals MP Ken O’Dowd, a Queenslander, spoke to reporters a little earlier, as he left the building. He said he thinks both the Liberal and National parties aren’t ready for an election, because they haven’t sorted out preselections in some seats. He also said he thinks he would have a greater chance at re-election under Dutton.

Updated

Labor releases legal advice finding Dutton ineligible for parliament

Labor has written to the prime minister on the eligibility of Peter Dutton to sit in parliament, given his interests in a childcare company that received subsidies from the federal government.

It has legal advice that was provided by Bret Walker, SC, in April. The advice has been seen by Guardian Australia.

It doesn’t look good for Dutton, in Walker’s view. He finds that “in our opinion, Mr Dutton was incapable of being chosen for the 45th parliament and is not entitled to continue to sit in the 45th parliament”.

In our opinion it is clearly arguable that this at least represents an indirect pecuniary interest and possibly also a direct pecuniary interest within the meaning of s44 (v) of the constitution. We have assumed that Mr Dutton held the interest when the trustee of the family trust, namely RHT investments (Qld) Pty Ltd, first started to receive the CC Benefit and CC Rebate, which would have been sometime in 2014. As such, it follows that, in our opinion, Mr Dutton was incapable of being chosen for the 45th parliament and is not entitled to continue to sit in the 45th parliament. If this matter were referred to the high court sitting as the court of disputed returns, and if our assumptions are correct, there is a reasonable prospect that the court would make its decision in accordance with this conclusion.

It’s important to remember that Dutton claims he has his own advice, provided by a QC, that confirms he was eligible. The case was referred to the solicitor general earlier today for consideration.

Updated

Liberal MP says nine people have signed petition

Jane Prentice, a Queensland Liberal National MP, said a petition does exist. Her latest estimate was that there were nine signatures. That was a couple of hours ago.

I understand there’s a petition. I understand that a couple of hours ago there were nine signatures.

What does she think of the petition?

I think people should stop thinking about themselves and start thinking about the people of Australia.

Prentice is a Turnbull supporter.

Updated

Liberal National MP Bert van Manen has told reporters there is a lot of “fake news” about a second push by the Dutton camp.

“I haven’t seen the petition and I’m going to enjoy tonight,” van Manen said. “A lot of what’s being commentated and what I’ve seen going around at the moment is what I would call ‘fake news’.”

Liberal MPs Luke Howarth and Andrew Laming have just left the building.

Howarth is asked whether there is a petition circulating. He says he doesn’t think so. Howarth said he hadn’t seen anything himself.

Updated

Liberal MPs are continuing to leave parliament, further suggesting any meeting will not take place tonight.

One MP tells reporters that he hopes he can come back tomorrow and focus on what the Australian people want us to be doing. Has he signed the letter?

What sort of letter? Is it a French letter is it? I’m not sure what you mean, you need to clarify this.

Liberal moderates are telling us the Dutton camp doesn’t have the numbers. Take that with a grain of salt, obviously. Let’s wait and see how the night plays out.

Updated

Never tweet.

We told you James McGrath, a frontbencher, had forced his resignation on Turnbull. He helpfully posted his resignation letter on Facebook. Here’s a flavour of it:

The people who have for all their lives counted on us to look after them and their families are now questioning their commitment to them. Our people feel forgotten, ignored, and spoken down to. As a Liberal National party senator for Queensland, this is an intolerable situation.

As I have said to you previously, my most important job is that of a Liberal National party senator for Queensland. The values of the Liberal National party and its members and supporters must always come first – before my career and yours.

The assistant minister for agriculture, Anne Ruston, and the assistant minister to the prime minister, James McGrath, in the Senate on Wednesday
The assistant minister for agriculture, Anne Ruston, and the assistant minister to the prime minister, James McGrath, in the Senate on Wednesday. Photograph: Mick Tsikas/AAP

Updated

It’s tough to see how there’ll be a party room meeting tonight. The Senate and the lower house have both called it quits, and Liberal MPs are thought to have already left the building.

The lower house ended with a “welcome to Australia” from Liberal MP Lucy Wicks to Usain Bolt, the sprinting superstar. I just hope Bolt isn’t watching the goings on in Wicks’s party. He might want to make a quick exit.

Updated

The health minister, Greg Hunt, has told media his position has not changed. He still supports Turnbull.

Meanwhile, Labor’s Anthony Albanese is poking the beast over on Sky News. He tells the Coalition to “call an election” so they can be put “out of their misery”.

James McGrath resigns, becoming third frontbencher to quit

James McGrath has been to see Malcolm Turnbull and tendered his resignation. He says he insisted the resignation be accepted, which it was.

You’ll remember that McGrath was previously the minister assisting the prime minister. He was part of Turnbull’s inner circle. McGrath did Turnbull’s numbers during the successful challenge against Abbott.

Times sure have changed. McGrath is now the third frontbencher to resign, following Dutton and Concetta Fierravanti-Wells.


Updated

Please do forgive us as we wade through the misinformation to find the truth of this push from the Dutton camp. Already we’ve heard false reports about cabinet figures – Mathias Cormann and Dan Tehan – resigning and declaring their hand for Dutton.

The key thing that we’re trying to work out is this: does the Dutton camp have the numbers to force a meeting? The numbers are unclear so far.

Updated

This interview was a little earlier this evening, but it gives you a sense of how quickly things are moving. Bishop was completely unaware of the move to force another party room meeting when she appeared on The Project, about 6.30pm.

This is unexpected. Senator Jim Molan, who voted for Dutton on Tuesday, says he’ll support Turnbull. But he still thinks Dutton would be a better prime minister. Molan repeats the concern that the Liberals have moved “too far to the left”.

Molan has clarified his position with Buzzfeed. He says only that he’ll support Turnbull until the next leadership challenge. At that point, he’ll vote for Dutton. Clear as mud.

Updated

Reporter Paul Karp has just watched the chief government whip, Nola Marino, walk into Turnbull’s office.

Updated

There were reports that frontbencher Dan Tehan had shifted his allegiance to Dutton. There’s a lot of hot air and rumours floating around. This is another example.

Tehan has not switched sides, we have confirmed.

Speaking of hot air, the hyperbole in this tweet is truly something to behold.

Updated

Energy policy strikes again.

Petition for party room meeting is real, numbers unclear

We’ve now spoken with one Coalition MP who has directly sighted the petition calling for a party room meeting. That gives us some reassurance that this is not a stunt to flush Turnbull out.

It’s still unclear how many people have signed.

OK, as you’d expect, the reports are now coming thick and fast. There was a News Corp report that the finance minister, Mathias Cormann, had resigned. Cormann is key to this entire leadership tussle.

But our political editor, Katharine Murphy, has confirmed that is not true. He has not, in fact, resigned.

Updated

Paul Karp reports that another Turnbull backer, Craig Laundy, has just walked into the prime minister’s office.

MPs are confirming to us a document is circulating, although we’re yet to speak to someone who has actually laid eyes on it.

Just on the procedure from here. If the letter gets the required 43 signatures, it will still need Turnbull to agree to hold the meeting. Of course, he’d look weak if he didn’t. But there’s no guarantee that any such meeting would happen tonight, even if the signatures materialise. It could happen tomorrow.

Past experience can teach us a lesson here. Kevin Rudd used a similar tactic before taking the leadership back off Gillard.

News that a petition was circulating emerged at a crucial juncture. It was claimed Rudd had the numbers to call a spill. But no one ever saw the petition document. It never materialised.

The move was enough, however, to force the issue and bring on the spill. The rest is history.

Updated

Letter circulating among Coalition MPs for party room meeting

There are multiple reports that a letter is being circulated for a party room meeting. Remember, it needs 43 signatures to force the Coalition into the meeting.

Paul Karp, our reporter, tells me the defence minister, Marise Payne, has just left Turnbull’s office.

The chief government whip is denying there’ll be a party room meeting tonight.

Updated

My colleague Paul Karp has just seen Christopher Pyne and Trent Zimmerman go into Malcolm Turnbull’s office. It could mean something, it could mean nothing. Hang with us, we’re doing our best to keep track with a rapidly evolving situation.

We warned you earlier things were liable to change with extraordinary speed. Well, 2GB’s Alan Jones has just tweeted that we should all “Get ready. Party room meeting tonight”.

Cool your heels, at least for the moment.

Our editor Katharine Murphy has done a ring-around of Coalition MPs, who are saying they’ve heard nothing of the sort.

The office of Nola Marino, the chief government whip, has told us it’s “completely untrue”.

Stay tuned.

Updated

A snap Roy Morgan poll, to be released tomorrow, suggests Malcolm Turnbull remains the preferred prime minister over Bill Shorten. But it also suggests Shorten is preferred to Peter Dutton.

It polled a cross-section of more than 1,200 voters. Key results are:

  • Malcolm Turnbull was preferred as the PM (52%) Shorten (44.5%). A further 3.5% were undecided.
  • Shorten (59%) rates above Dutton (36.5%). A further 4.5% can’t say.

Another view of Peter Dutton’s radical transformation, from Canberra Times cartoonist David Pope.

Laundy describes Dutton’s GST policy as “populist” and warns that populism has “infected conservatism”.

I wouldn’t call it a policy agenda, I’d call it some thoughts he had on Melbourne radio this morning.

Ooft.

In other news, we’ll hear from another Turnbull backer, Julie Bishop, on The Project tonight.

Updated

It looks almost certain that we won’t see a second spill tonight. It’s getting late and the houses will soon rise. That leaves only one day left in the current sitting period, before a two-week break.

Liberal MP Craig Laundy, a supporter of Turnbull, has just appeared on ABC radio. He’s asked whether we’ll see a challenge tomorrow or in coming weeks.

I hope not, because what’s required now is that we all come together, unite, after yesterday’s leadership ballot.

He said the ministers who had pledged loyalty to Turnbull have indicated a “conciliatory outlook”.

Laundy said he was “disappointed” to hear Dutton say he was still working the phones, trying to drum up more support for a second tilt. He said it “flies in the face” of what Dutton has said previously.

I do plan to pass that on.

Amid the chaos of today, there were two very significant policy decisions. One, the abandonment of the corporate tax cut, we’ve discussed at length.

But the government also pledged to stop trying to abolish the energy supplement. That supplement is a payment between $4 and $7 per week to welfare recipients, designed to help those on low incomes deal with energy costs.

The Australian council of social service (Acoss) has welcomed the decision, saying the threat of losing the payment has “caused anxiety in the community” since 2016. Acoss chief executive Cassandra Goldie has just issued this statement:

The Prime Minister’s announcement to retain the energy supplement is an important recognition that people on the lowest incomes in Australia are doing it the toughest.

We have always said that it is people living on Newstart, Youth Allowance and other income support payments who are struggling most when it comes to covering the basics like food, energy bills and rent. They need every cent of this supplement.

We also thank the Senate today for listening to the voices of the community and strongly opposing the company tax cut bill which would have cost the budget billions and put further pressure on essential services upon which we all rely.

My colleague, Ben Smee, has taken a look at Dutton’s transformation in the last 24 hours. Has it worked?

Dutton’s image makeover has been carried out with mixed results though.

During his 30 minutes on Sky, Dutton barely mustered that illusive smile, or cracked a joke.

The newly minted everyman backbencher also stumbled on Triple M when offered “an easy one”, as the presenter put it, and was asked to nominate a favourite AC/DC song.

Dutton couldn’t name one, he had to admit, blaming sleep deprivation.

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Updated

Victoria is a problem area for Dutton. He clearly knows it. His two radio interviews this morning were with two Melbourne stations, 3AW and Triple M. But News Corp is reporting that voters in the state have bombarded their local MPs with letters warning they could not vote for Dutton. News Corp cited one email, which read:

I would not be able to continue supporting you under Dutton and the dreadful way he behaves to migrants to this country etc.

Hugh Riminton of Ten news is reporting that Dutton’s decisions as home affairs minister could be overturned, should the high court find him ineligible. The same was said during Fiona Nash and Barnaby Joyce’s citizenship woes, although it came to nothing in the end.

A bit more from that Abbott interview, which I’m still scratching my head over, to be honest. He is asked why Turnbull would stick up for Dutton over his eligibility question, given Dutton just tried to unceremoniously turf him from office. Abbott explains it thusly:

Well look we’ve all got to do our bit for the team. When you’re the team leader, you protect the team, even the people who might be your critics at this time. That’s your job, to protect the team.

Playing for the team. Good stuff.

Updated

Abbott denies he has done deal to return to cabinet

Tony Abbott has just been on his favourite radio station, 2GB, to talk up the “encouraging” policy proposals from Peter Dutton and clear up some of the scuttlebutt about his role in the coup.

He says he has not been given an assurance he would return to cabinet if Dutton becomes PM.

I don’t do deals, Ben [Fordham]. I don’t do deals. I ask for nothing, I expect nothing.

Asked whether the government should switch to Dutton as soon as possible, Abbott says:

I suspect Ben that the average person looking at this says, ‘the politicians, there they go again, it’s another circus’. Sometimes some difficult things have got to be done in order to resume getting the important things done.

But in the end, I’m just one member of the party room, I can’t resolve it.

He also suggests the referral of Dutton to the solicitor-general was “dirty tricks”, either by Labor, or “one last throw from a despairing incumbent, I just don’t know”.

Given that this question of section 44 eligibility of Peter Dutton was raised in the Senate, 12 months or so back, and given there is QC’s advice that he is absolutely in the clear, I just thought it was very strange that today the prime minister didn’t simply say that this matter has been considered, there’s QC advice that Peter Dutton’s advice is that he is absolutely in the clear.

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Former prime minister Tony Abbott and former minister for Home Affairs Peter Dutton during Question Time on Wednesday. Photograph: Mick Tsikas/AAP

Updated

Respected constitutional expert Professor Anne Twomey has just been on Sky News to explain the nuances of the Peter Dutton case.

The basic facts are this:

  • Dutton is a beneficiary of a trust that owns a childcare company
  • That company received millions in childcare subsidies from the government
  • Section 44 of the constitution prohibits MPs from holding a financial interest in the commonwealth through an agreement with the public service.

The case is not cut and dry, Twomey explains. It’s unclear, for example, what the nature of the agreement is between the childcare company and the government. Was it a contract that Dutton had a role in negotiating? Or is it just a standard agreement between childcare operators and the commonwealth, which Dutton had zero influence over?

That agreement might be, for example, an agreement that provides say for the accreditation of the childcare centre to be able to provide certain services at a particular level which then qualifies it to receive the relevant subsidies.

There are other nuances, too.

One question might be, for example, would those childcare centres be able to function without the commonwealth subsidy? Would that have an impact on the financial interest of the relevant trust? So you can have an indirect pecuniary interest in an agreement with the public service, even though that agreement might itself not be an agreement directly about the money.

It’s actually a lot more difficult than the cut and dry answer people are trying to give here.

Twomey said the issues faced by Dutton were most recently faced by senator Bob Day, who was disqualified by the high court.

There are similarities and there are differences. the similarities are in senator Day’s case that he was the beneficiary of a family trust and the high court said that that was enough to give you the relevant pecuniary interest. The significant difference however is that this case does not involve any level of influence. It’s not a one-off agreement or something in which Mr Dutton has had any personal interest in negotiating. It’s a standard thing that applies to all childcare centres. That might be enough to say that it’s not the sort of contract to which s44(5) applies.

Twomey said the first step is to fully understand the facts. She welcomed the matter being referred to the solicitor general.

Updated

I’m going to regret saying this. But parliament is a little ... quiet. Calm before the storm? Probably. There were a couple of News Corp reports this morning that there’d be a challenge before question time. Clearly that did not pan out. But the conventional wisdom is that Dutton will need to challenge tonight or tomorrow, or wait until the next parliamentary sitting period and risk losing momentum.

Anyway, the lull gives me the chance to share some of the best cartoons from this week. Enjoy!

Updated

Business lobby suggests Dutton's GST plan would 'distort' tax system

The business lobby has poured cold water on Peter Dutton’s policy of scrapping GST from energy bills. The Australian chamber of commerce and industry’s chief executive, James Pearson, suggests it will simply “distort the tax system” and suggests it’s a piecemeal workaround, when a fundamental rethink of the tax system is needed.

“I think the risk is that you’re trying to cherry pick and you’re starting to distort the tax system, which is already very complex,” he told Sky News.

The business lobby is as despairing as the rest of us about the current state of politics. Pearson says business just wants politicians to act in the national interest and give positive policy certainty. He said similar things earlier this week.

Pearson also slams the Senate for voting down the company tax cut bill.

Updated

Mike Bowers was in the chamber for what proved a fascinating question time.

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Darren Chester talks to Warren Entsch during question time. Photograph: Mike Bowers for the Guardian
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Agriculture minister David Littleproud. Photograph: Mike Bowers for the Guardian
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Treasurer Scott Morrison during question time. Photograph: Mike Bowers for the Guardian
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Opposition leader Bill Shorten. Photograph: Mike Bowers for the Guardian
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Tony Abbott and Peter Dutton during question time. Photograph: Mike Bowers for the Guardian

Frontbenchers confirm Turnbull loyalty in question time

Two key themes in question time. Firstly, Labor seems keen to take the fight to the Coalition on Peter Dutton’s eligibility, as we’ve just discussed. That’s a vexed issue for Turnbull. The cloud over Dutton does not help the challenger’s leadership aspirations. But Turnbull also cannot afford to lose Dutton, given his slender one-seat majority.

We also saw a raft of frontbenchers stand up and pledge their loyalty to Turnbull, in full public view. The list of those newly loyal ministers is:

  • Greg Hunt, the health minister
  • Angus Taylor, law enforcement minister
  • Alan Tudge, the citizenship and multicultural affairs minister
  • Scott Morrison, the treasurer
  • Steve Ciobo, the trade minister
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Prime minister Malcolm Turnbull and leader of the House Christopher Pyne during question time in the house of representatives ion Wednesday Photograph: Mike Bowers for the Guardian

Updated

Fairfax and Sky News are reporting that the constitutional question hovering over Peter Dutton will be referred to the solicitor general. So, that means the solicitor general, who gives legal advice to government, will provide an opinion on whether Dutton is eligible for parliament, given his ownership of a childcare centre that received millions in government subsidies.

You’ll remember the constitution bars Dutton from holding a financial interest in government. Dutton says he has his own legal advice. It has not been released publicly and Malcolm Turnbull said he hadn’t seen it.

Updated

Treasurer Scott Morrison is again expressing his confidence in the prime minister Malcolm Turnbull. You’ll remember there were patchy reports through earlier today that he was either doing the numbers for Dutton or himself.

Does he still have confidence in Turnbull?

Absolutely, Mr Speaker, the prime minister has always enjoyed my support, Mr Speaker, and I’ll tell you why. Together as a team, the prime minister and I have ensured that we have turned the corner on debt, we are bringing the budget back into balance, we have together been stewarding economic policies that have seen the single greatest increase in employment on economic record in this country for jobs.

The proof is in the pic, guys. Look at that mateship.

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Updated

In Senate question time the finance minister, Mathias Cormann, has clarified which resignations Malcolm Turnbull accepted.

He notes that Senator Concetta Fierravanti-Wells tendered her resignation rather than offering it so there was no need to accept it – she’s gone. Others offered their resignation and are therefore subject to consideration of the prime minister.

Cormann said:

The PM has only accepted the resignation of former minister Dutton and all other matters will be announced by the prime minister in due course.

Updated

Treasurer Scott Morrison is asked about Dutton’s policy to cut GST on power bills. Morrison earlier today described that idea as an “absolute budget blower”.

He says:

It is not the government’s policy, and a policy that you know, for the GST, that affects the rate or the rebate, requires the agreements of all states and territories. The parliamentary budget office has costed a similar proposal. It is about $7.5 billion over four years. That $7.5 billion would either not then go to the states or the commonwealth would have to pay that additional money to the states. So that answers the member’s question on the issue of tax. Let me also say on the issue of tax that today the Labor party voted to keep the big banks, which we offered to take out of the Enterprise Tax Plan, they voted to keep them in.

Updated

Now it’s trade minister Steve Ciobo’s turn. His shadow, Jason Clare, asks whether he maintains confidence in Malcolm Turnbull. Ciobo replies:

It has been 916 days since I was sworn in as trade minister and, for the first time, the shadow trade minister has taken some interest in trade. Well, congratulations, 916 days later, you’ve finally found your voice on trade.

Labor’s Tony Burke gets up on a point of order, arguing Ciobo is not answering the question. The Speaker rules Ciobo in order, and the trade minister continues:

Let me make it very clear again because obviously the Labor party can’t keep up. The answer is yes. Let me make it very, very clear, yes, of course there’s confidence. Yes, of course. How much clearer can I make it?

To be fair, it’s not just the Labor party struggling to keep up. My brain is frazzled. Someone bring me a coffee. Actually, just bring a bag of coffee beans and a soup spoon.

Updated

Alan Tudge, the multicultural affairs minister, is the latest to be asked whether he maintains confidence in Malcolm Turnbull.

He says, “I have given the prime minister an assurance that he has my support.”

Tudge, you’ll remember, was another frontbencher who offered his resignation overnight.

Updated

Meanwhile, New Zealand is pleading with us to sort ourselves out.

Lots of interesting dynamics in the lower house right now.

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Angus Taylor, the minister for law enforcement, is asked whether he retains confidence in Malcolm Turnbull. Taylor is thought to have voted for Dutton and offered his resignation to Turnbull.

But he says:

The answer is yes, I do. The first priority of this government and this prime minister is to keep all Australians safe and secure. I strongly support that priority. I strongly support that priority.

Updated

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Tony Abbott during question time in the house of representatives in parliament house Canberra this afternoon. Photograph: Mike Bowers for the Guardian

Bill Shorten asks whether Turnbull has seen Dutton’s legal advice. Shorten also asks why the government has not sought the advice of the solicitor-general.

Turnbull says:

I have not seen the advice that the member of Dickson, but he’s confirmed to me that he’s got legal advice, but I’ve not seen it.

As far as the Solicitor-General is concerned, the matter has only arisen in very recent times, we’re not in possession of all of the facts in relation to the childcare centre and the member for Dickson’s trust.

Bill Shorten asks Malcolm Turnbull to refer Dutton to the high court. Nothing partisan in that, he promises, drawing a grin from Turnbull. Shorten asks:

In December, the prime minister said, ‘We can’t in good conscience fail to refer anyone, whether on our side or Labor or the crossbench to the high court, if it is clear there are substantial grounds for believing they are ineligible to sit in the parliament.’ I say this without any partisanship at all and I would say the same thing about one of our members.” Will the prime minister be true to his word and refer the member for Dickson to the high court?

Turnbull says that Dutton has his own legal advice that he is eligible to sit in parliament.

The member for Dickson has advised me he has legal advice he is not in breach of section 44 and I have no reason, therefore, to believe that he is.

Updated

Foreign minister Julie Bishop is on the attack, slamming Labor for voting against the Coalition’s company tax cuts. The government says it will leave Australia with the second highest corporate tax rate in the OECD, behind Portugal. Bishop says:

This means that there is now a unity ticket, the socialist coalition with the Communist party in Portugal and the Australian Labor Party. So the Australian Labor party and the socialist/communist coalition of Portugal believe in having the highest corporate tax rates in the world.

Updated

Turnbull does Dutton no favours

Turnbull has just confirmed the government has no advice that Peter Dutton is eligible to sit in parliament.

He says:

I‘m advised by the attorney general that advice has not been sought by the solicitor general

This is all about Dutton’s ownership, through a trust, of a childcare company that was receiving millions in government subsidies. Two of Australia’s leading constitutional experts say there is an arguable case that Dutton is not eligible to sit in parliament.

But it’s all rather hypothetical. Only parliament can refer Dutton to the high court at this point. That’s highly unlikely.

Updated

Catherine King, shadow health minister, asks health minister Greg Hunt whether he still backs Turnbull.

Does the minister retain enough confidence in the prime minister, his government, and its policies to remain minister?

Hunt responds:

Yes I do. I also believe deeply and strongly in the record of this government and, going straight to one of the differences between what this government does and that opposition would do in government, and what they did last time, we will list every medicine that the [Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee] recommends.

Updated

Popcorn in hand, no doubt.

We have a dixer to the treasurer, Scott Morrison.

The shadow attorney general, Mark Dreyfus, then takes up the fight on subsidies for Peter Dutton’s childcare company. He asks if Turnbull sought advice on whether Dutton was in breach of section 44 of the constitution, which rules members ineligible if they hold a financial interest in the commonwealth.

When did the prime minister seek advice from the solicitor general on whether the member is legally qualified to sit in this parliament and will he now release that advice?

Turnbull takes it on notice.

Updated

Labor’s Tony Burke tries to wedge the prime minister. He asks about Fairfax Media reports that Peter Dutton’s childcare company took $5.6m in public subsidies.

Given the member for Dickson confirmed he excused himself from discussions on childcare from the Howard government and Peta Credlin has said he excused himself from Abbott government discussions on childcare, did he excuse himself from Turnbull government discussions on childcare?

Turnbull takes the question on notice.

Updated

Bill Shorten is up with the first question. He’s trying to keep the attack on company tax cuts going, despite the events in the Senate this morning.

Isn’t it the case that, no matter what this panicked government does, or whoever leads it, the Australian people know that handouts are in the DNA of this government? Given that the prime minister is pretending to dump his signature policy to hang on to his job, when are they going to dump you?

It’s clear Labor wants to keep this line of attack open.

Turnbull responds:

For his question about DNA, clearly he must share some of that DNA as well because, only a few years ago, he said cutting the company income tax rate increases domestic productivity and domestic investment.

A little bit of trivia for you. Today marks the 30th anniversary of the first sitting in new parliament house. And what a way to celebrate! A messy, unedifying scrap for power that has embarrassed us across the world. Our forebears would be proud!

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Parliament House, Canberra. Photograph: Torsten Blackwood/AFP/Getty Images

Updated

We’re about to head into question time. Expect Labor to go for the jugular.

Until then, Mike Bowers captured some glorious shots from that press conference for our mutual enjoyment. The optics were important for Turnbull. Addressing the nation with Scott Morrison and Mathias Cormann by his side sent a strong message to his internal foes.

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Mathias Cormann, Malcolm Turnbull and Scott Morrison. Photograph: Mike Bowers/Guardian
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Malcolm Turnbull. Photograph: Mike Bowers/Guardian
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Malcolm Turnbull. Photograph: Mike Bowers/Guardian

Updated

Former border force commissioner has knowledge of Dutton's au pair intervention

An interesting development. The former Australian Border Force commissioner Roman Quaedvlieg has personal knowledge of the involvement of Peter Dutton’s office in the unusual ministerial intervention in a foreign au pair’s visa case, a source has told Guardian Australia.

You can read the full story here.

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Updated

Turnbull says cabinet ministers have pledged him 'loyalty and support'

Malcolm Turnbull walks away from his podium, only to remember something and come back. He tells the press pack that cabinet ministers have pledged him loyalty.

Look, what I’m endeavouring to do is to obviously ensure that the party is stable, to maintain the stability of the government of Australia. That’s critically important. And so the Cabinet ministers, apart from Peter Dutton, of course, who came to me and told me that they had voted for Mr Dutton in the leadership ballot, have given me unequivocal assurances of continuing loyalty and support

Updated

Treasurer Scott Morrison is asked whether he’ll shift his allegiance to Peter Dutton.

He says “this is my leader” and puts his arm around Turnbull.

Turnbull is chuffed:

Good on ya, thanks ScoMo.

This place has lost the plot.

Malcolm Turnbull is hardly putting up much of a fight here. He looks tired, you have to say. He’s asked about Dutton’s admission that he’s still counting the numbers. Turnbull says:

Well we had a ballot earlier this week as you know. I think yesterday, in fact.

Then the magical laws of arithmetic come back, again.

The iron laws of arithmetic confirm my leadership of the Liberal party.

Turnbull is asked about his leadership rival Peter Dutton’s plan to cut the GST from energy bills. He says:

It’s certainly very expensive and I might ask the treasurer to describe what it would cost and needless to say the states would certainly expect to be reimbursed.

Scott Morrison says it would cost about 7.5bn over four years.

Now that would be a budget blower, an absolute budget blower.

Things look less than comfortable down there in the PM’s courtyard. Not a lot of sleep for these three, I’ll wager.

Interesting that treasurer Scott Morrison is standing by Turnbull’s side. It wasn’t long ago that he was rebuffing claims he was counting the numbers for Peter Dutton. Looks like that report was a bit of mischief from someone.

Morrison says the blocking of the company tax cut by the Senate leaves Australia with the second highest corporate tax cut in the OECD.

It is a great shame that the Labor party and the One Nation party and others who voted to ensure that Australia has the second-highest corporate tax rate in the world is what those businesses are now facing. It’s not a great position to be in, but you have to work in the realm of the possible in government and that’s what we’ve done, that’s why we’ve been able to get so much done.

Updated

Turnbull drops company tax cuts, repeal of energy supplement

Malcolm Turnbull is speaking now. He’s talking up the tax cut already given to businesses with a turnover less than $50m.

He again laments the “iron laws of arithmetic” that prevented the government getting its tax cut for bigger businesses through the Senate.

Those darn laws of arithmetic. They’ve really been causing Turnbull some problems recently.

Turnbull then confirms the Coalition will not take the company tax cuts to the next election.

He also announces the Coalition will no longer repeal the energy supplement.

Updated

Malcolm Turnbull reckons this press conference is going to be all about the failed company tax cuts legislation. I doubt that. I doubt that very much.

Turnbull calls press conference

Malcolm Turnbull and finance minister Mathias Cormann will speak to media at 1pm. They’ve called a joint press conference in that most important of venues, the prime minister’s courtyard.

Updated

The ABC’s election analyst, Antony Green, has given lie to the suggestion that Turnbull might try to pre-empt a challenge by calling an early election. It’s simply not feasible, he says.

If the prime minister tried to call an election, say before there was a vote on his leadership within the party, the office of the governor general monitors the press, reads the newspaper, listens to radio and television and they’d be roughly aware of what’s going on. And while you can name an election date, there are other procedures that have to go ahead like the dissolution of the House, the issues of writs through the executive council. The issuing of writs through the state governors. It takes a day or two to get everything in place before an election is actually formally called. So a similar situation in Queensland in 1987 when one tried to restructure the ministry and call an election. And the governor asked the questions and, after a day or two, eventually he was rolled by his own party. I can’t imagine that the prime minister, facing a vote of no confidence, will call an election.

Our editor, Lenore Taylor, says the Liberal party is facing an existential crisis. She has penned a piece questioning what, if anything, the Liberal party now stands for.

The conservatives laying siege to Malcolm Turnbull’s leadership have an incoherent list of complaints and demands, many of which the prime minister has met as he tries to cling to his job and keep the so-called “broad church” together – even though most of them make little sense when measured against facts or the complainants’ desired outcomes.

Turnbull has, as we know, abandoned several workable climate and energy policies and then ditched the emissions reduction part of his final version because so many conservatives said they would cross the floor rather than vote for it. He dutifully repeated Tony Abbott’s line that he was now only interested in power prices, even though he must have known that abandoning the policy would create the kind of investment uncertainty that inevitably pushes prices up, and even if he didn’t, a horrified business community quickly told him.

But, of course, the conservative climate sceptics were still not appeased.

Updated

A few more reports on the meeting between Mathias Cormann and the prime minister. The prime minister’s office is saying the meeting is simply about the failed tax cuts bill.

Mike Bowers was down in the blue room for that, ahem, strange turn of events involving New Zealand deputy Winston Peters and Julie Bishop.

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We suggested a little earlier that the governor general has decided to stay in Canberra for the time being. Our reporter Paul Karp has confirmed that report. Prudent is the word being used.

Updated

The shadow treasurer, Chris Bowen, responded to some of the policy ideas floated by Peter Dutton in his interview on FM radio this morning. Dutton proposed removing the GST from power bills for pensioners and families. Bowen told reporters a little earlier this was a “thought bubble” that would deny the states a vast pool of money.

That will have only one possible result – cuts to essential services, primarily health. Cuts to hospitals. The states would have no choice. This is the thought bubble from a man desperate to become the PM in the coming hours.

The shadow treasurer, Chris Bowen, and the opposition leader, Bill Shorten, at a press conference in June
The shadow treasurer, Chris Bowen, and the opposition leader, Bill Shorten, at a press conference in June. Photograph: Mick Tsikas/AAP

Updated

News Corp is reporting that Malcolm Turnbull demanded the loyalty of those on the frontbench who offered their resignations.

Absolute SCENES in parliament’s blue room. This is truly getting farcical. Julie Bishop and New Zealand’s deputy prime minister, Winston Peters, are holding a press conference, and Bishop is asked about the leadership. She answers and then tries to wrap things up, quickly.

And on that point, the deputy prime minister is leaving, because he’s got a very important speech to make.

But Peters ain’t budging. He stands there, unmoving.

Bishop tries to usher him out of the room. Nope, he’s staying. Bishop looks like she is about to wrench him out of the press conference.

The question is from a female journalist, Peters says.

I don’t want to seem like a chauvinist.

Bishop laughs:

Did you really just say that?

Peters gets through the question, as Bishop looks on with a version of that infamous stare.

New Zealand’s deputy then offers this:

My last observation, as a politician, may I just say, when you go into a spill, you’ve got to take your abacus.

Sage advice.

Updated

Our political editor, Katharine Murphy, has been testing the waters to see whether there’s been a shift in numbers since Tuesday’s spill. Moderate Liberals are telling her there’s been no change in the support for Dutton.

New Zealand’s deputy prime minister, Winston Peters, is in town to talk up the cross-Tasman relationship. He appears next to foreign minister Julie Bishop, who has been slightly busy trying to salvage her government.

Peters starts his remarks with:

I have to say that we’re here at a most curious and unusual time, politically speaking, and we are very grateful that you’ve taken the time out.

It draws a rather forced smile from Bishop.

Peters later says:

The first thing you do when you’re a visiting politician is put your nose into another country’s business. And I’m far too experienced to be inveigled into that discussion by you.

Updated

Curiouser and curiouser. This is from Mike Baird’s former media director Imre Salusinszky.

Updated

Labor requests government goes into caretaker mode

Again, helpful as he is, opposition leader Bill Shorten has written to Malcolm Turnbull requesting he take the government into “caretaker” mode. For those playing at home, that is a request that the government make no decisions that would bind an incoming government. Shorten is ostensibly concerned about the instability within the Coalition and the possibility of an early election.

He writes:

Given the events of this week, ongoing uncertainty around the leadership of the Liberal National Coalition government, and the very real potential of a general election in the very short-term, I write to request that you immediately cease taking any actions that may bind the decision of an incoming government, in line with caretaker conventions.

Turnbull, I’m sure, will give this request a great deal of care and attention.

Updated

Morrison denies he is the 'consensus candidate' in leadership tussle

With all the claims and counterclaims about Scott Morrison’s position swirling around the building, the man himself has stepped up to speak on the record.

Morrison is pretty emotional this morning. He’s been speaking at a function in support of MS, a condition his brother-in-law suffers from. Reporters stopped him afterwards.

Question:

Are you doing the numbers for Peter Dutton?

Scott Morrison:

No.

Question:

Are you the consensus candidate your party needs?

Scott Morrison:

No.

The prime minister has my full and total support and I want to put at rest any suggestion that I’ve made an approach, that any approach has been made. It’s all the usual nonsense and the prime minister knows exactly where I stand.

The Australian people always know where I stand. This government has been providing the stability that has been necessary ... it’s exactly what I was just talking about in there. You all know how strongly I feel about this topic of MS and that’s the thing that fires me up to go to work every day, and the sort of nonsense we have been seeing lately, that’s what puts all that stuff at risk, so I think it’s timely that I make these remarks after the ones I have just made. It should be a reminder to everyone in this place about what this place is about. We need a stronger economy to help people. That’s what I’m focussed on, nothing else.

Another Nationals MP, Andrew Broad, has ruled out crossing the floor under a Dutton leadership. He told the ABC:

Completely ruling that out. It won’t be happening. We need a strong executive government to ensure a stable Australia and with our national security measures in place.

Broad said Nationals colleague Darren Chester, who was equivocal on crossing the floor under Dutton, was simply “reflecting the frustration many Australians will be feeling at the moment”.

Updated

Company tax cuts voted down

The Senate has just voted down the company tax cut bill, the Coalition’s signature economic policy. The vote was 36 against, 30 for.

That’s despite the government’s last-ditch attempt to amend the bill, carving out the big four banks, to win further cross-bench support. Those amendments failed a little earlier.

Derryn Hinch had also tried to add his own amendments, which would have applied the tax cut only to businesses with turnover of below $500m. The Coalition said it could not support this, because it would create a “perverse incentive” for businesses to stop growing.

On any other day, this would be huge news. But, you know, this place is mental.

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Mathias Cormann talks to Derryn Hinch as the senate resumes sitting in Parliament House Canberra this morning. Photograph: Mike Bowers for the Guardian

Updated

Dutton does the numbers, Turnbull tries to hang on

Right, well. It’s only 10.45am but I feel like I’ve aged a few years already this morning. Let’s take stock on the developments so far.

  • Peter Dutton has admitted he is working the phones to drum up support for a second tilt at Turnbull’s leadership.
  • Dutton has also been hitting the airwaves, talking up his leadership credentials, showing that apparently elusive “softer side”, and giving us a policy manifesto that includes scrapping the GST from power bills and holding a royal commission into electricity and gas companies over high prices
  • the Turnbull camp is desperately trying to hold its cabinet together. Deputy leader Julie Bishop said Turnbull had been successful at convincing some frontbenchers to stay on and unit under his leadership. He has so far only accepted the resignations of Concetta Fierravanti-Wells and Dutton.
  • the chess pieces continue to move elsewhere. Darren Chester, a Nationals MP, says he and others cannot guarantee they will not move to the crossbench if Dutton becomes leader. That would threaten to take the Coalition to an early election. Other Nationals, including Barnaby Joyce and Keith Pitt, are urging the party to stay out of the Liberals in-fighting.
  • crossbenchers Rebekha Sharkie and Cathy McGowan are refusing to say whether they would guarantee supply and confidence under a Dutton government. That adds to the risk of an early election.
  • Christopher Pyne has warned the Coalition is on the “precipice” of an election, which would be disastrous.
  • there are murmurings that Scott Morrison is doing the numbers for his own challenge, with Dutton as deputy. Reports are conflicting and unconfirmed on this score. We’ll try to confirm it for you as soon as possible.
  • Labor’s Jason Clare says the opposition is ready for an election. “We’ve been ready for a long time,” he says.

Updated

The Dutton manifesto

Here’s more detail from Peter Dutton’s interview with Triple M radio this morning, where he explained some of his policy ideas.

On the GST:

One of the things that we could do straight away in this next billing cycle is take the GST off electricity bills for families. It would be an automatic reduction of 10% off electricity bills and people would feel that impact straight away.

[Taking] the GST off electricity bills for families and pensioners and self-funded retirees would have an immediate reduction and help those people with their household budgets.

Another royal commission:

I think we could set up a royal commission into the electricity companies and into the fuel companies. I think Australian consumers for way too long have been paying way too much for fuel and for electricity and something just isn’t right with these companies.

Like we’ve done with the banks, I think the royal commission has the ability to get to the bottom of what is fundamentally wrong in the system, and what could help ease some of that pressure on families and potentially small businesses.

[Dutton was then reminded by a Triple M host that he’d voted against a royal commission into the banks multiple times, which he didn’t deny].

Having a royal commission can help people get to the bottom of what is wrong in a country where we’ve got an abundance of natural resource of renewables, of coal, of hydro, and yet we’re paying some of the highest energy costs in the world and similarly for fuel.

On the drought:

To Malcolm’s credit he made an announcement, only in the last week, of a significant amount of money to help farmers with the drought. I thought it was a great announcement.

But I think we need to do more.

Finding ways of getting water out to some of these towns, as we’ve done in decades past, has to be the answer.

The drought that’s taking place at the moment is, you know, equivalent to a Great Depression for these farmers and it’s devastating to watch the livestock perish.

On himself:

Like a lot of people I just came from a middle-class family. My dad was a bricklayer, Mum worked a second job so she could pay for school fees, so we didn’t have a privileged upbringing at all. We were brought up in a wonderful family environment, so family is incredibly important to me.

Small business as well, I’ve always had a part-time job and when I joined the police I still had a part-time job interest which I ended up going into full time after ten years as a police officer and came into politics in 2001.

What’s his favourite AC/DC song?

Ah mate, this is the one where it catches you out so, I had about an hour and a half’s sleep last night, I’m trying to catch up with you Will, but I haven’t mate I’m sorry.

You’ve got the gotcha of the day.

I think Listen Like Thieves was my INXS one when I was last [on the show] wasn’t it?

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Peter Dutton sits next to Barnaby Joyce during a division in question time in the house of representatives on Tuesday Photograph: Mike Bowers for the Guardian

Updated

There are more suggestions that the numbers are being tested for Scott Morrison.

The Australian’s Simon Benson reports that “A number of MPs have confirmed that Ben Morton and Alex Hawke are now openly doing the numbers for Treasurer Scott Morrison”.

Liberal senator Concetta Fierravanti-Wells has officially notified the Senate of her resignation from the frontbench. She has written to the Senate president.

I write to advise of changes to question time arrangements for Wednesday 22 August and Thursday 23 August 2018.

Senator Payne will answer questions in relation to the International Development and the Pacific and the Human Services portfolios. Senator Fifield will answer questions in relation to the Social Services portfolio.

New Zealand media reacted with shock and amusement to their neighbour’s latest leadership debacle, with many broadcasters struggling to keep a straight face on air. At the Spinoff, staff writer Alex Braae predicted a new leader with the headline Spill! Spill! Spill?.

“Australian prime ministers are like a well functioning train system,” Braae wrote.” If you miss one, there’s always another one just around the corner.”

At the New Zealand Herald, Newstalk ZB’s political editor Barry Soper said the Australian leadership had become a ‘toxic waste dump’, and raised concerns about how a Dutton prime minister would affect New Zealand, saying the best bet for Kiwis was foreign affairs minister Julie Bishop.

“The former home affairs minister’s been trying to turn New Zealand into the penal colony that Australia once was with his deportation of so-called Kiwi criminals. He takes no responsibility for the criminality Australia’s taught them,” Soper wrote. “This former Queensland cop obviously sees it as a one-way relationship”.

In an opinion piece at Stuff, political editor Tracy Watkins said their were few silver linings for Kiwis in the latest leadership battle.

“Even if Turnbull hangs on, he has no room to move in softening Australia’s hardline immigration policies which have become a major irritant in New Zealand-Australian relations.” Watkins wrote.

“The hardliners in his caucus and cabinet would seize on any softening in the ‘good character’ test and deportee issue to further undermine Turnbull’s leadership. So if anything, expect Australian attitudes toward Kiwi expats to harden, rather than mellow.”

Watkins, like Soper, said the best hope for New Zealand was the survival of Julie Bishop, who although no particular friend to New Zealand, was a “known quantity” and “one of the few predictable figures in the increasingly unpredictable and volatile world of Australian politics.”

Updated

There were reports a little earlier from 2GB that Scott Morrison is trying to mount a run against Turnbull of his own. We have not confirmed this report. It could be simply more mischief from Dutton’s camp, but the situation remains volatile and is changing rapidly.

Guardian Australia is not receiving any information at this point that suggests Turnbull is leaking numbers to Dutton. But we do need to remind our dear readers that the situation is fluid and can change at any point.

Liberal senator Concetta Fierravanti-Wells, who resigned in rather dramatic fashion last night, has taken up her place on the backbench. She’s also been speaking to reporters about her fears the Liberal party is drifting too far to the left. To the left of what, you may well ask.

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Concetta Fierravanti-Wells is greeted by Senate leader Mathias Cormann as she takes her seat on the backbench for prayers for the resumption of sitting in Parliament House, Canberra this morning. Photograph: Mike Bowers for the Guardian
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Concetta Fierravanti-Wells takes her seat on the backbench for prayers as the Senate resumes sitting in Parliament House, Canberra this morning. Photograph: Mike Bowers for the Guardian

Updated

We’ve been waiting and waiting for a result on the government’s signature economic policy, corporate tax cuts.

Frequenters of this fine blog will remember that the Coalition this week proposed carving out the big banks from the corporate tax cut. This was done in an attempt to win over the crossbench. One Nation said “no deal” but its leader, Pauline Hanson, missed an opportunity to kill off the bill at the second reading stage. That kept the legislation alive in the Senate.

Those amendments to carve out the big banks have just been voted down. Labor senator Doug Cameron reckons it’s further evidence that the government is collapsing in on itself.

Well, we know it’s not been a good week for the Coalition, but this just really puts the icing on the cake. This is a leader in this place who has actually argued for tax cuts for the banks, has argued against a royal commission on the banks, who has supported the banks all the way along. And now, because this government is in so much trouble and is in terminal decline ... this is [finance minister] senator Cormann’s signature economic policy and it’s down the drain, like this government, down the drain.

Updated

Opposition leader Bill Shorten was on the Today show a little earlier. He says Labor has learnt its lesson from the leadership ructions that tore the party apart in the Rudd-Gillard-Rudd years.

It does need to stop and that’s why earlier in the interview I said Labor has learned its lesson. I think the record reflects that when we’ve had good polls and when we’ve had bad polls, my party has now stuck with me for five years.

I’ll certainly contest whoever the Liberals put up at the next election. Labor has learned its lesson and the proof in the pudding is the last five years.

Shorten also says he likes Turnbull “as a person”. I’m sure the PM will be thrilled to hear that, at this juncture.

Our intrepid photographer, Mike Bowers, is out and about, prowling the corridors to bring us juicy gossip. He tells me that Concetta Fierravanti-Wells is the only Coalition senator to have shifted seats for prayers in the upper house this morning. She’s on the backbench next to Steve Martin.

Updated

One of the mysteries of the morning is who might joint Darren Chester on the crossbench in the event the Dutton truck rolls into the PMO. I wondered whether one might be fellow Victorian Andrew Broad.

Not so, he says. “I will not leave the country without a prime minister,” Broad told me this morning. “Longterm stability is very important, and we have not been well placed for stability for some time.” On the stability point, Broad says the leader of the party is a matter for the Liberals. But he says stability would demand the government stick with the current prime minister.

There’s also a homily for colleagues, which he delivers in a spirit of resignation. “It is still possible to deliver good government under Turnbull, but that will require people to show a degree of professionalism.”

Should Darren pull his head in? “I will not tell a colleague what they should do. If they told me what to do, I’d tell them to shove it”.

Updated

Well, those admissions from Dutton have been met with immediate anger from Turnbull backers. Craig Laundy, MP for Reid, tells Sky News Dutton is not respecting the result of Tuesday’s ballot.

I’m disappointed to hear that. However, what I am pleased to hear is that the PM has worked constructively overnight with cabinet colleagues who weren’t supportive of him in yesterday’s leadership vote and they’ve agreed to stay on and work with the PM in a spirit of unification and come together to focus on ... the real opponent here, which is Bill Shorten.

Updated

Dutton says he is still working phones to bolster support

Dutton is continuing to ride the airwaves this morning. He’s just conceded to 3Aw’s Neil Mitchell that “of course” he’s working the phones to bolster support ahead of a second tilt at the leadership.

It’s pretty obvious stuff. But it’s a stark change from his position on Tuesday, in which he was much more circumspect and said he respected the result of the first spill.

Dutton:

You don’t go into a ballot believing you can lose. If I believed that a majority of colleagues support me then I would consider my position. That is being very up front and honest with you.

Mitchell:

Are you working the phones?

Dutton:

Of course I am, I’m speaking to colleagues. Again I am not going to beat around the bush with that mate.

Dutton continues to pitch himself as an alternative leader. He talks of his life from a working class family and his career as a cop. He says he’s maybe even more of your “average Australian” than Bill Shorten.

The three words that describe him? Well, after some early difficulties, he comes up with “very hard worker”.

He’s asked about his controversial comments that Victorians were scared to go out for dinner because of African gangs.

I don’t seek to overstate it. I didn’t say every Victorian, I said some.

And then:

I’m never going to be the favourite of Fairfax Media or the Guardian, wherever it may be, GetUp. But frankly I couldn’t care less.

'We've been ready for a long time': Labor says of election

Opposition leader Bill Shorten spoke of the government’s woes a little earlier. He said:

If they can’t govern, they should let the Australian people choose.

Labor frontbencher Jason Clare told Sky News the opposition is ready for an election.

We’ve been ready for a long time. I think the Australian people are ready to put this bad government out of its misery. The sooner they have the chance to do that the better.

Clare serves up a rather tortured movie reference.

[Turnbull’s] like Bruce Willis from the sixth sense. He’s dead, he just doesn’t know it yet.

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Labor leader Bill Shorten: ‘If they can’t govern, they should let the Australian people choose.’ Photograph: Mick Tsikas/AAP

Updated

One of the critical problems for Dutton is his lack of name recognition. Politically engaged Australians know Dutton well. But conventional thought is that he’s a relative stranger to the broader public.

Our Queensland correspondent, Ben Smee, got access to preliminary reports from five separate focus groups of voters in Dutton’s electorate of Dickson. It doesn’t make great reading for the Dutton camp. It shows he remains an unknown quantity, even in Dickson. Immigration does not rate as a major concern among the focus groups.

It’s worth noting the research was commissioned by left-leaning GetUp. Our reporter also spoke to people on the ground in Dickson. One man, David Stirling, had this to say of the prospective leader:

Peter Dutton? I don’t know him very much. I see him on TV talking about immigrants, which is the old shell game: watch the people we’ve stopped coming in and let them all through the front door at the same time.

I think outside Queensland not too many people know him either.

Turnbull is hopeless and Dutton, I don’t know him well enough to say what he’s like, but I don’t think he’s up to scratch much.

This all helps to explain why Dutton is out and about talking up his “smile” and his “softer side”. It helps to learn AC/DC songs, though, Dutton.

Updated

While Chester is hinting that he and others could move to the crossbench, others were urging the Nationals to stay out of the quagmire.

Barnaby Joyce said this morning:

It’s not our fight, it’s the Liberal party’s fight. I’m sure they’ll resolve it and then we can move on ... I can’t talk for another party, right. I just can’t.

Keith Pitt, Nationals MP for Hinkler, took a similar line:

The leadership of the Liberal party is entirely a matter for them.

Updated

It’s worth a look at the crossbench in the lower house. It’s conceivable, after a few twists and turns, that they could lead Australia to an early election. My colleague Katharine Murphy reported this morning that Rebekha Sharkie and Cathy McGowan are refusing to say whether they would guarantee supply and confidence for a Dutton government.

That could come into play if Dutton wins a spill but the government loses a single member from the lower house.

That could conceivably occur if Darren Chester, the Nationals MP, moves to the crossbench, as he has intimated. It could also happen if Turnbull resigns and triggers a byelection.

Losing Sharkie and McGowan’s backing would leave the government exposed to a no-confidence motion, and we’d all be back down to the local primary school, eating snags, and angrily stuffing our ballots into boxes. Joy.

We are getting slightly ahead of ourselves. But it’s a live option and ought be considered.

The others on the crossbench have alreay made their views clear. The Greens MP Adam Bandt said he would not support Dutton. The Tasmanian independent Andrew Wilkie has not offered confidence and supply to Turnbull and wouldn’t promise his successor anything, either.

Both voted with Labor in a no-confidence motion on Tuesday.

Murphy has explained this in more detail here.

Updated

Tony Abbott to deliver speech on migration

Peter Dutton has already made migration a central issue to his leadership, were he to successfully challenge.

Just to add some spice to that, Tony Abbott is planning a speech on migration to the Centre for Independent Studies on Monday. The spiel for the speech reads pretty much as you’d expect it to. We’re not racist, but:

The overwhelming consensus is that immigration has been one of the pillars of Australia’s economic prosperity. It has also led to our nation’s cultural richness: half of us were either born overseas or have at least one parent who was born abroad.

However, we should be able to debate the level and composition of the increasingly controversial annual 190,000 intake without being accused of racism or bigotry.

Tony Abbott and Peter Dutton
Tony Abbott and Peter Dutton: two peas in a pod? Photograph: Mike Bowers for the Guardian

Updated

The Victorian Nationals MP Darren Chester has warned that any potential challenger to Turnbull’s leadership – that is, Peter Dutton – should not assume that everyone in the Coalition will simply fall into line behind them.

He didn’t say so in so many words, but it’s a veiled threat that he and some of his Nationals colleagues could join the crossbench if Dutton becomes PM.

Here are some quotes from an ABC interview this morning:

I had many conversations yesterday, and certainly a cohort of my colleagues who are worried about what direction this is taking and they’re serving their options and all options are on the table.

The point that I made yesterday in a media interview is that there’s no reason why any potential challenger, whoever that may be, should assume that they can command numbers on the floor of the house of representatives, given we have a one-seat majority. Sorry it’s not a straight answer but all offers on the table in a volatile environment.

My strong desire is for everyone to calm down.

There was a vote held yesterday and the prime minister won that vote. The Australian people expect prime ministers to finish their terms. I know that that hasn’t happened much in the last 10 years, but I think that the Australian people expect us to do the job we’ve been sent here to do to focus on them and not to focus on each other.

Let the prime minister finish his term and the Australian people will cast their judgment on us, as a government, in May next year.

pic
Darren Chester: ‘Let the prime minister finish his term.’ Photograph: Lukas Coch/AAP

Updated

Malcolm has convinced frontbenchers to stay on: Bishop

Foreign affairs minister Julie Bishop has been out and about this morning, speaking to ABC and Sky News. She is pleading with her colleagues to unite behind Turnbull and says she does not accept that a second spill is inevitable.

She also hints that the prime minister has been successful in convincing a number of frontbenchers to stay on and back his leadership. Bishop hinted that, as a result, the numbers may be better for Turnbull.

Malcolm is wanting to heal the divisions and unite the party ... he’s asked them to stay on in the ministry. I believe a number of them are either considering that or have accepted that offer and will back him.

Bishop also confirms that Turnbull accepted the resignation of Concetta Fierravanti-Wells.

Updated

A bit more from Dutton’s interview.

In a country where we’ve got an abundance of natural resource, of renewables, of coal, of hydro, and yet we’re paying some of the highest energy costs in the world. They’re the sorts of things I think we should be working on, and if we do, I believe that people will strongly support the government.

He wasn’t prepared, though, for the classic FM radio question. What’s your favourite AC/DC song?

Dutton couldn’t name one. Oops.

pic
It’s a long way to the top ... if you want to be prime minister. Photograph: Lukas Coch/AAP

Updated

Dutton calls for GST to be removed from power bills, royal commission into electricity companies

Peter Dutton is already out and about, selling himself as an alternative leader. He appeared on Triple M radio in Melbourne, an FM station, and detailed a policy agenda of sorts. It was pretty populist stuff.

He called for the GST to be taken off power bills for families, pensioners and self-funded retirees, as well a a royal commission into electricity and fuel companies.

Labor’s Tanya Plibersek points out that Dutton supported electricity privatisation, voted to take the energy supplement from low-income Australians and resisted a royal commission into the banks. She labels his ideas as “uncosted and untested”.

“What’s new here is that he wants to appear like he’s an ordinary Australian,” Plibersek tells Sky News.

Updated

Here are the frontbench resignations that we know of so far.

Who’s resigned?

  • Peter Dutton

Who’s offered to resign?

  • Concetta Fierravanti-Wells
  • Michael Sukkar
  • Greg Hunt
  • Zed Seselja
  • Angus Taylor
  • James McGrath
  • Alan Tudge

Concetta Fierravanti-Wells is a special case. It was reported that Turnbull had accepted her resignation, but she told the ABC this morning that she was yet to speak with the prime minister. She also could not confirm whether or not she was still on the frontbench. She didn’t appear to know.

Steve Ciobo was also expected to offer his resignation last night, but later tweeted that the party must unite under Turnbull.

Concetta Fierravanti-Wells has offered to resign.
Concetta Fierravanti-Wells has offered to resign. Photograph: Mike Bowers for the Guardian

Updated

Hello, and welcome to what’s shaping up to be another momentous day in the madhouse.

It’s Christopher Knaus here, filling in for my colleague Amy Remeikis.

Events are already moving at a high tempo. Malcolm Turnbull’s leadership remains in serious jeopardy. We saw a flurry of late-night resignations from the frontbench last night, timed to heap further pressure on the prime minister. Turnbull is desperately trying to keep his cabinet together and has flat out refused to accept the resignations of some senior ministers. So far, it’s believed he has only accepted the resignations of Peter Dutton and Concetta Fierravanti-Wells.

Already this morning we’ve seen Peter Dutton out on the airwaves. He was on FM radio spruiking up populist policies and trying, again, to show his “nice” side. We’ll bring you more on that shortly.

There are moving pieces all over parliament. Darren Chester, the Nationals MP, is reportedly refusing to guarantee he would not go to the crossbench if Dutton becomes the Liberal leader. That would, of course, lose the government its majority and force an election.

At the same time, crossbench MPs Rebekha Sharkie and Cathy McGowan are refusing to say whether they would guarantee supply and confidence to a Dutton government. That would, again, force an election. The Coalition, on its current numbers, would likely be wiped out at the polls if that were to occur.

So, strap yourselves in. It’s going to be a wild day.

Updated

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