The cost of loyalty: Who will a triumphant Turnbull reward and punish?
The spill might be over, but the rivers of blood are yet to flow.
Prime Minister Tony Abbott won 44 votes in Monday night's leadership ballot while his successor Malcolm Turnbull took 54. This means 44 Liberal Party members backed the wrong horse.
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We can expect those who supported Turnbull to be rewarded, while some Abbott supporters are likely to be removed from Cabinet or booted to the backbench.
News that Australia would have its fifth prime minister in five years was still sinking in around 10pm when talk of revenge and retribution in the Liberal ranks began to swirl.
Appearing on ABC's Lateline, Queensland MP and Turnbull supporter Steve Ciobo was asked whether the knives might be out for Abbott's former "loyal deputy" Julie Bishop, who sided early on Monday with Turnbull.
“Look, that’s a possibility. I’m not gonna pretend that it’s not,” he said.
“I’m not going to argue ... that these things are unseemly. Of course they are. And in an ideal world, this wouldn’t happen.”
The prime minister must move quickly to bring his new leadership team together, rewarding supporters and some enemies while neutralising threats.
A cabinet reshuffle is imminent and could come before week's end. Bishop, who defeated Kevin Andrews for deputy 70-30, will stay on as foreign minister while Education Minister Christopher Pyne might take the defence portfolio – vacated by Andrews, an Abbott supporter.
Treasurer Joe Hockey is expected to go, coming out early on Monday evening to attack Turnbull for saying the country needed a new captain.
“We need a style of leadership that … explains the challenges and how to seize the opportunities,” Turnbull said when he threw his hat in the ring, suggesting the government's struggles were "not the fault of individual ministers”.
“We need advocacy, not slogans," Turnbull declared.
Behind Abbott, the treasurer was the highest profile government member. He drew the ire of voters for delivering the disastrous first budget, for saying "poor people don't drive" and people who could not afford to buy a home needed better paying jobs. It was rumoured for weeks he would lose his job.
Like a wounded animal, Hockey went on the attack.
“The disloyalty of some has been outrageous,” he said ahead of the ballot.
“The position of prime minister is a gift of you the Australian people. You have the right to hire and only you have the right to fire.”
The same could not be said for Hockey, it being the prime minister's prerogative to pick his ministers.
Despite throwing his support behind Abbott, many suspect right faction leader Scott Morrison will be promoted from social services to treasurer in order to cool temperaments between the party's conservative wing that do not share Turnbull's views on gay marriage or the republic among other things.
Senior Abbott supporters, many of whom made up the 26-strong "Praetorian guard" behind the dead man walking as he entered the party room on Monday night, are expected to be moved on and fresh, pro-Turnbull blood injected into key roles.
Senate Leader and Employment Minister Eric Abetz is expected to go, while Attorney General George Brandis might hang on for backing Turnbull despite bungling the government's law reform agenda.
After succeeding in his plot, Turnbull promised to be "first among equals" in cabinet and would not make howling "captain's pick" decisions. But who he wants in top the jobs will be his call.
Environment Minister Greg Hunt and Trade Minister Andrew Robb stuck with Abbott.
Arthur Sinodinos, Mal Brough, Wyatt Roy and Peter Hendy flanked the challenger as he entered the room, while rising stars Kelly O’Dwyer and Paul Fletcher also backed Turnbull.
Morning news break – September 15
