How Malcolm Turnbull spent his last night as prime minister
A Liberal MP has revealed Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull spent his last night in the top job drowning his sorrows.
MP Craig Laundy told KISS FM he spent Thursday evening with the “shattered” Prime Minister as he prepared to call a party room meeting today.
Mr Turnbull’s leadership was thrown into turmoil this week as former home affairs minister Peter Dutton tried to oust him in a leadership challenge on Tuesday.
Mr Turnbull won the vote 48-35 but Mr Dutton refused to give up and demanded another challenge on Thursday.
The Prime Minister said he would call a party room meeting once he got 43 signatures supporting the spill.
On Thursday Treasurer Scott Morrison and Foreign Affairs Minister Julie Bishop threw their hats into the ring to challenge Mr Dutton for the top job.
Mr Turnbull’s previously staunch supporters and senior ministers Mathias Cormann, Mitch Fifield and Michaelia Cash also announced they no longer backed the Prime Minister and supported a spill.
Mr Laundy is still behind Mr Turnbull and said he spent his last night in the top job having a drink.
“I was with him last night,” the MP told the Kyle and Jackie O show.
“We were having some glasses of red wine and champagne. He’s shattered basically, I would say.”
Mr Laundy also admitted he understood why Australians would be outraged by what has gone on in parliament this week.
“The Australian public should be cranky with us. While we’re fighting among ourselves, we’re not thinking about them,” he said.
Mr Laundy revealed he believed Ms Bishop was “electorally the most popular”.
“She’s definitely the most popular and the most well-known. Funnier things have happened inside party rooms,” he said.
“Malcolm is a strong supporter of Julie.”
