BREAKING: Petition Calling for Partyroom Meeting Signed By Majority Liberal MPs
A petition calling for a Liberal partyroom meeting has been signed by a majority of Liberal MPs as was demanded Malcolm Turnbull yesterday. It has been delivered by the party Whip Nola Marino however has not been sighted by Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull so the scheduled partyroom meeting for 12pm today has not been confirmed. Peter Dutton is now going to Malcolm Turnbull to present the petition in person. Word is that Dutton has bled support for the other rising conservative challenger Scott Morrison. Julie Bishop is the other confirmed challenger with it being confirmed she will not run for Deputy again.
Malcolm Turnbull has said if the partyroom meeting takes place he will not stand and then resign as Member for Wentworth. Tony Abbott has said he will not stand for leader but still anything could happen at this partyroom meeting, if it takes place at all. This morning the Commonwealth Solicitor-General Stephen Donaghue released legal advice that they were pretty confident Peter Dutton was eligible under Section 44 of the Constitution to sit in Parliament however the precedent of an MP owning a company that receives Commonwealth subsides had not been tested in the High Court.
This leadership contest is being seen as a battle for the soul of the Liberal Party with moderates and conservatives blaming each other for destroying the party. The task for however takes over to unite the party, yet alone obtain a decent showing at the next election is a monumental task.
UPDATE:
Malcolm Turnbull has confirmed he is verifying the names on the petition.
I have just been provided with a request for a meeting of the Parliamentary Liberal Party. It has 43 signatures. As soon as they are verified by the Whips, which should not take long, the meeting will be called.
— Malcolm Turnbull (@TurnbullMalcolm) August 24, 2018
UPDATE:
Partyroom meeting is taking place at 12.20pm.
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