Anne Urquhart (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Prime Minister, Senator Cormann: This morning, former Prime Minister Turnbull said:

… when I was prime minister we were two points behind on the Newspoll, level pegging effectively, and we were four points ahead on our own private polling - but we know that's not the government's position today.

Given even President Trump is asking what happened to Mr Turnbull, why is Mr Turnbull no longer the Prime Minister?

Mathias Cormann (WA, Liberal Party, Vice-President of the Executive Council) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

As I've indicated to the chamber on a number of occasions now, the reason Mr Turnbull is no longer Prime Minister is that he lost the confidence of a majority of members in the Liberal Party party room. The Liberal Party party room elected Mr Morrison and Mr Frydenberg as our leader and deputy leader. It is very clearly understood that, under our Westminster system of parliamentary democracy, prime ministers need to both enjoy victory at the election and continue to enjoy majority support in their respective party room—something I know that the Labor Party understands very well, because I know Mr Shorten has been involved directly in changing prime ministers on the Labor Party's side on two occasions. I don't think that Mr Shorten has any difficulty understanding what happened, because he has been directly involved on two occasions.

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Urquhart, a supplementary question.

Anne Urquhart (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Former Prime Minister Turnbull went on to say:

… the government’s electoral woes, if that’s the right term, are a consequence of the decision made to change the leadership on the 24th of August.

"I mean, the polls—whether it’s the opinion polls or the [Victorian] election results—tell that story. It was … a destructive, mad, pointless exercise and the Australian people have been appalled by it."

Is Mr Turnbull correct?

Mathias Cormann (WA, Liberal Party, Vice-President of the Executive Council) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I'm sure that Mr Turnbull, like many Liberals around Australia, is very, very focused on seeing and very keen to see this government do well and be successful at the next election. We as a government continue to do everything we can to ensure the economy is as strong as possible, that as many jobs as possible are created in the economy and that the budget gets back to surplus as soon as possible.

Remember, in case you have forgotten, we inherited from the Labor Party back in September 2013 a weakening economy, rising unemployment and a rapidly deteriorating budget position. Of course, as a result of our work as a government, a Liberal-National government, over the last five-and-a-bit years, the economy now is stronger, the economic growth outlook is stronger, more jobs have been created, the unemployment rate is well below where it was and well below where it was anticipated it would be and the budget is on track to return to surplus.

We know, of course, that if there were a change of government at the next election— (Time expired)

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Urquhart, a final supplementary question.

Anne Urquhart (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Former Prime Minister Turnbull went on to say in relation to the government's electoral woes:

… the people who should take responsibility for that are the people who moved to remove me as Prime Minister, Peter Dutton, Greg Hunt and Mathias Cormann and others …

When will you, Senator Cormann, take responsibility for the government's electoral woes?

Mathias Cormann (WA, Liberal Party, Vice-President of the Executive Council) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I think it's very clear that I'm here taking responsibility and being accountable every single day. I've well and truly explained my position, in relation to the events of the last week in August, publicly and privately. I don't have anything further to add.