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Saturday July 31, 2010

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Abbott the new leader of Liberal Party

Posted by: 3AW Radio | 1 December, 2009 - 9:54 AM

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FAIRFAX MEDIA: An informal vote was reportedly the difference between Tony Abbott defeating Malcolm Turnbull for the Liberal party leadership today.

One MP wrote "no" on a ballot paper in the final vote, which went to Mr Abbott 42 to 41.

That revelation will stun Mr Turnbull, who will now take up a position on the Liberal backbench - assuming the Federal Government does not call a double-dissolution election for early next year.

In an earlier ballot with all three in the race, Mr Hockey attracted 23 votes, Mr Turnbull 26 votes and Tony Abbott 35 votes.

Julie Bishop's role of deputy leader was not challenged.

The Liberals also decided to vote down the emissions trading scheme legislation if they could not defer the bill this week. That move will give the Government a trigger for a double-disillusion election.

In his first speech as leader, Mr Abbott said the party had suffered "wounds that do need to be healed" and he "will do my best to be a consultative and collegial leader".

Minutes earlier, Mr Turnbull said he would not stand down as an MP.

"I will be on the backbench. Assuming the Parliament does come back, I'll be on the backbench," he said. "Will I recontest the next election? (Wife) Lucy and I will talk about that."

Deputy leader Julie Bishop said she was delighted Mr Abbott had been elected leader."We have a great challenge ahead of us," she said.

But a moderate source said the Liberals had just "f....d ourselves over".

Victorian MP Fran Bailey was absent from the meeting, having been given a leave of absence by the party.

In Washington, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said all MPs should back the emissions trading scheme.

- with AAP

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Blog comments Your Say

  • I asked on your blog today if your were still a member of the H.R.Nicholls Society and they would not print my question why?

    Lesley Kilroy Friday 8 January, 2010 - 1:38 PM

  • A foul mouth pollie???(g bremner)

    what is Rudd?? why was he not charged over work place bullying? verbal abuse?

    Abbott is what this country needs and points out what Labor wont. its a tax, nothing more,otherwise why would you pay Billions to the major polluters? and then expect the public to pay for it???

    mike Wednesday 2 December, 2009 - 5:29 PM

  • Abbott says he's NOT a climate SCEPTIC and says the opposition's policy will be at least as tough as the government, when it comes to reducing carbon emission. He also says there won't be a massive big tax or a massive bureaucracy to implement it. But he has pledged the opposition's policy will achieve at LEAST the same emission reduction as the government. Some in business believe the government's scheme is STILL the best option. The Australian Industry Group also supports the government. Interesting~! Come on sceptics, particularly Bolters - what's your story now??? Are we still gonna live in denial? Abbott is a politician first. He knows only too well that he has to address climate change, or risk losing international credibility. What's next? Has Hocking now become your new saviour? Time to live in the REAL world kiddies~! :)

    Lenny Wednesday 2 December, 2009 - 12:58 PM

  • Finally, a politician with guts! I applaud the election of Tony Abbott to lead the Liberal Party. Malcolm Turnbull became a patsy for the Labor Party. Kevin Rudd, Penny Wong and their ilk are taking Australian down a disastrous path with the ETS. What galls me is that they refuse to even consider the science that is contrary to their global warming scariness, especially in light of the emails from the U of East Anglia which shows that data has been deleted, fudged, misrepresented, etc.

    Mary Wednesday 2 December, 2009 - 10:26 AM

  • tony abbott? omg is he the best they have got.hes nothing more than a foul mouth pollie.u have got to b kidding libs

    graeme bremner Wednesday 2 December, 2009 - 9:55 AM

  • If memory serves me correct, I am sure that a year out from the last election, the leader of the Labor party was Mr. Latham. At the time, the general consensus was that the ALP had no chance at the election, and history proves otherwise.
    Who is to say that the same won't happen for the Liberal party?

    Mike Tuesday 1 December, 2009 - 5:50 PM

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