The Turnbull government was the federal executive government of Australia led by the 29th prime minister of Australia, Malcolm Turnbull, from 2015 to 2018. It succeeded the Abbott government, which brought the Coalition to power at the 2013 Australian federal election. The government consisted of members of Australia's Liberal-Nationals Coalition. Turnbull took office by challenging his leader, Tony Abbott, in an internal leadership ballot. Warren Truss, the leader of the Nationals, served as deputy prime minister until he retired in 2016 and was replaced by Barnaby Joyce. Joyce resigned in February 2018 and the Nationals' new leader Michael McCormack became deputy prime minister.PM bans sex between ministers and staff and calls on Barnaby Joyce to consider his position; smh.com.au; 15 Feb 2018 The Turnbull government concluded with Turnbull's resignation ahead of internal leadership ballot which saw him succeeded as prime minister by Scott Morrison and the Morrison government.
In mounting his 2015 public challenge for the leadership, Turnbull cited extended poor polling in Newspoll by the Abbott government and said Australia needed a new style of "economic leadership". Turnbull appointed Morrison as Treasurer in an expanded ministry, promoting several key supporters. Julie Bishop remained as Minister for Foreign Affairs. Conservatives Tony Abbott, Eric Abetz and Kevin Andrews were sent to the backbench. Joe Hockey left Parliament. The Turnbull government continued a number of Abbott government initiatives, promising a plebiscite legalising same-sex marriage, concluding Abbott era initiatives on an anti-domestic violence campaign, funding the National Disability Insurance Scheme, signing a China free trade deal, and reforming Senate voting.
The April 2016 refusal of the Senate to pass the government's bill to re-establish a watchdog for the construction industry provided Turnbull with a double dissolution trigger. An election was held on 2 July, and the government was returned with its majority in the House of Representatives reduced to one seat. The 2016 election saw a resurgence of the right wing Pauline Hanson's One Nation Party, and discontented conservative Liberal Senator Cory Bernardi left the party and established the Australian Conservatives soon after. The now elected Turnbull government secured passage of the Registered Organisations and Australian Building and Construction Commission legislation. In 2017, it announced Federal funds for expansion of Snowy Hydro. In June 2017, it introduced the "Gonski 2.0" reforms to schools funding. Factional strains continued.
Turnbull's ousting of Abbott had divided the Liberal Party rank and file and tensions continued in the parliamentary Party.NSW Liberals groan as Malcolm Turnbull tells gathering party is not ruled by factions, new PM praises Tony Abbott; Australian Broadcasting Corporation; 10 October 2015Jeff Kennett attacks Malcolm Turnbull for 'self-interest' and lack of courage; The Sydney Morning Herald; 9 March 2016Kevin Andrews says remarks about challenging Turnbull for leadership 'hypothetical'; Australian Broadcasting Corporation; 5 April 2016 Abbott said Turnbull supporters had plotted against him.Tony Abbott lashes out at Christopher Pyne over leaked leadership, same-sex marria; www.abc.net.au; 26/6/17Andrew Bolt: Christopher Pyne drops Malcolm Turnbull's plan for Liberals on same-sex marriage; http://www.heraldsun.com.au; 26/7/17 The government reached the 30-consecutive-Newspoll-losses benchmark Turnbull had used to unseat Abbott, in April 2018.Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull hits 30 straight Newspoll losses; www.theaustralian.com.au; 18 April 2018 The Parliament faced a period of instability under the 2017–18 Australian parliamentary eligibility crisis, and the Turnbull government briefly lost its parliamentary majority and Deputy Prime Minister Joyce. Joyce was re-elected, but in February 2018 Turnbull denounced him and forced his resignation after the press reported on an office affair he had been conducting with a staffer.Barnaby Joyce throws Coalition into crisis over PM's 'inept and unnecessary' attack; www.theguardian.com; 16 Feb 2018 By-election losses in July 2018 further diminished Turnbull's authority.Malcolm Turnbull's authority diminished after by-election failures; www.abc.net.au; 30 July 2018 Dissent from conservative MPs over issues such as energy prices and immigration levels grew during Turnbull's final months. On 21 August, Turnbull announced a leadership spill ahead of his 39th consecutive Newspoll loss, which he narrowly won against Peter Dutton. Turnbull resigned three days later after narrowly losing the confidence of his Party room. Turnbull blamed Abbott, Dutton and conservative media commentators.
Background
Malcolm Turnbull Malcolm Turnbull entered Parliament as the Member for Wentworth in 2004, and went on to serve as Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister from January 2006, and later Minister for the Environment and Water Resources in the Liberal-National coalition led by Prime Minister John Howard. Before entering Parliament, Turnbull had previously worked as a journalist, a barrister and a merchant banker. He also headed the Australian Republican Movement, and had been active in the failed "Yes" campaign for the 1999 republic referendum.
The Howard government was defeated at the 2007 federal election by the Australian Labor Party led by Kevin Rudd. In the aftermath, Turnbull entered and lost in the ensuing ballot for the Liberal Party leadership, which was won by Brendan Nelson. Turnbull served as Shadow Treasurer, before toppling Nelson in the November 2008 Liberal leadership spill.
The Godwin Grech Affair undermined Turnbull's authority, and amid extended poor polling, and disagreement within the Coalition over Turnbull's support for the Rudd government's climate change taxation policies, Turnbull was replaced as leader of the Liberals by Tony Abbott following a 2009 leadership spill. The Coalition's position in the polls was improved by the leadership change, and Abbott went on to lead the Coalition to the 2010 federal election (which resulted in a hung parliament) and to win the 2013 federal election, returning to power after six years in opposition. Turnbull served as Minister for Communications in the Abbott government, and oversaw the National Broadband rollout.
Turnbull challenges Abbott
The Abbott government delivered its election promises of removing industry taxes on mining and carbon emissions, and halting unauthorised boat arrivals, but its first Budget's expenditure cuts and surprise revenue proposals met with a hostile reception in the Senate and media. Monarchist Abbott's decision to knight the Duke of Edinburgh brought heavy media criticism, and amid declining poll numbers for the Coalition, rumours of an intention by republican Malcolm Turnbull to challenge for the leadership continued. On 5 February, Fairfax reported that leadership speculation was at "fever pitch" after backbench Senator Arthur Sinodinos (a demoted-Minister) questioned Abbott's judgement on Sky News and refused to confirm if the Prime Minister would still hold his job in a week's time.Leadership speculation at fever pitch as Arthur Sinodinos calls PM's judgment into question; 5 February 2015 The following day, the ABC's 7.30 reported that "The tensions between the Prime Minister and the colleagues campaigning to oust him are heading to a showdown."Two WA backbenchers call for a spill against Prime Minister Tony Abbott; ABC; 7.30, Transcript 6 February 2015
Liberal MPs Don Randall and Luke Simpkins called a February 2015 spill motion to spill the leadership positions of the party, though with no contender. The motion failed 61 to 39. Abbott reportedly asked the Liberal caucus to give him six months to improve the government's standing.
The ABC reported that in the lead up to the motion, the Abbott government had been facing "leaks and growing media criticism". In the months after the failed spill motion, leaking and backgrounding against Abbott continued, but polling for the Coalition initially improved. Following the Second Hockey Budget in May 2015, Newspoll placed Abbott's approval rating at an eight-month high, and in front of Opposition leader Bill Shorten as better prime minister for the first time in six months.The Australian
Final spill
On 14 September 2015, Turnbull announced that he would be challenging Abbott. Turnbull cited extended poor polling by the Abbott government and a need for a new style of "economic leadership" as reasons for mounting his challenge: "We have lost 30 Newspolls in a row. It is clear that the people have made up their mind about Mr Abbott's leadership", he said. In response, Abbott said that he was "dismayed by the destabilisation that's been taking place now for many, many months" and that Australia needed "strong and stable government and that means avoiding, at all costs, Labor's revolving-door prime ministership". A September 2015 leadership spill was called, with Turnbull challenging Abbott, and winning by 54 votes to 44, and Abbott supporter Kevin Andrews challenging Julie Bishop for the Liberal deputy position but losing 70–30.
Coalition agreement Prior to the ballot, the Deputy Prime Minister, Warren Truss, noted in a news conference that the Coalition agreement between the Liberal Party and the Nationals was negotiated with Abbott and that any change in leader would require it to be renegotiated. Political commentators stated that senior Nationals senators disliked the way that Turnbull handled the carbon reduction policy in 2009, with other Nationals being "deeply upset" that Turnbull did not acknowledge the Nationals during his first press conference as Prime Minister-designate.
Despite these very early tensions, the Nationals ultimately struck a new Coalition agreement with Turnbull on 15 September, shortly before Turnbull was sworn in as prime minister. As part of the agreement, responsibility for water was transferred from Liberal Greg Hunt's environment portfolio to Nationals Barnaby Joyce's agriculture portfolio. The Nationals successfully negotiated a total of $4 billion worth of deals from Turnbull in exchange for a continued Coalition agreement. They also received assurances from Turnbull that he would maintain the policy positions of the Abbott government in relation to carbon pricing and in relation to requiring a plebiscite prior to any amendment to the Marriage Act to recognise same-sex unions as "marriages" under Australian law.
Challenge aftermath
Turnbull dropped Abbott, Joe Hockey, Eric Abetz, Ian Macfarlane, Kevin Andrews, Michael Ronaldson and Bruce Billson from his ministry, but increased the number of cabinet ministers from 19 to 21. Polling was initially favourable to Turnbull following the leadership change, but the Coalition faced internal tensions. By March 2016, Labor and the Coalition were back to 50–50 in Newspoll results. In his final address to the media as prime minister, Abbott expressed pride in the record of his government, but warned against a "poll-driven" political culture and unnamed media figures and politicians who would "connive at dishonour" by spreading anonymous, self-serving claims: "A febrile media culture has developed that rewards treachery" he said.