Abrar Hussain: Austr-alia’s new Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s maiden address to parliament yesterday was mired by a poll that claimed he may soon be out of a job.
Morrison – an evangelical Christian and former head of Australian tourism – stepped up to a boisterous first session of questions with the future of his own two-week-old administration already in doubt.
Earlier that day, a Newspoll survey showed that his ruling Liberal Party is trailing badly against the opposition, amid public unease over squabbling and careerism inside the ruling party.
Despite adequate personal approval ratings, Morrison’s Liberals have the support of just 44% of voters, versus the Labor Party’s 56.
With elections expected by May next year, it is a gloomy political backdrop for the 50-year-old, who has struggled to parry questions about the leadership coup that brought him to power.
The Liberals removed Malcom Turnbull as prime minister two weeks ago during a bruising leadership challenge that exposed plotting, backstabbing and infighting within the party.
Morrison prompted wry laughs in the chamber when he offered Turnbull his “best wishes” but largely used his inaugural appearance to try and turn the page – focusing on the solid economic growth this G20 economy has seen for the last 27 years.
“That’s what I propose to do, take charge to ensure that we continue the stable government that has delivered the strong economy that has seen a million people come into work since we were elected in 2013,” he said.
But opposition Labor leader Bill Shorten was having none of it, turning the knife with questions about why Turnbull was removed.
“They cannot answer the very first question that every Australian has been asking for the last 16 days: Why was Malcolm Turnbull sacked?” Shorten asked caustically.
Upheaval of leadership is not unprecedented in Australia – the country already had six prime minister changes in the past decade. Nevertheless, Morrison’s arrival comes at a precarious time.
-Source: AFP