Australia: Turnbull deposes Abbot to become Prime Minister
Conor Flynn, Socialist Party (CWI Australia)
Malcolm Turnbull became Australia’s fourth prime minister in just over two years after deposing Tony Abbot as leader of the ruling right-wing Liberal Party, this month.
Abbot became prime minister in 2013 but was a divisive figure overseeing a weakening economy. The Liberal-National coalition government has been losing support for months and trails behind the Labour Party.
With their parliamentary seats in jeopardy, Liberal party MPs moved ruthlessly to get rid of Abbot and to put Turnbull in his place.
Much of the media in Australia and internationally welcomed the move and praised the new prime minister. But Turnbull’s big business background and right-wing politics shows he is no friend of the Australian working class.
