Anthony Chisholm (Queensland, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to Minister for Communications and the Arts, Senator Fifield. On Thursday, 23 August, the day before Malcolm Turnbull was sacked by his own party room, Minister Fifield announced that it had:

… become apparent … that a majority of party room colleagues believed that there should be a transition.

Rather than explain how Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull was sacked, can the minister explain why Malcolm Turnbull is no longer the Prime Minister of Australia?

Mitch Fifield (Victoria, Liberal Party, Minister for Communications and the Arts) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Under the Westminster system of parliamentary democracy, the leader of the governing party is the Prime Minister of the government of the day. As colleagues are aware, the members and senators of the Liberal party room made a collective decision in relation to the leadership of the party.

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

Senator Chisholm, a supplementary question?

Anthony Chisholm (Queensland, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Last night, when asked whether she had any idea why the Liberals sacked Malcolm Turnbull, the Deputy Leader of the Nationals, Senator McKenzie said, 'No'. Given that the Deputy Leader of the Nationals is in the dark, will the minister now enlighten her and all Australians as to why he withdrew his support for Malcolm Turnbull?

Mitch Fifield (Victoria, Liberal Party, Minister for Communications and the Arts) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The parliamentary Liberal Party and the parliamentary National Party are two separate parties who are in coalition together in government, and I—

Opposition Senators:

Opposition senators interjecting—

Mitch Fifield (Victoria, Liberal Party, Minister for Communications and the Arts) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Let me continue through the interjections opposite! I outlined my position clearly in the week where the Liberal party room made its decision in terms of the Liberal leadership.

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

Senator Chisholm, a final supplementary question?

Anthony Chisholm (Queensland, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

When asked why Australia needed a new Prime Minister, the Leader of the House, Minister Pyne, said, 'The question you ask is a good one. It's yet to be answered by those people who felt there needed to be a change in the leadership.' As one of those responsible for sacking former Prime Minister Turnbull, will the minister tell Australians why we have a new Prime Minister?

Mitch Fifield (Victoria, Liberal Party, Minister for Communications and the Arts) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

As I've already indicated, decisions in relation to the leadership of the parliamentary Liberal Party are made collectively by the members and senators of the Liberal party room.