Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott Ousted by Staunch Republican Malco[l]m Turnbull

Tony Abbott speaks during a press conference in the Blue Room,
at Parliament House in Canberra

THE TELEGRAPH: Millionaire lawyer Malcolm Turnbull defeats controversial Liberal Party leader Tony Abbott in a matter of hours just two years into his term

Australian prime minister Tony Abbott has been ousted in a stunning coup by self-made millionaire Malcom Turnbull continuing the nation’s five-year run of leadership swaps.

Winning a 54 to 44 Liberal party-room vote in Canberra on Monday, Mr Turnbull, 60, promised to unite the party and the nation with a new style of leadership that “respects the people’s intelligence”. The deputy Liberal leader, Julie Bishop, backed Mr Turnbull and easily won back her position in a 70 to 30 vote against cabinet minister Kevin Andrews.

The former Rhodes Scholar and investment banker holds more progressive political views than Mr Abbott, an ardent conservative and monarchist, but immediately signalled he will restrain his own personal support for same[-]sex marriage and strong action on climate change.

“This will be a thoroughly Liberal government committed to freedom, the individual and the market,” he said. » | Jonathan Pearlman, Sydney | Monday, September 14, 2015