2018 Liberal Party of Australia leadership spills

This article is part of a series about Malcolm Turnbull
Early life and career Spycatcher trial OzEmail Member for Wentworth (2004–2018) Howard government 2008 Liberal leadership spill Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme OzCar affair 2009 Liberal leadership spill Abbott government National Broadband Network 2015 Liberal leadership spill Prime Minister of Australia First Ministry Second Ministry 2016 election Robodebt scheme Parliamentary eligibility crisis Australian Marriage Law Postal Survey 2018 Liberal leadership spills 2018 Wentworth by-election Australian republican movement
v t e

Leadership spills of the federal parliamentary leadership of the Liberal Party of Australia were held on 21 and 24 August 2018 and were called by the incumbent leader of the party, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull.

It has been nicknamed "spill week" in the media.^[1]

Turnbull called the first spill in a regularly scheduled party room meeting of the Liberal Party on 21 August, amid media reports that Minister for Home Affairs Peter Dutton was considering a challenge.^[2][3] Dutton submitted himself as a candidate for the leadership, but was defeated by Turnbull, who won the ballot 48 votes to 35. Dutton then immediately resigned from the ministry.^[4]

Dutton requested a second spill motion two days later. Turnbull refused to call the spill without first receiving a list of signatures representing the majority of his Party room, and referred Dutton to the Attorney General's office to test his eligibility to sit in Parliament.^[5] He declared that if Dutton had the numbers to carry a spill motion, he would take it as a vote of no confidence and not stand to contest the leadership.^[5] Dutton secured the numbers for a spill and Turnbull did not re-contest the leadership, opening the way for supporters Scott Morrison and Julie Bishop to stand against Dutton.

Dutton, Treasurer Morrison and Foreign Minister Bishop contested the ballot. Bishop was eliminated in the first round of voting, and in the second round Morrison defeated Dutton by 45 votes to 40, thereby becoming the leader of the Liberal Party and Prime Minister of Australia.^[6] A ballot for the deputy leadership of the party also occurred and was won by Josh Frydenberg, who was subsequently appointed Treasurer in the Morrison government.^[6]