Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has abruptly reversed that country’s position on climate change targets, after stripping targets agreed at the Paris climate agreement talks from his key National Energy Guarantee legislation.
Why has Turnbull changed direction?
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The backdown by Turnbull has led to a tumultuous 24 hours in Australian politics, with considerable media speculation that home affairs minister Peter Dutton could challenge for the leadership to replace Turnbull as prime minister.
Can Turnbull survive as PM?
In an unexpected move, Turnbull voluntarily vacated the leadership of the coalition – and the position of prime minister – early this morning local time, calling for a party room vote and “challenging agitators to put up or shut up”, Fairfax Media reports.
Turnbull won the internal ballot by 48 votes to 35, defeating Dutton, who has declined Turnbull’s offer to remain part of the cabinet following the leadership challenge.
However, the ABC reports that while Turnbull “has survived today [...] there could be further talk in the wings about another challenge on Thursday”, noting that Dutton had not had time to prepare or canvass party room votes before the surprise ballot was called.
While the leadership infighting continues, one thing remains – Australia will now need to formulate a new emissions plan to meet the Paris climate agreement goals it signed onto in 2016.
-
‘The economics of WhatsApp have been mysterious for years’Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Will Democrats impeach Kristi Noem?Today’s Big Question Centrists, lefty activists also debate abolishing ICE
-
Is a social media ban for teens the answer?Talking Point Australia is leading the charge in banning social media for people under 16 — but there is lingering doubt as to the efficacy of such laws
-
Why Greenland’s natural resources are nearly impossible to mineThe Explainer The country’s natural landscape makes the task extremely difficult
-
Iran cuts internet as protests escalateSpeed Reada Government buildings across the country have been set on fire
-
US nabs ‘shadow’ tanker claimed by RussiaSpeed Read The ship was one of two vessels seized by the US military
-
The Alps start the countdown to ‘peak glacier extinction’IN THE SPOTLIGHT Central Europe is losing ice faster than anywhere else on Earth. Global warming puts this already bad situation at risk of becoming even worse.
-
Australia weighs new gun laws after antisemitic attackSpeed Read A father and son opened fire on Jewish families at Sydney’s Bondi Beach, killing at least 15
-
How Bulgaria’s government fell amid mass protestsThe Explainer The country’s prime minister resigned as part of the fallout
-
Femicide: Italy’s newest crimeThe Explainer Landmark law to criminalise murder of a woman as an ‘act of hatred’ or ‘subjugation’ but critics say Italy is still deeply patriarchal
-
Brazil’s Bolsonaro behind bars after appeals run outSpeed Read He will serve 27 years in prison
