Turnbull government

Turnbull government
In office
15 September 2015 – 24 August 2018
Monarch	Elizabeth II
Governor-General	Sir Peter Cosgrove
Prime Minister	Malcolm Turnbull
Deputy	Michael McCormack (Feb. 2018 – Aug. 2018) Barnaby Joyce (Feb. 2016 – Oct. 2017; Dec. 2017 – Feb. 2018) Warren Truss (Sept. 2015 – Feb. 2016)
Party	Liberal and National (Coalition)
Status	Majority (Sep. 2015 – Nov. 2017; Dec. 2017 – Aug. 2018) Minority (Nov. 2017 – Dec. 2017)[a]
Origin	Turnbull wins 2015 Liberal leadership spill
Demise	Turnbull loses 2018 Liberal leadership spill
Predecessor	Abbott government
Successor	Morrison government

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
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The Turnbull government was the federal executive government of Australia led by the 29th prime minister of Australia, Malcolm Turnbull, from 2015 to 2018. It succeeded the Abbott government, which brought the Coalition to power at the 2013 Australian federal election. The government consisted of members of Australia's Liberal-Nationals Coalition. Turnbull took office by challenging his leader, Tony Abbott, in an internal leadership ballot. Warren Truss, the leader of the Nationals, served as Deputy Prime Minister until he retired in 2016 and was replaced by Barnaby Joyce. Joyce resigned in February 2018 and the Nationals' new leader Michael McCormack became Deputy Prime Minister.^[1][2] The Turnbull government concluded with Turnbull's resignation ahead of internal leadership ballot which saw him succeeded as Prime Minister by Scott Morrison and the Morrison government.

In mounting his 2015 public challenge for the leadership, Turnbull cited extended poor polling in Newspoll by the Abbott government and said Australia needed a new style of "economic leadership".^[3] Turnbull appointed Morrison as Treasurer in an expanded ministry, promoting several key supporters.^[4] Julie Bishop remained as Minister for Foreign Affairs. Conservatives Tony Abbott, Eric Abetz and Kevin Andrews were sent to the backbench. Joe Hockey left Parliament. The Turnbull government continued a number of Abbott government initiatives, promising a plebiscite legalising same-sex marriage, concluding Abbott era initiatives on an anti-domestic violence campaign, funding the National Disability Insurance Scheme, signing a China free trade deal, and reforming Senate voting.^[5]

The April 2016 refusal of the Senate to pass the government's bill to re-establish a watchdog for the construction industry provided Turnbull with a double dissolution trigger.^[6] An election was held on 2 July, and the government was returned with its majority in the House of Representatives reduced to one seat.^[7] The 2016 election saw a resurgence of the right wing Pauline Hanson's One Nation Party, and discontented conservative Liberal Senator Cory Bernardi left the party and established the Australian Conservatives soon after. The now elected Turnbull government secured passage of the Registered Organisations and Australian Building and Construction Commission legislation. In 2017, it announced Federal funds for expansion of Snowy Hydro. In June 2017, it introduced the "Gonski 2.0" reforms to schools funding. Factional strains continued.

Turnbull's ousting of Abbott had divided the Liberal Party rank and file and tensions continued in the parliamentary Party.^[8][9][10] Abbott said Turnbull supporters had plotted against him.^[11][12] The government reached the 30-consecutive-Newspoll-losses benchmark Turnbull had used to unseat Abbott, in April 2018.^[13] The Parliament faced a period of instability under the 2017–18 Australian parliamentary eligibility crisis, and the Turnbull government briefly lost its parliamentary majority and Deputy Prime Minister Joyce.^[14] Joyce was re-elected, but in February 2018 Turnbull denounced him and forced his resignation after the press reported on an office affair he had been conducting with a staffer.^[15] By-election losses in July 2018 further diminished Turnbull's authority.^[16] Dissent from conservative MPs over issues such as energy prices and immigration levels grew during Turnbull's final months. On 21 August, Turnbull announced a leadership spill ahead of his 39th consecutive Newspoll loss, which he narrowly won against Peter Dutton. Turnbull resigned three days later after narrowly losing the confidence of his Party room. Turnbull blamed Abbott, Dutton and conservative media commentators.

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