Scott Morrison Prime Minister Designate

Scott Morrison has been designated as Australia’s next Prime Minister after a meeting of the Liberal party room, the ABC has reported.

Mr Morrison, the former treasurer, won a party room ballot 45 votes to 40.

The meeting took place after outgoing Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull requested to see a petition of those members of Parliament calling for a leadership spill. A spill motion, carried by 45 votes to 40, signalled the end of Mr Turnbull’s Prime Ministership.

Love Makes A Way issued a statement on their Facebook page about the new Prime Minister Designate shortly after the ballot took place.

Mr Turnbull has said that he will now resign from parliament, forcing a by-election in the eastern suburbs seat of Wentworth.

The Prime Minister Designate will head to Yarrumla to be sworn in by the Govenor General, Sir Peter Cosgrove.

Former Deputy Prime Minister Julie Bishop was eliminated from the vote first.
The former Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton resigned the leadership earlier this week to contest the Liberal Party leadership.

Insights spoke to Love Makes A Way’s Justin Whelan, who suggested that Mr Dutton would not be missed from the portfolio, but his departure would not mean a change in how the Australian government treated asylum seekers.

Jonathan Foye is Insights’ Editor