Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull Survives Party Leadership Challenge

Embattled Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull narrowly survived a leadership challenge from within his own party Tuesday as discontent with his rule boiled over less than a year before national elections.

Sydney, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 21st Aug, 2018 ) :Embattled Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull narrowly survived a leadership challenge from within his own party Tuesday as discontent with his rule boiled over less than a year before national elections.

Turnbull, considered a moderate, declared his position vacant at a Liberal party meeting to force the issue after rampant speculation that the more hardline Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton wanted his job, with the government consistently trailing the Labor opposition in opinion polls.

The disunity came to a head on Monday when Turnbull was forced to shelve plans to embed carbon emissions targets in law after a revolt by fellow Liberal politicians.

Party whip Nola Marino told reporters Dutton challenged but Turnbull won 48-35.

"The result of that ballot was Malcolm Turnbull was elected leader of the Liberal Party by a margin of 48-35, with Peter Dutton as the other candidate," she said.

There was also an election for deputy leader. The incumbent, Foreign Minister Julie Bishop, was the only one who threw her hat in the ring and she held onto the role.

Asked what Turnbull said after winning, Marino replied the prime minister "thanked his colleagues for their support and will get on with the business now of governing in the interests of all Australians".

On Monday Turnbull had declared he had Dutton's "full support".