Australia politics live: Malcolm Turnbull says Angus Taylor should ‘stand up and say’ if he wants to be Liberal leader; man charged after Sydney protest over police tactics

Former PM says Liberals who want Taylor as party leader should take responsibility for it. Follow updates live

• Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast

Turnbull laments the Liberals’ shift to the right

Turnbull has made no secret that he doesn’t like the party shifting towards the right and believes his former colleagues have spent too much time watching Sky News after dark.

The problem the party has got is that it has drifted away from the center of Australian politics. It’s become lost in this sort of world, this bubble of populist right-wing media … They’re fighting culture wars and, you know, basically chasing Pauline Hanson down a right-wing populist borough, and no wonder her vote is ahead of theirs. They’ve got to get back to the centre.

I think it is fair if people want to remove the leader, then they should be prepared to put their hands up. You know, so as I said, I think this is true with Taylor. I mean, if Taylor wants to be leader, [he] should stand up and say he wants to be leader, say why, and those people who support him should stand up and take responsibility for it.

Continue reading…

Source: www.theguardian.com

Read full article