Scott Morrison to be Australian PM as Malcolm Turnbull ousted

Malcolm Turnbull (left) will be succeeded by Scott Morrison

Scott Morrison is to be Australia’s new prime minister after Malcolm Turnbull was forced out by party rivals in a bruising leadership contest.

Mr Turnbull had been under pressure from poor polling and what he described as an “insurgency” by conservative MPs.

Mr Morrison, the treasurer, won an internal ballot 45-40 over former Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton – who had been Mr Turnbull’s most vocal threat.

Mr Turnbull is the fourth Australian PM in a decade to be ousted internally.

“It has been such a privilege to be the leader of this great nation. I love Australia. I love Australians,” he said on Friday.

Why was Turnbull forced out?

With an election looming, MPs were nervous about the government’s poor opinion polling and recent by-election defeats.

Last week, a row over energy policy ignited long-existing tensions between Mr Turnbull, a moderate, and his party’s conservative wing.

Mr Dutton, a conservative, then unsuccessfully challenged Mr Turnbull on Tuesday, but his narrow defeat only stoked further discord.

Mr Morrison entered the race after Mr Turnbull lost key backers. After a majority of MPs called for a leadership “spill”, Mr Turnbull agreed to step down.

Who is Morrison?

Mr Morrison, a former Tourism Australia official, entered parliament in 2007 and has since held three key ministerial portfolios.

• A social conservative who appeals to the moderate elements of the Liberal party
• Rose to national prominence as immigration minister in Tony Abbott’s government
• Built a reputation as a tough operator in enforcing Australia’s hardline “stop the boats” policy
• Drew criticism over the controversial asylum seeker policies and offshore detention centres
• Seen as a pragmatic, ambitious politician who has long eyed the top job
• The 50-year old father-of-two is a leading religious conservatives and opposed last year’s same-sex marriage bill.