Liberals

By-election wins and defections push Canada’s Liberals into majority government under the prime ministerMark Carney has said he will govern with “humility, determination and a clear understanding of what this moment demands” after his Liberals swept three by-elections Monday evening, forging a parliamentary majority just more than a year after he took power.Carney has achieved only the third majority government in two decades – and has done so in a highly unusual fashion, cobbling together both ballot box wins and defections from rival parties. Continue reading...

Howard-era former minister Amanda Vanstone criticises parts of hardline policy but backs English language requirementGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastFormer Howard government minister Amanda Vanstone has warned Angus Taylor against turning immigration into heavy-handed law enforcement, saying most migrants from countries run by dictators and extremists move here to escape authoritarianism.Releasing the first elements of a new hardline immigration policy on Tuesday, the opposition leader sparked criticism from refugee advocates, Pauline Hanson and even one sitting Liberal MP, who all likened the plans to policies from US president Donald Trump. Continue reading...

The split comes as some MPs raise the prospect of a new conversation about the party’s leadershipFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastAngus Taylor has shut down Andrew Hastie’s push for the Liberals to be “open-minded” to increasing taxes on gas companies and winding back concessions for property investors, exposing a clash of philosophies between the opposition leader and his most likely future rival.The opposition leader also did not repeat Hastie’s criticism of Donald Trump as he refused to say whether or not he endorsed the US and Israel’s war with Iran. Continue reading...

One Nation leader says voters ‘want to get rid of the Labor party, by all means’ but rejects possibility of formal power-sharing partnershipFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastPauline Hanson says One Nation wants to work with the Liberals and Nationals – including on preferences deals – to defeat Labor and has offered to prop-up a future minority Coalition government.But Hanson ruled out forming an official coalition with the two conservative parties, declaring she will never agree to an arrangement “where I will be told what I can say, what I can do”. Continue reading...

The result in Slovenia will relieve EU diplomats and means the incumbent will lead exploratory talks to form the next governmentMeanwhile, Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni has urged Italians to take part in the referendum on the government’s proposals to shake up the organisation of the justice system.On her social media accounts, she posted a picture posing with a ballot paper, and said:“Ready to vote. Remember: you have until 3 PM today to get to the polls. Participation is important.” Continue reading...

Labor’s Peter Malinauskas secures at least 32 seats while Pauline Hanson’s party outpolls Liberals and could become de facto oppositionOne Nation will win at least one South Australian lower house seat, and is leading in a handful of others, as the Liberals consider “sobering lessons” from Saturday’s thumping election loss to Labor.One Nation’s electoral success came as federal MP Barnaby Joyce downplayed racism and bigotry accusations against the party before likening a ban on migration from Muslim countries to buying cattle “that just don’t work”. Continue reading...

Putting Pauline Hanson’s party above Labor on how-to-vote cards is a gamble for Ashton Hurn’s leadership, with the Liberals facing potential eclipseGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastSouth Australian politics rarely takes a central position in national news, but this Saturday’s state election will be watched much more closely than usual for potential federal implications.It is shaping up as a perfect storm for a struggling Liberal party: under pressure from a popular first-term Labor government, while One Nation eats into the Liberal base. The election will be a first test of One Nation’s growing support nationally, with federal polls showing Pauline Hanson’s party regularly outpolling a weakened Coalition. Continue reading...