Former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull has accused his own side of politics of ‘threatening our democracy’ in an extraordinary speech that also took aim at Donald Trump and Scott Morrison’s ‘quiet Australians’.
The ousted Liberal Party leader didn’t hold back when addressing a gathering of Liberal moderates at a Sydney eastern suburbs yacht club, warning of the dangers of ‘populist authoritarianism’ and sensationally accusing Mr Trump of sabotage as the US President faces impeachment over his Ukraine dealings.
‘Donald Trump is seeking to tear at every, single institution in the United States,’ he said of the world leader he had last year visited at the White House in Washington.
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Former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull (left) has accused his own political side of ‘threatening our democracy’. He also accused Donald Trump (right) of sabotage as the US President faces impeachment over his Ukraine dealings
With his autobiography just months away, Mr Turnbull said that President Trump appealed to reactionary elements within the conservative side of politics.
‘I mean Donald Trump, who is their hero, is not a conservative. That is not what conservativism is,’ he said on Thursday night.
Awkwardly, Australia’s next ambassador to the United States, Arthur Sinodinos, was in the audience and was even a speaker at this function.
More than 200 guests paid $75 for tickets to the Sydney Harbour event last Thursday, which featured a who’s who of cabinet ministers and lobbyists linked to the Liberal Party.
A witness told Daily Mail Australia of seeing the multi-millionaire former prime minister arrive in a Sydney Harbour water taxi, from his nearby Point Piper mansion, with his wife Lucy and their daughter Daisy.
In his speech Mr Turnbull slammed conservative politics in general, more than a year after right-wing elements in the Liberal Party ended his leadership.
‘What we are faced with at the moment on the right of politics, so called, is essentially a form of populist authoritarianism, which is utterly intolerant of diversity, is utterly intolerant of alternative views,’ he said.
‘And it really threatens our democracy. It is important to call it out.’
Mr Turnbull also took a subtle dig at his successor Mr Morrison, who in May this year credited the ‘quiet Australians’ for his election night win, despite Labor winning 55 consecutive Newspolls beforehand.
Mr Turnbull also took a subtle dig at his successor Scott Morrison (pictured with wife Jenny and daughters Lily and Abbey), who in May this year credited the ‘quiet Australians’ for his election win, despite Labor winning 55 consecutive Newspolls beforehand
‘The people on the right, the distinctly un-quiet Australians, who are claiming to be conservative are not conservatives at all,’ he said to laughter.
His speech (pictured) at the Cruising Yacht Club at Darling Point was attended by high-profile Liberal ministers and MPs
‘They are authoritarian populists.
‘Don’t let them get away with claiming that they are conservative.’
Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton, who hails from the right of the Liberal Party, challenged Mr Turnbull’s leadership in August last year after he proposed a National Energy Guarantee to deal with rising electricity prices.
Mr Morrison beat Mr Dutton in a second leadership challenge, in three days, which Mr Turnbull declined to contest.
The moderate faction in New South Wales had swung its support behind Mr Morrison to stop Mr Dutton from becoming prime minister.
The former prime minister had previously lost the Liberal leadership in December 2009 to Tony Abbott after proposing to back the then Labor government’s proposed emissions trading scheme.
These included former Liberal senator Arthur Sinodinos, who next year replaces former treasurer Joe Hockey as Australia’s ambassador to the United States in Washington
His speech at the Cruising Yacht Club at Darling Point was attended by high-profile Liberal ministers, MPs and powerbroker lobbyists.
These included Trade Minister Simon Birmingham and Communications Minister Paul Fletcher.
Former Liberal senator Mr Sinodinos, who next year replaces former treasurer Joe Hockey as Australia’s ambassador to the United States, also attended along with Liberal backbenchers Trent Zimmerman and Dave Sharma, and former federal cabinet minister Christopher Pyne, who is now a lobbyist.
Lobbyist Michael Photios, a powerbroker within the Liberal Party’s moderate faction in NSW, was also there.
The invitation-only event was organised by Liberal Forum, the organisation wing of the party’s moderate faction.
Mr Turnbull’s autobiography A Bigger Picture is due for release in 2020.